Unai Emery

[LeeB]

Just to highlight the defensive work done over Summer. We've conceded more than once in 3 of our 18 games this season. Prior to that it it was 21 times in 57 games last season and 22 times in 56 the season before.

Having a settled defence obviously makes a difference but it's more than just that.

Martinez is making a couple of World class saves most games, so this and scoring worldies i don’t think is sustainable
A big issue is that we don’t have much penetration from the wings.

It’s not seen as an issue because we don’t play that way and the reason we don’t is so that we are more compact on any counter attack. It’s not 100% effective though but clearly seen as more effective than assigning players to a wing role.

Pretty sure he bought Sancho and Guessand in to give us option's out wide.

They both give us the option of losing games .

[andyh]

This is all getting a little silly.

We can’t sustain our form because our goalie is making great saves and our players are scoring great goals!!

Something is seriously cockeyed.

[AV82EC]

I think Gary Neville unbelievably nailed it last season when he said Villa play like a continental team. As others have said control, consistency and calmness are how we play, it may frustrate some but the results speak for themselves.

Only 2 home defeats (Arsenal last season, Palace this season) in the last 2.5 years is really quite extraordinary. The last time we got gubbed at home was 23/24 season and the 4-0 Spurs debacle in early March.

From when Unai arrived

22/23 - W12 D2 L5
23/24 - W12 D4 L3
24/25 - W11 D7 L1
25/26 - W5 D1 L1 (so far)

We probably left 2 or 3 wins in the cupboard last season with the home draws against too many mid to lower table teams like Man U.

[algy]

This is all getting a little silly.

We can’t sustain our form because our goalie is making great saves and our players are scoring great goals!!

Something is seriously cockeyed.

Yeah, I agree - if it weren't for us scoring goals coupled with us also not conceeding them, there's no way we'd be in the position we're in now.  Emery out!

[PaulWinch again]

It’s a bit more nuanced than that though - at least from my perspective - we’ve clearly tightened up which is very welcome and hopefully sustainable. But as a result we’re not as relentless in attack. Now at the moment it’s ok because we’re balancing it out with loads of goals outside the box - they look brilliant and are really welcome, but clearly the odds are we’re not going to keep scoring that volume of long range goals. So to sustain our attacking output, we need to start producing and finishing more chances in the box. That’s all it is.

[Ian.]

Was it ‘92 when Dalian Atkinson and co swept up goal of the month every weekend?

We’re having a patch like that, throw in Emi’s save of the season contenders, like yesterday and the deflection against Bournemouth it’s certainly highlighting we’ve got some top notch players in our side.

[ChicagoLion]

It’s a bit more nuanced than that though - at least from my perspective - we’ve clearly tightened up which is very welcome and hopefully sustainable. But as a result we’re not as relentless in attack. Now at the moment it’s ok because we’re balancing it out with loads of goals outside the box - they look brilliant and are really welcome, but clearly the odds are we’re not going to keep scoring that volume of long range goals. So to sustain our attacking output, we need to start producing and finishing more chances in the box. That’s all it is.

Agree and the reason I think that we are not creating more chances closer to goal is that we are not getting the other side of opposition full backs.

[eamonn]

Rival fans and critics are wailing and gnashing teeth over our leader, poor loves

[Chris Smith]

It’s a bit more nuanced than that though - at least from my perspective - we’ve clearly tightened up which is very welcome and hopefully sustainable. But as a result we’re not as relentless in attack. Now at the moment it’s ok because we’re balancing it out with loads of goals outside the box - they look brilliant and are really welcome, but clearly the odds are we’re not going to keep scoring that volume of long range goals. So to sustain our attacking output, we need to start producing and finishing more chances in the box. That’s all it is.

Things don’t happen by accident in an Emery team so it is likely a deliberate ploy to put people in position to shoot from 20 yards as a counter to a packed defence. Of course they’re not always going to go in but as teams attempt to counter that then in theory it should provide opportunities elsewhere.

[Crown Hill]

when we played City Pep mentioned how we pack and dominate the middle.

I think that's the big change this season. We effectively play with two tens. So we aren't balanced and create less but are very solid defensively.

so no wonder we have players on the edge of the box to shoot.

[Mellin]

It’s a bit more nuanced than that though - at least from my perspective - we’ve clearly tightened up which is very welcome and hopefully sustainable. But as a result we’re not as relentless in attack. Now at the moment it’s ok because we’re balancing it out with loads of goals outside the box - they look brilliant and are really welcome, but clearly the odds are we’re not going to keep scoring that volume of long range goals. So to sustain our attacking output, we need to start producing and finishing more chances in the box. That’s all it is.

Agree and the reason I think that we are not creating more chances closer to goal is that we are not getting the other side of opposition full backs.

Yep.

[andyh]

I think one if the best things Damien said is……..

‘And If our team scores from the box, out of the box, set pieces or from the moon, what that means  is that they are clever and well trained enough to find different ways to win.  Every team studies us and tries to stop our way of playing’

We forget this.

[Drummond]

We've do many players that can score from distance. When teams try and close those players it will leave space somewhere else, somewhere closer to goal...

[walsall villain]

We've do many players that can score from distance. When teams try and close those players it will leave space somewhere else, somewhere closer to goal...

We regularly struggle against teams that use a back 5. Wilves had a back 5 and a bank of 4 just in front when we had the ball. The ability to score from outside the box is key in these games and we’ve been doing it. Us trying to pass our way through isn’t working. Would be great if we could play with more width but we need new players for that, current crop can’t do it.

[Garyth]

What I love about this run is that now teams will be terrified of leaving space for our players just outside the box.

In the coming weeks expect to see:

a) one of our players slip a ball past oncoming runner and following it up into the box
b) quick one-two passes into Rogers/Another '10' sitting in front of opposition defenders
c) fouls conceded by over-aggressive defenders, just outside the box