Unai Emery

[Drummond]

Unai's new haircut has taken a few years off him. He looks healthy too. Is he the perfect human?

He's more than human.

He's a dancer.

[OCD]

Unai's new haircut has taken a few years off him. He looks healthy too. Is he the perfect human?

Wouldn't mind cloning him so that we have a spare.

[thick_mike]

photo url

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Unai's new haircut has taken a few years off him. He looks healthy too. Is he the perfect human?

What, like Samson? As much as I love him, I'm "demanding" and right now am struggling to see what the fucking tactics were first half other than bore the opposition to sleep? He didn't get schooled tonight but he got it completely wrong.

In his defence, I did wonder whether he needs that first 15/20 minutes of passing the ball back to the keeper, to Konsa, to Pau/Carlos, Lenglet etc to Cash, back back to the keeper, repeat to fine tune his tactics? I'm not going to question his genius, only he knows but after Lille I expected he'd have seen the limitations in front of him.

We go again and if anybody can turn it around, it's him.

[Bad English]

I'm assuming that this one way of playing that Unai has installed is going to work better during crucial games once we have got some more gifted players in. It's all well being a genius but making your clogger squad players play like that and losing home legs of semi-finals is not the best start to the weekend, is it?

[Footy-Vill]

Aston Villa have an excellent Premier League record after playing Thursday night European football, winning 24 points from 12 matches so far (W7, D3). Unai Emery has clearly mastered the Thursday-Sunday schedule.

[Bad English]

It would be nice if we could master the not losing the first leg of the semi by two goals bit.

[OCD]

That would make it too easy.

[Monty]

Post-game remarks from the OS:

“We have to rest after a tough week,” he said.

“Someone in the club told me last week, ‘It was a fantastic week, the best week I’ve had at Aston Villa,’ after we won in Arsenal and in the penalty shootout against Lille.

“This week has been more difficult, a tough week. Now it’s important to rest and recover some players, to recover some energy and go to Athens and then Villa Park trying to enjoy the moment we have in front [of us].

“We’re motivated, we’re deserving to enjoy this moment with our supporters and our fans. Our supporters were supporting us here, but we lost.

“We competed well but it wasn’t enough today to get some points. Even when we were in minute 75, I was thinking maybe this draw is fantastic for us because today we are not at full energy.

“The goalkeeper saved the penalty and he played fantastic today, Robin Olsen. It’s not easy to be a substitute for Emi Martínez, the best goalkeeper in the world, but he’s always ready to play, he’s always positive, he’s always respectful and always practicing ready to help the team.

"Today, I was very happy with him. Even when he saved the penalty, the second action was bad luck. We tried to draw but now we’re going to try and keep our advantage in the table and get the really amazing objective we have of Champions League.”

We have to try to understand our progress and our progression. Always I’m trying to learn with the players, with the club and try to use my experiences with them.

“We’re doing a very good season, enjoying Europe for the first time in a long time, we’re in a semi-final, sometimes we’re making some mistakes and losing.

“We have to think about the circumstances we have. Today we’re a little disappointed, a little bit frustrated but we have to keep balance, try to rest and be strong on Thursday, next Monday and against Crystal Palace.”

Balanced but not making excuses, hanging nobody out to dry, praising where praise is due, keeping his head. Just such a top guy really.

[Demitri_C]

Yes unai is one of the most level headed managers we have had. Think hw is being quite kind there.

But i think seriously we have to out a much bettee performance than the last 3 on Thursday night otherwise its going to be a forgetful and long night

[Toronto Villa]

Thanks for posting that Monty. Every single word is valuable. For the first time Emery is pointing to how stretched we are without saying it. How we need to rest and recover. He’s avoided really pointing to it all season. We have a massive game Thursday. Rest up boys. We can still do this.

[London Villan]

It’s a brilliant interview, honest and insightful. We’ve come a long way this season.

[PeterWithesShin]

I've said before that one of the big reasons I like him so much is his persona. Win, lose or draw he's the same. Intelligent, articulate, and makes you feel confident. No 'look at me aren't I brilliant now watch me lick myself in a mirror' after a great win and performance, no 'oh woe is me with injuries and as for the officials, disgrace, blah blah' after a stinker. If you just heard his tone postmatch you'd have no idea if we'd just won or lost, were top of the league or bottom. He's a beautiful machine.

[PaulWinch again]

Yep he has a real class about him, regardless of the outcome of the game. Very few managers are like that.

[ChicagoLion]

Top bloke.