Unai Emery

[allani]

5 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

It started to happen from some after the 3 defeats in a row so I can assure you, it will happen again. 

Just read back through some of the Match threads for matches during and after that run and see how quickly views change.  So many calls to "get the ball forward quicker" and to "stop playing it out so slowly from the back".  It took a while for those to die back but I am sure they will return if we have a slow start.

Indeed my biggest worry is that next season could be really competitive - the Sly 6, Newcastle, Brighton and ourselves will start it all expecting to finish in (or challenge) the Top 6.  Then Fulham and Brentford will be hoping to build on last season (difficult) whilst teams like West Ham will be wanting to put a bad year behind them.  So the worry is that if we don't start well then some fans will forget the progress we have made and demand that anything less than the top 4 or 5 is a step backwards.  I just hope that everyone sees the bigger picture and that replicating the second 2/3s of this season will be tough (especially if we add in a couple of decent cup runs).

[romavillan]

7 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

It started to happen from some after the 3 defeats in a row so I can assure you, it will happen again. 

After the second defeat there were quite a few that turned. After the third, according to some we were shit and needed to stop fannying about with the ball and be more direct and aggressive and all the usual bollocks.

It'll happen again for sure.

[villaglint]

1 minute ago, romavillan said:

After the second defeat there were quite a few that turned. After the third, according to some we were shit and needed to stop fannying about with the ball and be more direct and aggressive and all the usual bollocks.

It'll happen again for sure.

Unfortunately you are correct. Football has a very short memory and seems to be getting shorter every season. 

[romavillan]

1 hour ago, allani said:

Just read back through some of the Match threads for matches during and after that run and see how quickly views change.  So many calls to "get the ball forward quicker" and to "stop playing it out so slowly from the back".  It took a while for those to die back but I am sure they will return if we have a slow start.

Indeed my biggest worry is that next season could be really competitive - the Sly 6, Newcastle, Brighton and ourselves will start it all expecting to finish in (or challenge) the Top 6.  Then Fulham and Brentford will be hoping to build on last season (difficult) whilst teams like West Ham will be wanting to put a bad year behind them.  So the worry is that if we don't start well then some fans will forget the progress we have made and demand that anything less than the top 4 or 5 is a step backwards.  I just hope that everyone sees the bigger picture and that replicating the second 2/3s of this season will be tough (especially if we add in a couple of decent cup runs).

Well, with what was certainly a weaker squad way less well trained than what we will start next season with Emery managed 2 points a game. With a stronger squad and a preseason I'd back him to be able to get close to 2 points a game.

[allani]

10 hours ago, romavillan said:

Well, with what was certainly a weaker squad way less well trained than what we will start next season with Emery managed 2 points a game. With a stronger squad and a preseason I'd back him to be able to get close to 2 points a game.

I back him to get close to that as well. 

However, the fact remains that we over-achieved in the second half of last season (there is no way that on paper we have the 4th / 5th strongest team or squad in the league) so it is possible that we could strengthen over the summer, improve the team, play better football AND "only" achieve the same PPG or even marginally less.  Finishing 6th or 7th next season would still be an excellent achievement.  I am slightly worried some fans will see us spend decent money this window, track along in around 6th-8th all season and then start moaning that we are failing and questioning our tactics. 

In my view Emery represents the best chance that we have of winning trophies and maybe at some point getting into the CL - he has a knack of building very good teams rather than just buying the best players.  This is the way that we will compete with teams that have a 20 year head-start on us.  The biggest two threats to this are that (a) the players stop believing in the plan {but this is where I think Emery will be really good at buying players who will play for the team rather than want to have the team built around them} and (b) the fans stop believing in the plan.  Our success this season means that we've gone from hoping to be a solid mid-table team straight to wanting to challenge the top 6 - missing the step of establishing ourselves in the top half.  I'm not saying that that shouldn't be the aim but I just hope everyone stays patient if we muddle along and finish 8th next season.

[Demitri_C]

We just finished the season and didnt realise the next fixtures are out for next season just over 10 days

It doesnt stop for super unai emery 

[Mantis]

1 hour ago, Demitri_C said:

We just finished the season and didnt realise the next fixtures are out for next season just over 10 days

It doesnt stop for super unai emery 

He's probably itching for it to come out so he can meticulously plan every single day of the next season.

