Unai Emery is a good appointment but Thomas Frank would be better
Thomas Frank is one of the best up and coming managers in the Premier League.
With flexible tactics and a clear ability to improve players, Brentford now competes with anyone in the league, regardless of names and finances. Frank has stated his love for the Bees and is reported to have held initial talks over a new contract last Monday.
But Brentford is merely a stepping stone.
There’s a club in disarray just up the M40 with a far bigger budget who have Frank under consideration as their new manager.
Despite this, Unai Emery has been reported as the front runner. A manager who is past his best as his last few seasons at Villerreal and Arsenal show.
If Aston Villa want to realise their ambitions, they need to appoint Frank as their new manager.
The financial capabilities of both clubs
Thomas Frank has done remarkable things with such a small club. With a net gain of £100,000 over the last five years, he brought Brentford up through the playoffs and are now competing in their second season in the Premier League. This figure is by far away the lowest out of the current 20 Premier League teams. However, there’s only so much that a club spending so little can achieve.
Compare that to Aston Villa. Over the last five years, they have had a net loss of £259.97 million (7th in the League). This shows the lofty ambitions of joint owners Nasseff Sawiris and Wes Edens who combined are worth a total of $12.4 billion. The fact that Villa currently lies 14th in the Premier League, with the finances available to them, is unacceptable for a club of their stature.
This investment has allowed the board to assemble a top quality squad. This included the likes of Argentina’s number one Emiliano Martinez, one of the French national team’s hottest prospects in Boubacar Kamara and Premier League great Phillippe Coutinho. The fact that Aston Villa is lying 14th with the number of quality players they have is quite frankly embarrassing. This season they have been uninspiring and lackluster to watch, and they need a manager to release creative flair.
Tactics
For the majority of last season, Brentford played in a 3-5-2 formation. On the contrary, this season they have switched to a 4-3-3. Similarly, the formation mostly played by Aston Villa this season. This shows Thomas Frank’s ability to switch his formations and adjust his tactics dependent on the opposition faced.
Conversely, Brentford has been pragmatic and structured in its approach to Premier League football. Rather than a free flowing force which dazzles the eye of the neutral. I would argue with better players Thomas Frank can electrify his team’s supporters and push this club into European contention.
This is evidenced when Frank gives a tactical analysis of Brentford’s 2-0 victory over Swansea in the 2020 playoff final on The Coaches Voice.
In this video, Thomas Frank goes on to say ‘if our full-backs were high, it means we have a three versus two situation’ in the build-up of play.
‘We tried to get Mattius Jensen out to the side and that was a little bit unnatural to get all the way out here (the opposition players).’
‘That creates the spaces and channels for Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbuemo to come into’.
Development of players
In addition, Thomas Frank has built a reputation for vastly improving players. Take Ivan Toney. Brentford signed him from league one side Peterborough in 2020 after scoring 24 goals in 32 appearances. Toney immediately hit the ground running at Brentford scoring 31 goals helping them get promoted and is now flying in the Premier League. He is now on the verge of being selected for England in the World Cup squad.
Furthermore, while Aston Villa has an abundance of quality senior players, the academy should be admired. The U18 team won the FA Youth Cup in 2021 and boasts talent such as Tim Iroegbunam (currently on loan at QPR) and Aaron Ramsey (currently on loan at Norwich City). With this academy, Frank could build a strong team for years to come.
Why Aston Villa shouldn’t go for Unai Emery
The current front runner for the Aston Villa job is Unai Emery. However, this could be a fatal mistake by the Birmingham-based side. Whilst Villarreal have had successful cup competition runs including a Champions League semi-final last season, their league form has flattered to deceive.
In Villerreal’s previous two seasons under Emery, they have consecutive 7th place finishes. Coinsidently, they currently lie 7th this term as well. For a team that is clearly capable, as their European form shows, the league consistency is not there on a regular basis.
In addition, Unai Emery doesn’t have happy memories of the Premier League. The former Arsenal boss placed a mediocre 5th in his first season. The start of his second season in North London saw a further decline, being relieved from his duties with Arsenal stranded in 8th.
Over the last few years he has shown that his League form his inconsistent which is not what Aston Villa need right now.
Comapre this to Frank who has over achieved with the players and resources available to him.
Whilst Thomas Frank has done an incredible job as Brentford’s manager, it’s time for him to move on to bigger challenges. Even with Frank’s tactical excellence and ability to get the best out of the players available to him, he can only take this team so far. The opportunity of a better squad with a larger budget to spend at Aston Villa is one that may not come up again. The time has come to say goodbye to the ‘bus stop in Hounslow’.
