Unai Emery

[Bad English]

Learning French or German is hard, I've tried, and it means I have the greatest of respect for someone like Bad English who has truly mastered it.

But English? Come on, it's a piece of piss. I was fluent in it before I even started school, as were my kids. Anyone that can't speak it is just lazy in my book.

Steady on mate, I was struggling at times on Saturday!

Only because I can't hold my booze

My mate Philippe did say that he understood Martin better than Lee with his magnificent Brummie talk.

I did try, but could tell he had that kind of glazed look when I was trying to explain to him that the guy that hoofed the ball into his own net used to play for his team, Lyon.

To be fair mate, we were up at 4 in the morning after 4 hours sleep to be at VP for 1pm. Plus we had three in the OJS before we got to the ground. The glazed look was real for both of us I think!

[Footy-Vill]

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/competitions/premier-league/12830437/unai-emery-europe-not-a-priority-for-aston-villa-this-season

 Emery says he is focusing on building with his team this season instead of trying to get European football.

Discuss.

[Legion]

Fine by me.

[Drummond]

He's right that the teams ahead of us are consistent in their form, and it would take an awful lot to catch them. I'll be pleased if we do get top half, and close, because I believe these players are good enough with the right coaching.

I also see the merits in his chosen style and trust his experience and trophy cabinet.

[Bad English]

We will need to do a bit more learning how not to lose the ball when fannying out from the back before we can think about Europe.

[Somniloquism]

Learning French or German is hard, I've tried, and it means I have the greatest of respect for someone like Bad English who has truly mastered it.

But English? Come on, it's a piece of piss. I was fluent in it before I even started school, as were my kids. Anyone that can't speak it is just lazy in my book.

Steady on mate, I was struggling at times on Saturday!

Only because I can't hold my booze

My mate Philippe did say that he understood Martin better than Lee with his magnificent Brummie talk.

Is that why one of them is running his own financial company and the other one owns a caravan?

[eamonn]

We will need to do a bit more learning how not to lose the ball when fannying out from the back before we can think about Europe.

Huh, PSG do that all the time!

[LeeB]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/mar/10/roberto-de-zerbi-football-tactics-possession-brighton

Interesting piece in the Guardian about De Zerbi at Brighton which I think is very relevant to what Emery is doing here, these paragraphs in particular:

"What De Zerbi is doing at Brighton may not be revolutionary or strictly new, because nothing in football is ever really new. But in the Premier League at least, it has not been done as audaciously or deliberately as this. Like most top teams, Brighton play out from their goalkeeper, Robert Sánchez. But unlike them, Brighton will often continue patiently recycling the ball in their own danger zone, often for up to 10 or 15 passes.

It is why De Zerbi’s teams frequently enjoy more than 70% possession. But it is also the very thing modern football convention warns you not to do. It makes crowds nervous. Give the ball away and you’re dead. In his Coverciano thesis, De Zerbi argues that central defenders must “have the pleasure of holding the ball, of building the game, knowing that everything starts from them”.

The idea of this possession tightrope is to provoke opponents into overstretching, committing one too many to the press, at which point Brighton neatly play their way out – easier said than done, of course – and wreak havoc in the open spaces. Done right, it is a tactic that turns the doctrine of high pressing – elite football’s dominant motif of the past 10 years – in on itself. Never was this more evident than in the two wins over Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool this year, when Brighton frequently invited Liverpool’s press, toyed with them, moved them around, before decisively cutting them open"

[eamonn]

De Zerbi schooled Bingo, it's true.

[LeeB]

I find it exciting to think that rather than trying to play like the teams with the best players, we're learning how to dismantle them in a new way.

Next level shit.

[Footy-Vill]

Its also interesting to observe that De Zebri has replaced their usual number one goalkeeper, Robert Sanchez, with the back-up keeper because Sanchez isn't suiting the way Manager wants them to play.

[LeeB]

Its also interesting to observe that De Zebri has replaced their usual number one goalkeeper, Robert Sanchez, with the back-up keeper because Sanchez isn't suiting the way Manager wants them to play.

I think that was more to do with him being crap at stopping the ball going in their net.

[Footy-Vill]

Its also interesting to observe that De Zebri has replaced their usual number one goalkeeper, Robert Sanchez, with the back-up keeper because Sanchez isn't suiting the way Manager wants them to play.

I think that was more to do with him being crap at stopping the ball going in their net.

"In this moment, I prefer Jason Steele. It's only for our style of play..."
De Zebri

[SamTheMouse]

The thing about making the crowd nervous is spot on.

Last week, Martinez was fannying about with the ball for a while, and the crowd were starting to murmur like they do. The French commentators even remarked on it. I must admit, my own bum was clenching a bit.

Then we play it out and end up scoring, without a Palace player touching it (aside from the final touch, obviously).

Maybe we all need to learn a different approach!

[tomd2103]

He's right that the teams ahead of us are consistent in their form, and it would take an awful lot to catch them. I'll be pleased if we do get top half, and close, because I believe these players are good enough with the right coaching.

I also see the merits in his chosen style and trust his experience and trophy cabinet.

To be fair, I don't think he would come out and put pressure on the players by saying we are going for Europe, even if he actually believes it is a possibility.