Unai Emery has publicly criticised his Aston Villa players for a lack of discipline as the club continues its search for a first Premier League win of the season. The manager highlighted a series of needless bookings and a red card as issues that must be addressed.
Villa sit 15th in the Premier League with four points from their opening five matches, a position that has sharpened the focus on performance details. Emery pointed to Joao Gomes's red card on his debut in the opening-day 4-0 defeat at Brighton and the seven bookings accrued in the first four league fixtures as examples of a costly trend.
"We must control our emotions, individually," Emery said. "We must reduce red cards but also some yellow cards are not necessary." The Spaniard specifically referenced Aaron Wan-Bissaka's booking for squaring up to Gustavo Hamer in the Carabao Cup win at Coventry, calling it "not normal." He added that Wan-Bissaka and summer signing Nicolas Jackson, a £65 million arrival from Chelsea, are experienced players who must set a better example.
Emery's frustration stems from incidents he feels are avoidable. He revealed he substituted Jackson at half-time of the recent home defeat to Nottingham Forest out of fear the striker would receive a second yellow card. The team has already discussed the matter internally. "We have spoken about discipline in the dressing room," Emery confirmed, stressing the importance of building the right mentality.
Despite the disciplinary concerns, Villa's form has shown recent improvement with back-to-back wins against Coventry City and Tottenham Hotspur. The 3-2 victory at Tottenham last time out, featuring goals from Johan Manzambi, Jackson and Emiliano Buendía, provides a platform. The club's standings position remains a concern, however, with Brentford visiting Villa Park next on 10 October. Emery will hope his message on discipline is heard as his squad, currently missing several players including Pau Torres and Leon Goretzka, prepares for that key home match.
This story first appeared at Daily Mail Sport
