Stevo71

Good here, bad there. Reminds me of criticism Unai has received. As we know, we need context and facts to really understand why things did and didn't work - what conditions or restraints were they working under, if any, etc.

1 hour ago, romavillan said:

If you think us getting close to 2ppg over a whole season and finishing outside top 4 is a failure for us then I don't know where you've been for the last 30 years.

Just to be clear, I don't think that at all. I'd be ecstatic with Europa League.

The point was made some would see it as failure and I'm saying they'd probably point to the strides made by Newcastle as justification. I certainly wouldn't.

But I do have a hunch we'll be in that chasing pack for a top four finish. We'll see.

4 hours ago, romavillan said:

Same or marginally less PPG for a full season gets us Europa League at worst. That would be a success for me and I think we'll deliver.

There will undoubtedly be a bunch of fans that would think that is a failure and be wetting the bed about not getting CL, if we finish 7/8th the same crowd will no doubt be questioning the manager. I would say on the whole this board has shown a better appreciation of the game than that. They were late in giving Gerrard the boot, granted, but apart from that they'll be making sure the long term goals are on track even if we finish 7/8th.

Newcastle will be exhibit A, B and C of why this is failure for us. Strap in.

4 minutes ago, GREAT_BEARD_OF_ZEUS said:

Erm… I’m going to go out on a limb here lads and guess she’s more of a Paris girl.

Nonsense. Can easily see her shopping up and down the Alum Rock road before dinner for two at the Khyber Pass.

1 minute ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

Heard similar re PSG yesterday, that the other suitors were out the race but PSG were pushing hard... ( As well as Madrid trying to keep him with promise of more playing time ), however we were apparently convinced " We've done enough " etc

As @OLDVILLAIN said though, these things can change in an instant.

Thanks both. After Unsworth I don't even count on it AFTER they've signed!

41 minutes ago, OLDVILLAIN said:

Who knows..players change their minds every 2 seconds..literally he could be about to sign and then poof...happens a lot..wait and see this evening.

Maybe I'm just reading way too much into what you've put, but this also hints at knowing something is going on! Why this evening?! That's rhetorical...I'll be patient and try not to get too carried away

1 minute ago, OLDVILLAIN said:

What you seen mate?

1 hour ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

Think i've got actually some reliable ITK on this from a good mate... who has a good mate...

And ...... all i can say is ...

 

Must be all these Threads...

6 minutes ago, Talldarkandransome said:

Until he's on the app in the new kit I won't believe it.

September it is then 

Even then I'm scarred by Unsworth. Why's it so hard being a Villa fan?!

35 minutes ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

" Imagine what I could do with 300 million "

Wes: <checks pockets>

Great thread. Real "Fatherland" vibes with alternate timelines.

Can't add much over what's been said, but I always wonder what might've happened had Ellis not returned in '82. Kick on or start to collapse under the accumulating debt?

Also if England hadn't come knocking for Sir GT.

1 hour ago, Dale said:

You're forgetting El Ghazi who was the best penalty taker in the league. Ice in the veins. 

Plenty of strikers aren't great at them, weirdly. 

Of course! And some of that was even with ice-man Tammy available.

11 hours ago, Marka Ragnos said:

Salah missed a crucial pen like a month ago, didn't he? May have actually helped keep L'pool out of the CL this year, if you look at it one way. It does happen even with the greats. Ollie reminds me a lot of Rashford who has sometimes been very inconsistent but when you look at him over time, he's brought us so many wins! (off topic but I still think Bailey will get even better, too. A lot of people have given up on Bailey, but I still think there's a more consistent player in there.)

That's a good point. Hope you're right about Bailey too. In fact there's a few I'd like to see get some serious tuition from UE and team, not least Ollie - let's hope he can push on. 

Your main forward not able to be trusted to take your pens does have me scratching my head a bit though. When I think of watching a brimming with confidence Yorke making a mug of David Seaman... 

Is it common? Struggling to think of a situation like it over the years. I get we've had players *even better* than our main strikers - Barry, Staunton I think, but not completely instead of due to lack of faith.