[Vive_La_Villa]

Just reading Emery’s achievements and he really has worked his way up. Guiding lower level teams to promotion to leagues for the first time in their history. 

The man was born to be a top manager.

[VillaChris]

17 hours ago, romavillan said:

After the second defeat there were quite a few that turned. After the third, according to some we were shit and needed to stop fannying about with the ball and be more direct and aggressive and all the usual bollocks.

It'll happen again for sure.

People were way premature.

Leicester game was a poor defensive performance but we still could've easily 4-5 in that game ourselves with the spells of pressure we had. Leicester also around that time beat Spurs 4-1 and drew 2-2 with Brighton so one of their better periods of the season.

Man. City aswell just gave away a very cheap goal after two minutes, decent fight in second half though.

Arsenal actually was a really good back to front performance so bit bemused why people were giving us so much stick after that. Led twice and at 2-2 Bailey hits underside of the bar with five minutes left. Arsenal then have a similar shot that goes in and then fourth is academic. What we took that day at least was going toe to toe with one of the best teams in the country and then we won 7 of our next 8.

It's actually hard to think of an indifferent spell of games under UE. Probably biggest for me would be Brentford-Fulham-Man.United-Wolves where we were below par attacking in all of those but still didn't concede more than once in any either.

[stewiek2]

Our biggest signing since 1974

[Adam2003]

On 02/06/2023 at 17:19, romavillan said:

After the second defeat there were quite a few that turned. After the third, according to some we were shit and needed to stop fannying about with the ball and be more direct and aggressive and all the usual bollocks.

It'll happen again for sure.

Just looking at the other thread where quite a few people are confidently predicting a CL finish. People could turn on Emery even if we are 9th or 10th. Hopefully not.

[mikeyjavfc]

18 hours ago, Adam2003 said:

Just looking at the other thread where quite a few people are confidently predicting a CL finish. People could turn on Emery even if we are 9th or 10th. Hopefully not.

I don’t think fans will turn on Emery for that. The feeling I see around the club is “if we can’t find success with Emery then we will never will”, such is his obvious quality as coach. If we slump back to mid-table next year then I think the reaction will be mostly dissolution around the rigged nature of the league system with the top 6 /7 so entrenched thanks to FFP and oil clubs, rather than anything aimed at Unai. 

[Demitri_C]

How longs emerys contract? I hope its a long term one

[RichW]

7 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

How longs emerys contract? I hope its a long term one

Believe it was 3.5 years with the option for another year. 

[Mark Albrighton]

Good chance that by the end of the season he’ll have reached a thousand matches across his management career (currently on 953 according to Wikipedia).

Seemingly a very high number compared to other managers, taking into account Unai’s age and the ages of his contemporaries.

[ulfric]

I am a Liverpool fan, But I have to say that in next season you guys will be a big competitor for Top 6 position & also if you can keep your trust on Unai, I can see no one stopping you from winning the Conference League. Aston Villa will be the favourite.  

In the future I can also see a prolonged success in Europa League like Sevilla. He is a great cup manager & a great team builder. 

Edited June 6, 2023 by ulfric

[MaVilla]

2 hours ago, Demitri_C said:

How longs emerys contract? I hope its a long term one

 

2 hours ago, RichW said:

Believe it was 3.5 years with the option for another year. 

pretty sure it was 4.5 yrs, it was mentioned in a few rags about it being the longest contract Villa have ever given to a manager.

[RichW]

57 minutes ago, MaVilla said:

 

pretty sure it was 4.5 yrs, it was mentioned in a few rags about it being the longest contract Villa have ever given to a manager.

Pretty sure I read in a few media reports the option of another year was included in that 4.5 years. 

[Mantis]

8 hours ago, Mark Albrighton said:

Good chance that by the end of the season he’ll have reached a thousand matches across his management career (currently on 953 according to Wikipedia).

Seemingly a very high number compared to other managers, taking into account Unai’s age and the ages of his contemporaries.

Yeah it's kind of crazy how relatively young he is still given how much he's achieved. Postecoglou is 6 years older, just as an example. I just went through the list of Premier League managers and Emery is slap bang in the middle in terms of age (11th youngest out of 20).

[MaVilla]