Aston Villa boss Unai Emery was delighted with the performances of George Hemmings and Brian Madjo
Unai Emery was full of praise for Aston Villa teenagers Brian Madjo and George Hemmings after their impressive performances in the UEFA Super Cup defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
Both players were named in Villa’s starting line-up given the number of absences Emery was dealing with. Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa and Emi Martinez had been given four weeks off after the World Cup, while Alejandro Garnacho was observing concussion protocols and Johan Manzambi was dealing with a knee injury.
Madjo scored Villa’s equaliser on the cusp of half-time, having missed earlier chances, as he battled with Nuno Mendes at the back post before beating Matvéi Safónov.
Hemmings, meanwhile, also caught the eye in Villa’s battling defeat, playing from the left and drifting into dangerous pockets of space, much like Morgan Rogers and Jacob Ramsey have done in previous Villa sides.
“Last season he played against Salzburg, but I needed to sub him in the first half,” Emery said of Hemmings. “He was a little bit nervous, but it was his first experience playing like that.
“He played with more confidence today, and in the position we have worked on. Now is the time to stay consistent and demanding. Still a lot of work and matches to play.”
On Madjo, Emery said: “He has been involved in our work last season, but not playing. We tried to get him ready to perform like today. There is still work to do, but he showed that he can be close to us to play.”
Emery insisted that he was proud of Villa’s performance against PSG, especially given the circumstances and his limited options.
“We played one match today in pre-season, but a match to compete for a trophy. We decided to play this match with the players who were ready to play and were fit, tactically as well as working for the last weeks.
“We avoided some risk with some players and also gave one week off for the players who were playing until the last matches at the World Cup, like Watkins, Konsa and Martinez. They are very important players but it is important how we manage them, resting and working.
“I have experienced myself and I am trying to use those experiences to avoid some mistakes, maybe they could happen in other circumstances. Hemmings and Brian, we have been getting them ready to play, and there is still work to do but they showed today that they can be close to us to be ready and to compete.”