Unai Emery

[mallett]

Emery’s use of the squad has been an eye opener for me as a Villa fan all season. Back in the summer it felt like we had a really strong squad with the exception of cover for:

Cash - which Emery has solved by taking back KKH and  getting Konsa to play there.

Martinez - we signed  Gauci plus Olson wasn’t totally terrible on Wednesday.

However, throughout the season Emery has been using much more of the squad than I as a Villa fan am used to trading off short term pain for long term gain. His use of squad players in the group stage of the ECL got them up to speed for when we needed them later on in the season. Bailey hit a vein of such rich form that Diaby’s struggles to maintain his early performances wasn’t a problem or much of a talking point.
 

Use of squad players throughout the season has also increased their value should we need to sell them. The very opposite of the bomb squad mentality that we are used to as Villa fans!

It also seems to be an important factor in Emery’s man management. John Townley in his post match podcast talks about how Emery has been saying all season that he doesn’t rest players, what he does is give other squad players their chance. That sort of attitude encourages all of the players to train hard. It means that we’re not just going to attract squad players who are only interested in the money. Being a squad player for Emery’s Villa team means that you are going to get real chances to play and advance your career (in a top team). That’s a world away from MON’s use of the squad. Wednesday night was just a continuation's of this strategy. 

 

[Captain_Townsend]

Emery is dragging the club into the 21st century.  Other big clubs had this attitude to squads about 20 years before we did. That's why I was perfectly fine with his selections. The idea of a first 11 isn't really there anymore and has held us back.

[TRO]

18 hours ago, DJBOB said:

Because there's little context around why people are 'satisfied' with 4th.

Of course there's always room for improvement, but not long ago we were struggling to get out of the relegation zone. And then you have other fans complaining about not going for it against title winners when we're on a bare bones squad.

I think the larger reason is that there are some posters who are willing to write reams and reams of text when we lose and then just a nice little, "job done" when we win.

That's fans at large - there's always some bloke moaning endlessly about anything when you're at VP too.

But that type of negativity, in general, is annoying when it's so heavily slanted to one side.

So as annoying eternal optimism is, so is the eternal pessimism.

I take your point and it's a fair one.... but how long do we go, before we stop looking back, to where we have come from......something had to change for a club like ours, and fortunately it did.

On the point of a balanced comment after games, personally i was waxing lyrical, about our play after the Man City at Home and the Arsenal games.......but then folk could say, we can see it for ourselves, so it's a slightly different narrative from facts to suggestions.

I would think Unai himself spends more tangible time on how to get better, than what we have already done.....We are all grateful, for what has been achieved, and surprised with the pace of it.....but it's kind of a bit basic to be stating the obvious.

Do I think we are a nailed on 4th placed team?, no I don't, I think we have to improve for that.....Do I think injuries have affected that comment? yes I do.....but that opens another debate of squad size and balance.

Personally, I don't see a fan making constructive observations, of how we can improve, as negative.....I see that as positive. However, I do see moaning through a game as negative, yes.....or perhaps more aptly a noisy vessel who needs to keep their frustration to themselves, and not be heard on the field of play.

Eternal optimism is not annoying, we all have it, else we wouldn't be fans for all the years we are.....and may I say, an ability to spot shortfalls in our play is not pessimism either......I would be staggered if Unai, didn't spend time with his coaches trying to improve, some of the things, we talk about on here.....and he is not a pessimist, he's an optimist.......Let's be clear here, optimists, see areas for improvement and set about working on improving.......Drivers like Unai, do that. Managers who see a win and sit on their hands, or dine out on it, are not drivers.

Unai, is the only person who can improve us....we in contrast, just talk about the possibilities as a past time. If we just come out waxing lyrical all the time, what do we learn? what do we seek out?

I also think it's human nature, to say more, when there is more to say, and after defeats, there usually is.......where as a win, it's business as usual.....now that is testament to how far we have come, alright.

