'Feels like there's a freshness' - Aston Villa star makes rebuild claim

Tyrone Mings reckons Villa’s summer rebuild might have been necessary to prevent Unai Emery’s reign going stale.

The centre-back is excited by the fresh energy and potential brought into the club by an overhaul which saw 10 new signings arrive.

Emery’s revamped side took another step forward with Saturday’s 1-0 win at Newcastle, their fourth victory in five matches.

Mings, the club’s second longest-serving player who has been on the books since 2019, believe the Europa League winners deserve credit for embracing a new era.

He said: “I don't know what the formula is. I don't know if it (the rebuild) was needed, if it wasn't, if the manager felt like it was needed, if it wasn't, if he maybe wanted to make a few changes that ended up making more.

“I don't know what was meant to happen.

“All I do know is that there definitely feels like a freshness around the training ground. It feels like the group has been oxygenated.

“Everybody is now looking forward and excited about what we can do with this group.”

Johan Manzambi scored the only goal as Villa won at St James’s Park for the second straight season, heading home a 36th minute cross from another new boy, Joao Gomes.

Striker Nicolas Jackson and goalkeeper Zion Suzuki also continued their own impressive starts to life at the club.

Villa watched several key players depart in the summer including Emi Martinez, Ezri Konsa and Morgan Rogers.

And Mings said: “Had the players of last year stayed, maybe we would have struggled to get going after a European success.

“There's no formula, is there, other than hard work, embrace the new players, embrace the new regime.

“The manager's excited. Players that were here before are excited and keen to stop talking about new players and old players as well.

“We are one group now, and the more experiences we have like Saturday, like midweek, even Brighton in a way, the more experiences that we have together, the more it feels like a group and a team and everybody understands what the manager wants.”

The 33-year-old continued: “Everybody who was here before - and it's kind of acting as a bridge between old and new - has to set the standard, drive training, show what the culture has always been, what the commitment every day looks like.

“Credit to the players that have joined. They've been absolutely fantastic.

“The manager is keen to stress that you have to be mature, you have to be responsible.

“He's not going to police the dressing room. You need to be able to self-motivate. You need to be able to understand what the manager wants and deliver.

“Of course, that takes time. I know he spoke earlier on in the season about adaptation, but I'm just super proud of the work that we're doing day in, day out.

“It's a huge challenge, but it's a challenge that we've asked for. It's a challenge that we're excited by, and it's a challenge that we want.”