Unai Emery - our manager

[caster troy]

We could have done with Emery's organised 'back six' when 2-0 up at the Etihad last year... Being able to hold onto a lead is just as important as being able to take the lead in the first place, how I wish I could trade a number of painful capitulations down the years for the last 20 minutes we saw at Brighton.

[john e]

in fairness if I hadn’t tried to take the jam out of everyone’s doughnut over the past couple of days
we wouldn’t have had those wonderful mega marathon post compilations that are a thing of beauty and well loved by MOD’s

[Smithy]

We could have done with Emery's organised 'back six' when 2-0 up at the Etihad last year... Being able to hold onto a lead is just as important as being able to take the lead in the first place, how I wish I could trade a number of painful capitulations down the years for the last 20 minutes we saw at Brighton.

The Etihad was bad, but at least we knew we were up against it with a team trying to win the title.  The home loss to Wolves was way WAY worse.  That capitulation was the beginning of the end for Smith, I think. Had we held on to that victory we'd have been in the European places after 8 games.

Being able to hold on to leads is not an ability to be sniffed at, however you do it.

[Villan82]

Honestly, some people just don't want to be happy

Correct. See this thread, the new crest thread and various others like the Coutinho thread.

If you had told me in May 2018 that this is where we would be today i would have snapped your  hand off!

[Risso]

We could have done with Emery's organised 'back six' when 2-0 up at the Etihad last year... Being able to hold onto a lead is just as important as being able to take the lead in the first place, how I wish I could trade a number of painful capitulations down the years for the last 20 minutes we saw at Brighton.

The problem in that game was the same problem we had away at Man U in the League Cup. Robin Olsen.

[john e]

Honestly, some people just don't want to be happy

Correct. See this thread, the new crest thread and various others like the Coutinho thread.

If you had told me in May 2018 that this is where we would be today i would have snapped your  hand off!

There’s some right miserable fuckers about

[eamonn]

We could have done with Emery's organised 'back six' when 2-0 up at the Etihad last year... Being able to hold onto a lead is just as important as being able to take the lead in the first place, how I wish I could trade a number of painful capitulations down the years for the last 20 minutes we saw at Brighton.

The problem in that game was the same problem we had away at Man U in the League Cup. Robin Olsen.

The team disintegrated too, though.

[wince]

Honestly, some people just don't want to be happy

Correct. See this thread, the new crest thread and various others like the Coutinho thread.

If you had told me in May 2018 that this is where we would be today i would have snapped your  hand off!

There’s some right miserable fuckers about

Oi! I reserve my right to be a miserable fucker.
Be great to see what we do Boxing Day now though. The bin dippers don’t look that great to me at the moment

[Toronto Villa]

Congrats to Urai on a career award for coaching

https://www.avfc.co.uk/news/2022/november/18/unai-emery-honoured-with-coach-career-award/

[Dante Lavelli]

One of my takeaways from the Gerrard period was how obediently the players followed his tactics, possibly against their better judgment and often against their natural instincts.  I’m really hoping this continues as we now have a real tactician in charge.

The combined effect of flexible tactics, players doing what they’re best at, and greater confidence across the squad could see us top half by the end of the season and well set up for a real push after that.

[Smithy]

One of my takeaways from the Gerrard period was how obediently the players followed his tactics, possibly against their better judgment and often against their natural instincts.  I’m really hoping this continues as we now have a real tactician in charge.

The combined effect of flexible tactics, players doing what they’re best at, and greater confidence across the squad could see us top half by the end of the season and well set up for a real push after that.

That's a really good point, and I suspect a reason why McGinn kept his place week in, week out, despite all of us thinking he was woefully out of form.  He was doing EXACTLY as he was told.

If the players really are as coachable as this suggests, it could be an exciting second half to the season...

[Paul.S]

One of my takeaways from the Gerrard period was how obediently the players followed his tactics, possibly against their better judgment and often against their natural instincts.  I’m really hoping this continues as we now have a real tactician in charge.

The combined effect of flexible tactics, players doing what they’re best at, and greater confidence across the squad could see us top half by the end of the season and well set up for a real push after that.

That's a really good point, and I suspect a reason why McGinn kept his place week in, week out, despite all of us thinking he was woefully out of form.  He was doing EXACTLY as he was told.

If the players really are as coachable as this suggests, it could be an exciting second half to the season...

I think you’re right. McGinn was being asked to do things he can’t. Expecting him to be a ball playing midfielder was never going to work and it didn’t.
The goal he scored for Scotland in Turkey is exactly what he’s good at. Running past the forward into attacking positions is what he’s all about not being asked to link the midfield and attack with Cowans style passing. It hasn’t taken Emery long to see this and although there’s so much more to do he clearly is tactically very good.

[Brazilian Villain]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11444603/Inside-Unai-Emerys-flying-start-Aston-Villa.html

[Bad English]

Are we linking to the Daily Hitler now?

[eamonn]

If its good writing about us, yes.