Journalist Ryan Taylor has claimed that Aston Villa manager Unai Emery doesn’t see defender Matty Cash as his preferred option at right-back going forward.
What has Taylor said about Matty Cash and Unai Emery?
The Poland international defender has been a regular performer for Villa, appearing 21 times in all competitions this season, and started in their defeat to Arsenal, providing an assist for Ollie Watkins to open the scoring.
However, it has now been mooted that Emery, who was appointed in November, is not a fan of the 25-year-old, and may look to replace him in the summer transfer window.
Cash has made 89 appearances for Villa since his arrival from Nottingham Forest in 2020, but may not be seen as a long-term starter by the Spaniard.
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Taylor questioned why Emery may not like the full-back.
“I feel like there are areas of Villa’s squad that they’ll look to strengthen. Right-back, I don’t feel like Emery fancies Matty Cash, which is bizarre because some people really rate him highly.
“I feel like he’s a bit Marmite. A lot of Villa fans actually don’t rate him, which I find quite surprising from the outside looking in.”
Does Cash suit Emery’s style?
Emery’s style throughout the years has required his fullbacks to be comfortable on the ball as well as defensively robust off it, and on the left side he brought in Alex Moreno from Real Betis as his first signing.
Moreno ranks highly in progressive carries and clearances as per FBref, highlighting why he may be a good fit for Emery’s Villa, and looking at other defenders he has managed, Cash may not be stylistically suitable.
When in charge at Villarreal, he would play Juan Foyth as a right-back, and the Argentinian ranks highly for pass completion and tackles, two metrics in which Cash ranks particularly low, and he may therefore be sacrificed for a fullback who can offer more in that regard.
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