Unai Emery

[Stephen_Evans]

57 minutes ago, HolteExile said:

I'd agree with that. 

I remember one of BFR's programme notes in 1991/92 where he mentioned that Villa had not finished top six in successive seasons since the war. Little and O'Neill managed it and it's something Emery will need to emulate.     It's far easier (though not easy) to go from there to top 4/top 3, than it is to go from mid table > top four. 

And John Gregory too.

[TheMelvillan]

He was there scouting for kits. Cant wait til we reveal the sleeveless 2024/25 home kit - Cameroon 2002 style

[Kiwivillan]

Latest TIFO podcast How Emery turned Villa around. They've been ignoring us all season.

[Chindie]

Since it's Tifo it'll end with how we're failing on some tedious irrelevant stat and therefore either Emery is very lucky or Emery is magic making a shit side win so often.

Edited November 20, 2023 by Chindie

[mjmooney]

I wonder if he's aware of his nervous tic of scratching his face when being interviewed? 

[MaVilla]

 

[KevinRichardsonsMoustache]

2 hours ago, mjmooney said:

I wonder if he's aware of his nervous tic of scratching his face when being interviewed? 

He'll be hyper aware of it: it's common to develop coping mechanisms when speaking a foreign language. His experience at Arse or having clearings in the woods replying 'good ebening' to every post or video (if he sees them) will make him more conscious of it.

I don't mean this as a flex (not really, anyway), but I'm horrendously nervous when trying to speak other languages. In French, I blink quickly when people are talking, like an old PC trying to process the data. When speaking Welsh, I put my hand by my mouth as if I need to catch any errors that slip out. I know of both things (I watch myself doing it during online Welsh classes) and I can't stop. I assume it's a confidence thing.

The pressure on people like Unai, under the microscope and expected to convey his expertise all the time must be immense. 

 

 

[oishiiniku_uk]

3 hours ago, mjmooney said:

I wonder if he's aware of his nervous tic of scratching his face when being interviewed? 

It's better than Pep munching on his spit whenever they show him on the touchline. It cracks me up (and disgusts me a little) because the director has to cut away as soon as he starts performing his little tic!

[TRO]

Unai Emery has certainly surprised me over the last 12 months.

I think his transformation of players, and the subsequent results and performances have rocked me.

All managers have an ability to coach, else they wouldn't be in the job....But UE is of another level, to what we have had in the past.

I have often taken the view, that why should international players, need coaching....but I now see clearly, what he has done....and yes they do.

Its one thing coaching a player individually, to get the best of of him.....its another thing to put all that individual coaching together, to co-ordinate a team.....I don't think that has been done in the past, or not with any conviction or depth.

Unai, has the team like a production line, where things are done "just in time".....and a timely fashion, where the harmonious functioning, is there to see.

We are now like a well oiled machine, and each part is aware of its function and its interactive timing.

The players are human, so that has to be factored in......but the way UE has this team interacting, is mightily impressive.

[oishiiniku_uk]

6 hours ago, Kiwivillan said:

Latest TIFO podcast How Emery turned Villa around. They've been ignoring us all season.

Probably were hoping our 'luck' would run out (Jon Mackenzie jokes about it in this episode, but I reckon he still winces when it gets brought up!).
Overall this was a pretty balanced episode I thought (helps having a Villa fan to recount what's been happening). I do take exception to a few things though (and I've said this before) mainly that the away form this season is too small a sample size to draw any real conclusions from (especially when we've played two of the toughest away games already). By the same token, can we assume that we're going to win every home game (I mean, it would be nice!). Also, there's a lot made about having missed our best left-sided players and how that's impacted our attacking play, but no-one mentioned that Moreno and Ramsey will be both back very soon (fingers crossed) and so we will be adding a very effective combination to all the other things we've learned to do in its absence. And those two in particular could be super important away from home where it's more likely we may have less possession and more countering opportunities.
(I also felt like Sam Tighe was tempting fate by saying that the high line is working well most of the time just before we're about to play 3 teams - Spurs, Man City, Arsenal - who can definitely punish it better than most!)

[FLVillan]

On 18/11/2023 at 15:10, Jonesy7211 said:

I'm too young to remember Ron Saunders at the club, I was a baby, but has there ever been a manager of the club who is so universally beloved by the fanbase?

For as long as I can remember I don't think we've ever been so united in our faith in the manager.

I think we were all very happy with Atkinson, Little, and Gregory, but from memory it was nothing like this.

Quite honestly, even Sir Ron Saunders had plenty of naysayers back in the day.  Up until the moment we actually won the league there were plenty who moaned about his style of management, how he couldn't manage top players, and questioned many of his signings and sales.  Fans couldn't understand why he had broken up the team that did so well in 77-78 for example.  I can only imagine if we'd had social media back then what the reaction would have been when we sold Gidman and Gray and tried to sell Brian Little to Small Heath. Ken McNaught and Gary Williams would have been absolutely slaughtered on social media in their first season+ in the team.

I think Unai is absolutely different-level, and I don't think he can be compared to anyone who has ever managed the Villa in my lifetime.  We've had some well-liked/loved gaffers such as both of the Rons, Little, Gregory and Taylor, but none have done what Emery has done in such a short space of time.  He's not just well-liked by the fanbase, he is trusted and respected.  

