Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa has admitted Unai Emery was right to question the attitude of his players after the head coach branded them “lazy” in the aftermath of Sunday’s disappointing 1-1 draw with Sunderland.
The Spaniard was furious as his side failed to beat a Black Cats team that had been reduced to 10 men for an hour following Reinildo Mandava’s red card. Matty Cash’s opener appeared to have put Villa on course for their first league win of the campaign, only for Wilson Isidor to snatch a late equaliser.
After the game, Emery did not hold back, publicly accusing his players of failing to match his defensive demands. “We were lazy sometimes in defence. When we conceded, we were lazy,” he said.
Konsa has now endorsed his manager’s assessment, conceding that Villa only had themselves to blame. “Yeah, it’s a fair comment. I think everyone has seen the picture, seen the goal,” Konsa said. “Here we pride ourselves in trying to play a high line. It is something the boss has instilled since he first came. We didn’t quite get it right.”
The 26-year-old believes that the manager’s words, though harsh, may serve as motivation. “When your manager doesn’t speak too well of you, it is not a good thing. It does bring fuel into you. You just want to play the next game as soon as possible to prove everyone wrong. It starts from tomorrow.”
Konsa also revealed that Emery did not repeat the “lazy” accusation behind closed doors, instead choosing to leave the players to reflect. “The boss is not a big speaker. Sometimes he keeps himself to himself. As players, we’ve been in the game a long time. We know what we need to do. It is down to us. We are on the pitch, not the manager. We have to figure it out for ourselves as well.”
Emery himself attempted to strike a more measured tone ahead of Thursday’s Europa League clash against Bologna. “I was frustrated and disappointed but when I analysed it I was getting the balance,” he said. “I am demanding and always trying to understand how we can feel stronger. After the match I told the players we have to be more demanding.”
Villa’s draw at Sunderland leaves them 18th in the Premier League, without a win from their opening five matches. They are also out of the Carabao Cup and have scored just once in the league. For many fans, it has been a bleak start, but Konsa rejected suggestions that the club is already in crisis.
“I don’t think we are at the stage where we need to have meetings,” Konsa insisted. “People will talk about crisis meetings and things like that, but we’ve got a great captain in John McGinn, who really takes the lead. After the game, he said a few words to keep us going, to keep encouraging us. We haven’t started the season well, we know that. But I’m sure it’s going to go well soon.”
The criticism, Konsa argues, reflects Villa’s progress in recent years. “It shows how far we have come over the last three years that people have criticised our start,” he added.
Villa’s week has also been marked by a change behind the scenes, with the departure of president of football operations Monchi after two years. The influential Spaniard, widely credited with helping to recruit key talent, has been replaced by Roberto Olabe, formerly of Real Sociedad.
Emery, who has worked closely with Olabe in the past, played down fears of disruption. “It was something we were working on, knowing about while speaking with Monchi,” Emery explained. “After the transfer window finished we were speaking about our relationship, working with the club, working together. Then we decided with the club and him, and with Roberto as well, to do a normal transition. Nothing has changed, only changing the man. We reacted quickly with one person I know personally. I have a lot of confidence with Roberto. He is coming to help us.”
For Villa, the message is clear: Emery is demanding higher standards, Konsa accepts the challenge, and the club hopes both players and management can turn their stuttering start into momentum in Europe and the league.