Hope that doesn't come across harsh, I do really like Ollie and fully respect his progress and contribution.

14 hours ago, AVFCDAN said:

To be fair he’s barely put a foot wrong and I doubt even the likes of Klopp and Guardiola could have gotten much more out of this team during the time he’s been in charge. He won’t win it though but that’s fine.

Sadly I think you're right about him winning, so for me the nomination alone is the win.That's very good company he's in there.

I  caught the end, and the gushing w@nkfest from the media. As astonishing to me as cheering Ben Johnson or Lance Armstrong whilst knowing AT THE TIME that they've cheated. Difference being I suspect all athletes of PED usage, whereas this situation with Citeh is a smaller sample size.

38 minutes ago, The_Steve said:

 

Made this from the latest Unai cam

He's gone full Rigsby there...

2 hours ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

 

 

Thanks mate. Agree with every word.

12 minutes ago, blandy said:

Here you go

 

Thank you! That is terrific stuff, so on the money.

39 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

Anyone see darren lewis passionately defend emery? Brilliant words from darren

I have not mate - is there a link please?

16 hours ago, STO said:

I am genuinely surprised that he hasn't been officially linked with either Tottenham or Chelsea as yet.  He is likely to be better or as good as anything either of them end up with.  I am very pleased he's ours. 

Personally I think part of it is that the London-centric media would need to do a 180 on their ridicule of him at Arsenal and that would take a maturity and moral fibre they simply do not possess.

20 hours ago, TRO said:

We all need to accept, that some players, ain't going to cut it.....IF we have aspirations, like we do.

So often, we skirt around the issues, to keep ourselves on side, with positivity.....all quite noble, but we need to address the weaknesses in this team, with that same positivity, to move forward.

UE has to keep players motivated and interested until the season ends, but I think you will see a different UE, when the window opens.

He will not accept, some of these limp performances, we have seen in the last 4 games.

Totally agree, was saying this to someone just the other day; must be a hell of a job to keep players motivated for you when (I think) it seems clear that there's going to be a big overhaul in the summer. Maybe I'm reaching but I do wonder about the downturn in results and performances coinciding with major rumour alerts and Alemany's arrival. Some must know they're in the crosshairs, surely? Keeping positivity and energy high has to be tricky.

But if one word was going to summarise Emery and Alemany, I'd say "ruthless" was a strong contender. 

Just watched the whole thing on AVTV, but I do have a membership - not sure if that's needed for the pressers.

The guy is just spellbinding - his talk of key moments sharpens the mind so well to focus just on what's at hand in the short term. I believe there is talk of the long term, but strictly behind closed doors. Manage the expectations and, should we have a reverse, it won't feel like the sky fell in.

He is genuinely so respectful of any opposition we face.

Does anyone know whether he did take the squad out for a meal recently, or if that's a myth?  

6 hours ago, JAMAICAN-VILLAN said:

The argument you'll sometimes see, is him not achieving things akin to the likes of Pep Guardiola.

This obviously makes no sense, the like sof Pep have always managed the best teams, the best squads with the best resources. ( Not taking anything from Pep either)

Whilst Unai Emery has consistently had lower to mid table teams/squads over achieving.

There could even be an argument that given time with more resources he is at minimum on their level or even better 

 

You could argue he had that chance with PSG, but here's the thing for me - Unai seems to be a builder that requires control and, for want of a better word, obedient players - not prima donnas. Telling comment from the Athletic interview was that he likes to build but at Arsenal you first had to knock the walls down. PSG was probably a horribly overbearing - win immediately - situation, and I just don't think it's for him.

This is why I think we're a match made in heaven - we have resources, we're elated he's come to us, the board sought him out and trust him, the players were starving for world class coaching and are drinking it up and responding well. He can build. And the fans seem to universally love him. He'll feel that. Arsenal fans strike we as deluded, entitled, chippy loud mouths who ultimately hounded him out with the help of the equally obnoxious, London-centric media. We're not and we're hardly mentioned by that same press, so he can just get about his work for now.