Unai Emery has rejected the suggestion that Aston Villa are overly dependent on Pau Torres, insisting that the team’s structure remains the most important part of his tactical approach.
The Spanish defender picked up a hamstring injury during Villa’s 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Villa Park last weekend and is not expected to return until after the extended international break.
His absence could see Tyrone Mings partner Victor Lindelöf at the heart of the defence against Tottenham on Saturday, while Taylor Harwood-Bellis is another option available to Emery.
The Villa boss was asked whether his side relies heavily on Torres’ ability to build attacks from the back. Emery pointed instead to the importance of the collective structure.
Unai Emery: “The structure is the most important thing”
Unai Emery explained that Villa have faced similar questions whenever an important defender has been unavailable, highlighting the different qualities within his squad.
“When Tyrone Mings is not here, you ask for Tyrone Mings, and when Pau Torres is not here, then you ask about Pau Torres,” Emery said.
The manager acknowledged Torres’ importance in possession, particularly during the build-up, but believes Mings can fulfil the role in his own way.
“Pau has some characteristics as a player that give us so, so much in build-up, but Tyrone is doing it as well.”
Emery also stressed that Mings brings qualities that Torres does not necessarily possess, meaning Villa must adapt without abandoning their overall tactical identity.
The objective, according to the Spanish coach, is to maintain the same style, structure and competitive approach regardless of which defender is selected.
Villa have coped without key defenders before
Unai Emery pointed to his first season at Villa as evidence that the team can perform without one particular centre-back.
Mings was a regular starter during the first six months of Emery’s reign, when Villa went on to achieve qualification for the Conference League. The manager also noted that Villa finished fourth in the Premier League on average during that season, while Clément Lenglet helped the following campaign when Mings spent a long period injured.
The current squad gives Emery several central defensive options, with Torres, Mings, Lindelöf and Harwood-Bellis all available when fit.
He also recalled a more recent example from last December, when Villa were without both Torres and Mings.
At that time, Lindelöf played alongside Ezri Konsa and Emery believes the team still performed at a very high level.
“Last December, we had neither Torres nor Mings, and we had Lindelöf with Konsa. We performed fantastically. This is a good example.”
Unai Emery wants Villa to maintain their identity
Rather than relying on an individual player, Emery believes Villa must continue to execute the same footballing principles regardless of personnel.
Torres’ ability to progress the ball from defence is an important part of his game, but Emery sees Mings and the other options as capable of fulfilling the tactical demands in different ways.
With Torres unavailable, the Tottenham match will provide another opportunity for Villa to demonstrate that their defensive structure can remain effective despite changes to the personnel.
The Aston Villa News BR verdict
Pau Torres brings distinctive qualities to Aston Villa, particularly when the team are building from the back. However, Emery’s comments make clear that he does not want Villa’s approach to depend on one defender.
The immediate question is how effectively Mings, Lindelöf or Harwood-Bellis can reproduce the team’s overall structure while adding their own individual strengths. Tottenham will provide an early test of that approach following Torres’ injury.
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