I guess it's a bit like an accident on the road, everyone slows down to have a look, any other time, nobody takes notice of the traffic...because that's the norm.

We have landed in a fortunate place, where, we expect to win most of the time and Unai, has conditioned that in to us, when we lose, there is an appetite with some to discuss why....is that so bad?

I follow Unai's mantra.....always look to improve. ...so why not discuss it, like he does with his coaches.

UTV.

 

 

 

Edited April 6 by TRO

[Brumstopdogs]

 

[maltesemike]

The players really let Unai down today. That defensive performance was shocking second half, we got way too complacent and should have been in easy control of that match after our second. I hope he gives them a right bollocking. 

[PaulC]

I thought he might have got Diaby on the pitch sooner and not for Bailey. 

[Brumstopdogs]

 

 

 

 

[Brumstopdogs]

 

[WHY]

I’m glad he mentioned the 3 crosses, criminal defending. Love the bloke but no idea why Zaniolo was his first sub, he also should have rolled the dice and threw on subs when we scored the 3rd, instead they sat back down. 

[brendanvillatalk]

7 hours ago, Brumstopdogs said:

 

This remark about the experience of the players at this level I think is key. Lots of focus on the injuries but even with everyone fit, we have a squad that was primarily built for consolidating our Premiership status-not trying to break into the top 6. It wasn't a squad that has been coached by elite coaches either on the whole. Teams in our position are usually well off clubs who have attracted expensive players with the likelihood of CL football-teams that have competed for these top 6 positions for years. Emery inherited a squad that needed work and that work is still going on (developing what he has and adding to it) but I think it's worth noting that he is at a real disadvantage compared to those around us. But he has us competing at this level.

[DJBOB]

Slow to react to the Brentford onslaught once it got going. 
 
But he can’t play the match for these players. 

[Lerner's Driver]

4 hours ago, brendanvillatalk said:

This remark about the experience of the players at this level I think is key. Lots of focus on the injuries but even with everyone fit, we have a squad that was primarily built for consolidating our Premiership status-not trying to break into the top 6. It wasn't a squad that has been coached by elite coaches either on the whole. Teams in our position are usually well off clubs who have attracted expensive players with the likelihood of CL football-teams that have competed for these top 6 positions for years. Emery inherited a squad that needed work and that work is still going on (developing what he has and adding to it) but I think it's worth noting that he is at a real disadvantage compared to those around us. But he has us competing at this level.

I agree with a lot of what you and Emery are saying here. The problem is we probably aren't going to get another chance like this anytime soon, so we will be trying to compete next year with the same level of players because FFP says we can't add enough quality, in fact, we might have to sell.

[Sulberto21]

56 minutes ago, Lerner's Driver said:

I agree with a lot of what you and Emery are saying here. The problem is we probably aren't going to get another chance like this anytime soon, so we will be trying to compete next year with the same level of players because FFP says we can't add enough quality, in fact, we might have to sell.

This is where one or two freebies even if they’re older will be great for us. I would love someone like Dani Parejo to come in and help out the Cm/Cdm position he wouldn’t be expensive but he will provide us with a lot of control in the middle. 

I’m sure there are others available for various positions.

[Sulberto21]

14 hours ago, Brumstopdogs said:

 

That first tweet is exactly it. 

People need to get a lot of perspective. I mentioned it before the First Man City game that this is a different kind of pressure for the majority of the squad. 

If we make CL the experience will enhance most of our squad. 

[May-Z]

5 hours ago, DJBOB said:

Slow to react to the Brentford onslaught once it got going. 
 
But he can’t play the match for these players. 

Not sure you can say he was slow to react. It was only 9 minutes between all three goals. Neither was it an onslaught. They had three shots on target and they all came from crosses in that period. Wouldn't even say they had sustained pressure. 

Something went on down our right side. Not sure if they pushed Regullion higher up or if Konsa/Bailey just lost their way for ten minutes...I don't think there was really enough time between each goal for us to see a reaction from Emery even if he had tweaked something.