[S-Platt]

Unai has made me look a managers/coaches in a completely different way.   The man is a genius and his contemporaries behind the scenes should also be lorded.

I look at the same players under Gerrard and it makes me imagine if someone competent took over England they would conquer all.

I think other fans are seeing it too now quoting angeball and so on what a difference one manager and his coaches can do for a group of players.

One day we will get the lowdown on it all from one of our players not just the bits they throw out here and there.   Will be a fascinating read.

The next few games are bloody tough but we have the best man to negotiate them.  Even if we lose you know he will learn things and get it right for next time.

The players and us fans are sponges lapping it all up and I bloody love it.

 

[MWARLEY2]

I have heard the continued message that Emery cannot manage big teams and always dismissed it ( as he is managing one now ) but thinking about it again based on listening to the c and b pidcast today with tifo i guess it is a good point. He is so intense amd requires so much buy in that its when he takes teams like us who havent had continued success and then shows them how good they can be . It then gives the players the focus to continue down that road. 

 Teams that are already hugely successful might not get that buy in. They might feel they dont need to do 77 hours of video analysis. 

Its solving an issue via pre agreed tactics versus playing the game and dealing with the issues on the pitch. 

 

 

[Made In Aston]

7 hours ago, MaVilla said:

 

Only watch this if you want to be told what you already know and like to hear insights from 6 months ago regurgitated. 

[Keyblade]

So grateful to have this man playing great football at VP every week. You don't truly appreciate what you have until you've experienced a Gerrard or Southgate team.

[Mantis]

8 hours ago, KevinRichardsonsMoustache said:

He'll be hyper aware of it: it's common to develop coping mechanisms when speaking a foreign language. His experience at Arse or having clearings in the woods replying 'good ebening' to every post or video (if he sees them) will make him more conscious of it.

I don't mean this as a flex (not really, anyway), but I'm horrendously nervous when trying to speak other languages. In French, I blink quickly when people are talking, like an old PC trying to process the data. When speaking Welsh, I put my hand by my mouth as if I need to catch any errors that slip out. I know of both things (I watch myself doing it during online Welsh classes) and I can't stop. I assume it's a confidence thing.

The pressure on people like Unai, under the microscope and expected to convey his expertise all the time must be immense. 

 

 

I know it's been posted before but this video of Unai giving some boneheaded Arsenal fans making fun of him the finger is hilarious. Top guy.

 

[VillaChris]

7 hours ago, TRO said:

Unai Emery has certainly surprised me over the last 12 months.

I think his transformation of players, and the subsequent results and performances have rocked me.

All managers have an ability to coach, else they wouldn't be in the job....But UE is of another level, to what we have had in the past.

I have often taken the view, that why should international players, need coaching....but I now see clearly, what he has done....and yes they do.

Its one thing coaching a player individually, to get the best of of him.....its another thing to put all that individual coaching together, to co-ordinate a team.....I don't think that has been done in the past, or not with any conviction or depth.

Unai, has the team like a production line, where things are done "just in time".....and a timely fashion, where the harmonious functioning, is there to see.

We are now like a well oiled machine, and each part is aware of its function and its interactive timing.

The players are human, so that has to be factored in......but the way UE has this team interacting, is mightily impressive.

Makes you wonder why we waited so long to get in a world class coach. UE is doing the same here that Mourinho and Conte did at Chelsea or Wenger did at Arsenal. His impact will be relatively close to those guys in five year's time imo if he's continued to be backed.

Maybe not last few years as it was difficult just coming back up but a real missed opportunity not to get a top quality coach like him in the 2000s or even late 90s when we were last established in top 6 of prem.

We've thought a little bit too small for various reasons in last 25 years so hopefully this is what's needed to improve that mindset for the next quarter of a century.

[Tomaszk]

12 hours ago, TRO said:

All managers have an ability to coach,

Incorrect.

12 hours ago, TRO said:

else they wouldn't be in the job

Same as most industries. You could stumble into a job on who you know, or who knows you. Football at the top level is seeing that dinosaur BS off nicely.

12 hours ago, TRO said:

UE is of another level, to what we have had in the past.

Correct.

[KevinRichardsonsMoustache]

8 hours ago, VillaChris said:

Makes you wonder why we waited so long to get in a world class coach.

It’s situational: we probably couldn’t or didn’t want to attract certain managers. Even if we did, we have a history of managerial appointments not working out. 

Meanwhile, Unai was in a place in his career where he wanted to prove himself in the English game. Plus he gave Nassef a hearing, when he might not have returned the calls of others in a similar position. We were so far below Unai’s level that it took a lot of stars aligning to get him here.
 

 

[TRO]

20 hours ago, S-Platt said:

Unai has made me look a managers/coaches in a completely different way.   The man is a genius and his contemporaries behind the scenes should also be lorded.

I look at the same players under Gerrard and it makes me imagine if someone competent took over England they would conquer all.

I think other fans are seeing it too now quoting angeball and so on what a difference one manager and his coaches can do for a group of players.

One day we will get the lowdown on it all from one of our players not just the bits they throw out here and there.   Will be a fascinating read.

The next few games are bloody tough but we have the best man to negotiate them.  Even if we lose you know he will learn things and get it right for next time.

The players and us fans are sponges lapping it all up and I bloody love it.

 

I concur.

I feel , we ( the fans)are learning too.