Mantis

That's a great point actually. Mourinho and Fergie could be massive pricks as well but they had the silverware to back it up. Klopp doesn't really, and actually I'd say he's a bigger prick than either of those two ever were. Horrible man.

In most of our Conference League games this season, even though we've won most of them, we've seemed like we're playing in 2nd gear. Lille away especially it felt like we were doing the bare minimum. Do wonder now if it was a conscious choice.

This is very true, although worth also noting that the game before their 4-2 defeat by Wolves was a 4-1 defeat away at Liverpool. Hopefully they've got one more stinker in them.

I think most of us would've imagined we'd be talking about "being safe from relegation" being in our hands.

I love how he can reel off our league position vis a vis Spurs off the top of his head. Easy for a fan to do of course but I think a lot of owners might not necessarily have that information immediately in their heads. Shows how much he's invested in it.

Apparently it's illness, so wouldn't have thought he'd be out for too long?

Has there ever been a proper study into this?

Have Villa Park and the surrounding areas declare independence and call it the Sultanate of Unai, with Emery as the absolute monarch.

Fair. Although if he demanded I sacrifice a foot or he'd leave Villa then I wouldn't immediately say no.

I wonder how deep Unai's control goes and how much he's allowed to micromanage? Like if he said "I want Pepsi served in the concession stands and not Coke", would the club comply?

He really does doesn't he? He's had unlimited adoration from the fans since day one and basically everything he wants the club gives him.

Random, but is anyone else annoyed with how many close-up shots they seem to have on broadcasts now? Like you'll be watching a match and the ball will go out for a goal kick and they'll show closeups of players/managers/fans etc for what seems like an eternity and then when they switched back to the game the ball's already half way up the field.

Finally. Crazy that he's been here this long and there's still demand for these.

Trophies are obviously a mark of a manager's success (and Unai already has plenty of those) but an even bigger and rarer mark of success is when a club's entire identity begin to be shaped around that manager - think Ferguson at United and Wenger at Arsenal. Ideally I think that's what Unai would like to achieve here. We're putting the foundations in place for Aston Villa to effectively become Unai Emery FC.

I presume he's gotten a big payrise - well deserved!