Pretty much all on the players shitting themselves.

 

[S-Platt]

6 hours ago, brendanvillatalk said:

This remark about the experience of the players at this level I think is key. Lots of focus on the injuries but even with everyone fit, we have a squad that was primarily built for consolidating our Premiership status-not trying to break into the top 6. It wasn't a squad that has been coached by elite coaches either on the whole. Teams in our position are usually well off clubs who have attracted expensive players with the likelihood of CL football-teams that have competed for these top 6 positions for years. Emery inherited a squad that needed work and that work is still going on (developing what he has and adding to it) but I think it's worth noting that he is at a real disadvantage compared to those around us. But he has us competing at this level.

Experience is key I was listening to Arteta talk after the Brighton game last night and he said that is the difference from last year. And a couple of new players of course.  

You learn more from adversity we are going in the right direction no one can say otherwise.  We have had a load of setbacks but we just get on with it.

Winning the Conference League will give us another dimension I think Thursday is a massive game.  

Bring it on!

[romavillan]

Aside from the problems with Konsa playing RB and the crosses coming over, the big defensive worry for me was when Pau was on his own against 4 Brentford players at the back post. There's something very wrong about that, teams work very hard to get 2 on 1s, overloads wide. They shouldn't be able to walk forwards and get a 4 on 1. Not watched it again so I still don't understand how that happened. 

It can't just be because we've lost Kamara, a lot of things have to go pear shaped for that to happen.

That said if there's anybody in football that's up to the task of fixing these issues and taking us forwards it's our manager. 

[andym]

I think if everyone was to take a step back and look overall at where we've come from and the squad we have, particularly given the injuries, he's had us overachieving.

And i don't think the injury issues can be overlooked, particularly when it comes to the goals we are conceding lately.

We had a ropey first few games defensively, but then we'd lost our best defensive defender and best pressing midfielder/forward for the year by the time the season was 20 minutes old. Lots of plans straight out the window there.

However, after the Liverpool game, we played 14 in the league up to boxing day and only let in 13 goals, 10 wins, 3 draws, just 1 loss. We had a settled team, in particularly the back line and midfield, with Pau up to speed, Tielemans fully fit etc.

Then injuries, suspensions etc started to bite, and since then we've also had 14 games, but this time 27 goals let in, 6 wins, 3 draws, 5 losses.

Its no coincidence that we've been so much poorer at the back given the constantly changing back line; we've had games having to play our emergency left back cover at RB. Add in losing our top DM meaning enhanced workload for the likes of Luiz and its been a perfect storm. It seems like everytime we get someone back, we lose someone else.

If Unai gets us over the line into the Champions League given everything that has gone on then to quote @Tomaszk 'build the statue'.

 

 

[DJBOB]

5 hours ago, May-Z said:

Not sure you can say he was slow to react. It was only 9 minutes between all three goals. Neither was it an onslaught. They had three shots on target and they all came from crosses in that period. Wouldn't even say they had sustained pressure. 

Something went on down our right side. Not sure if they pushed Regullion higher up or if Konsa/Bailey just lost their way for ten minutes...I don't think there was really enough time between each goal for us to see a reaction from Emery even if he had tweaked something.

Pretty much all on the players shitting themselves.

 

The first one didn’t warrant a change. The second one, an almost carbon copy of the first, definitely warranted a change. That they were allowed to do the same trick 3 times in 10 minutes is a mistake, one that Unai alluded that he should have stopped. 
 
But at the same time, it wasn’t rocket science what Brentford were doing. And that same lack of vocal leadership that Ty had was ever missing there.

[MWARLEY2]

He has done so much good for us. But  finally our form has dipped for a considerable amount of time. Meaning that the 2 points a game average has gone now.. to get that back we have to win 5 and draw 1 of the last 6 .  Which I wouldn't put past him.