Amadou Onana has already matched his finest Premier League scoring season for Everton by getting the opening purpose in every of Aston Villa’s two wins up to now. He has the prospect to make it three towards his former membership at Villa Park on Saturday.
Onana’s £50m summer time change was an intriguing one. Sean Dyche referred to as it “a enterprise choice” as a result of Everton’s monetary scenario. However for Villa to interrupt their switch document steered they noticed way more in him than he had proven at Goodison Park.
Former Everton participant Michael Ball summed up the temper amongst Everton supporters when describing the transfer for example of the “mistaken staff on the mistaken time” – even claiming Tim Iroegbunam, signed from Villa, has already proven greater than Onana did.
However there’s a recognition too that it is a participant with a lot pure potential that the prospect of the now-23-year-old midfielder ultimately placing all the elements collectively – maybe discovering the proper staff on the proper time – makes him too tantalising to disregard.
“We signed Amadou Onana as a result of he’s younger and has huge potential,” Unai Emery tells Sky Sports activities. “We imagine in his potential.” The Villa boss may also imagine that he’s a coach able to coaxing way more from a younger participant who remains to be studying the sport.
It has been a significant adjustment for Onana. Through the worldwide window, the Belgium worldwide spoke of the lengthy days, the prolonged coaching periods, the tactical element that he has needed to tackle board, one thing for which Emery has lengthy been infamous.
Curiously, whereas Dyche was speaking in his pre-match press convention of giving Iroegbunam area earlier than loading him with an excessive amount of info, Emery was at Villa’s coaching floor telling Sky Sports activities of the work that must be executed to assist Onana.
Onana can get to a ‘excessive stage’
Even after their summer time tour of the USA, it’s a course of that has solely simply begun. The distinction between the participant Onana is true now and the one Emery thinks he will be is huge. “The hole is at the start huge, larger than we analysed,” he says.
“However we’re assured to extend his stage on this hole to get to the extent the place we will consider him as an excellent participant sooner or later. He’s [already] an excellent participant however we predict he can enhance and get to a excessive stage as a participant and assist us quite a bit on this approach.”
Maybe it shouldn’t be a shock that the adjustment is important. Onana has left the staff that performed essentially the most lengthy balls within the Premier League final season for one which performed among the many fewest, solely 25 greater than short-passing consultants Manchester Metropolis.
Whereas away with Belgium, he stated: “Right here we play extra on possession. You often keep on the ball quite a bit longer. Sean Dyche wished to see extra direct soccer. Lengthy balls. A whole lot of second balls. Within the nationwide staff, I get the ball extra. It fits me somewhat bit higher.”
Onana’s pass-completion charge of 93.3 per cent with Villa is up from 84.9 per cent. It’s a crude statistic, early days certainly, but it surely hints at his potential to maintain possession, and whereas his objectives have attracted consideration, he has proven he can maintain the ball.
Potential to associate Kamara
Emery doesn’t see Onana as a direct substitute for Brazil worldwide Douglas Luiz, who has left for Juventus. “We added two gamers with the same traits to Douglas,” he says. “Youri Tielemans final yr and Ross Barkley this yr.”
As an alternative, he argues that Onana has “roughly comparable traits” to Boubacar Kamara, the fan-favourite midfielder presently out by means of harm. “We wish two comparable gamers in every place or gamers with the flexibility to play totally different positions.”
Onana can do each as a result of Emery insists that the 2 may additionally line up alongside one another. “They will play collectively, Kamara and Onana. If we have been considering he couldn’t play with Kamara, possibly it might not have been very straightforward to signal him,” he explains.
“However we’re considering with Kamara, with Ama, with Barkley and with Tielemans, they will play [in any combination of] two gamers or we may even play with three of them collectively in our construction that we have now. After all, we signed Enzo Barrenechea as effectively.
“He’s a younger participant who may develop effectively himself, bettering and turning into essential for us. We determined to let him to go on mortgage and sooner or later we wish to add him and for him to affix us, enjoying in our construction in addition to an essential participant.”
Everton take a look at for Emery
That’s for the long run. Extra instantly, there may be Everton at house. Victory towards Onana’s former membership on Saturday night, a primary of the season in entrance of their very own supporters at Villa Park, would you should definitely transfer Emery’s aspect again into the highest 4.
The type of the 2 groups could also be totally different however Dyche has Emery’s respect. “Final yr, they got here right here to play within the Carabao Cup and so they beat us. They received and so they deserved to win. I do know the coach, I do know the gamers. They’re very aggressive.
“They’re coming right here needing factors. They’ll play focusing 100 per cent on their traits as a staff with the gamers, with the type that they’ve. However I respect them quite a bit. We’ve to attempt to focus ourselves as effectively on our recreation plan.
“We’ve received two matches however it isn’t sufficient. We’ve to proceed bettering.” It’s a message for everybody forward of this match. However it’s a message related to their document signing, particularly. Onana is a expertise. Emery needs him to be a lot extra.
Watch Aston Villa vs Everton reside on Sky Sports activities Premier League from 5pm on Saturday; kick-off 5.30pm. Stream with NOW.