Unai Emery

[itbrvilla]

This looks interesting......

https://x.com/GuillemBalague/status/1839993238536470915

Looks very interesting given the title, and hopefully there's a trophy win coming to make for a fitting final chapter.

[eamonn]

Was worried when I clicked that link that Balague was stirring rumours of an Emery departure to a "top club". Looks like it's the opposite. Sorry Guillem.

[Risso]

"The process is that there are another seven teams in front of us, contenders to be there." I love you as much as the next man Unai, but please, for the love of god, give it a rest with that shite.

[Olneythelonely]

Agreed, the ref should have done his job properly but we should still have had enough to beat Ipswich without needing a player for them to be sent off.

I know what you’re saying, we absolutely should have had enough to beat their 11 but it’s not just about us needing them to be down to 10 men. Allowing their midfield to make foul after foul, which gives them an advantage that they shouldn’t have.

[dcdavecollett]

The ref's actions were criminal -Morsy (Chesterfield legend!) could have been sent off at least twice.

What imput did the VAR official have in these decisions?

[Percy McCarthy]

What I find odd about Emery is that he seems to be happy to sacrifice defensive dodginess for the greater good. He had a reputation for being pragmatic in Spain with his teams being hard to beat more than being easy on the eye.

With us, he doesn't seem to give a shit about clean sheets if we're "imposing our idea" and scoring enough up the other end. Can't we have a bit of both though? Don't mean to be greedy but it would be nice.

Yeah, I know what you mean, the odd clean sheet would be nice.

But had we won today, wouldn't we have been joint top of the league? It clearly works.

Still, I do know what you mean.

I don’t think we have the players to keep it tight when we need to.
Konsa out of position, Carlos is weak link, Onana Tielemans neither naturally defensive minded.Cash is not the answer either.
This is why I think we are so ponderous in attack, we know if we give the opposition the ball they will have a chance on goal.
I think Kamara return can not come too soon. But that still leaves the RB problem.

I agree - as a team we dont defend well - and our current back 4 is pretty weak.  Digne a good left back - but lacks a bit of pace,  Pau isn't a great defender but important to the way we build up play etc.  Carlos just doesnt seem to be good enough, Konsa is but not at right back.  Cash is ok, Bogarde and Ned apparently not ready.  Missing Mings - but not sure how that will work with Pau

The problem as I see it is, against top teams at least, both Konsa and Pau need a dominant physical and organising presence alongside them. That’s why at present we struggle to get away with playing two centre-halves, and why Unai picks three.

Konsa is perfectly fine, outstanding even, as the stay-at-home wide-right defender in a dog-leg back four, and he’s shown it many times. If he’d have stuck to that role on Sunday we’d be joint top now. Cash is nowhere near his level. Ned might be one day.

In the future, just like I was advocating in the summer, we need either a fully-fit Mings back to play with Konsa, or a right-sided Mings clone to play with Pau. I’d prefer the latter as it gives us greater depth, and enables us to sell Carlos.

[eamonn]

"The process is that there are another seven teams in front of us, contenders to be there." I love you as much as the next man Unai, but please, for the love of god, give it a rest with that shite.

Yeah, shades of Dolly's Charltons and Boltons of this world.

[charleeco7]

If the opposition have a big strong centre forward we struggle as Pau gets bullied, as per Everton and wolves (until they took their number 9 off). I suspect it’s why Carlos has come in the last two games, so he can try to deal with Kane but he has been poor.
We miss Kamara when we attack down the right as he would sit and cover the hole left when we push on. Despite Unai screaming at him to do it Onana didn’t do that on Sunday and it cost us in part the second goal.

[Somniloquism]

The ref's actions were criminal -Morsy (Chesterfield legend!) could have been sent off at least twice.

What imput did the VAR official have in these decisions?

None as they were both yellow card offences at most so would not be looked at.

[SaddVillan]

Unai talking about our defensive issues - from The Athletic

UNAI EMERY DEMANDS ASTON VILLA IMPROVE: WE ARE NOW DEFENDING LIKE LAST YEAR

Jacob Tanswell

Unai Emery has admitted Aston Villa cannot continue to concede goals if they are to maintain their good form.

Villa’s three game-winning run in the Premier League was halted in the 2-2 draw against Ipswich Town on Sunday, with Emery’s back four coming under scrutiny for their role in Liam Delap’s second-half equaliser.

Villa have kept just eight clean sheets in the previous 44 league matches and are yet to register one this season, conceding nine goals in six games.

The Midlands club are without their only senior right-back in Matty Cash for the visit of Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, with Ezri Konsa, whose favoured role is in central defence, recently required to move to full-back.

“We are not defending like last year,” said Emery, speaking in his pre-match press conference. “It’s not for the defenders, the goalkeeper, it’s for everyone. The first defenders are the strikers and the first attacking player is the goalkeeper.

“We have to improve because we cannot concede the goals we are conceding each match we are playing. I believe in our work but we are conceding more goals than normal.”

Emery, however, refused to single any player out for criticism, insisting individual errors are natural in football.

“Football is mistakes, we have to accept we are making mistakes,” he said. “I am trying to rectify my mistakes, tactically when I am analysing my decisions during the match and it’s my responsibility to correct those and not repeat them. For the players, it’s the same.

“I will never punish the players making a mistake for the next match and will work with the players on the pitch. On Sunday every mistake we made, we were working yesterday morning. I want to try to correct practising and hopefully tomorrow on the pitch.”

Villa return to Premier League action against Manchester United on Sunday.

[SaddVillan]

Unai analysing our defensive issues.
From The Athletic.

UNAI EMERY DEMANDS ASTON VILLA IMPROVE: WE ARE NOW DEFENDING LIKE LAST YEAR

Jacob Tanswell

Unai Emery has admitted Aston Villa cannot continue to concede goals if they are to maintain their good form.

Villa’s three game-winning run in the Premier League was halted in the 2-2 draw against Ipswich Town on Sunday, with Emery’s back four coming under scrutiny for their role in Liam Delap’s second-half equaliser.

Villa have kept just eight clean sheets in the previous 44 league matches and are yet to register one this season, conceding nine goals in six games.

The Midlands club are without their only senior right-back in Matty Cash for the visit of Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, with Ezri Konsa, whose favoured role is in central defence, recently required to move to full-back.

“We are not defending like last year,” said Emery, speaking in his pre-match press conference. “It’s not for the defenders, the goalkeeper, it’s for everyone. The first defenders are the strikers and the first attacking player is the goalkeeper.

“We have to improve because we cannot concede the goals we are conceding each match we are playing. I believe in our work but we are conceding more goals than normal.”

Emery, however, refused to single any player out for criticism, insisting individual errors are natural in football.

“Football is mistakes, we have to accept we are making mistakes,” he said. “I am trying to rectify my mistakes, tactically when I am analysing my decisions during the match and it’s my responsibility to correct those and not repeat them. For the players, it’s the same.

“I will never punish the players making a mistake for the next match and will work with the players on the pitch. On Sunday every mistake we made, we were working yesterday morning. I want to try to correct practising and hopefully tomorrow on the pitch.”

Villa return to Premier League action against Manchester United on Sunday.

[SaddVillan]

Sorry - double post.

[PaulWinch again]

Completely agree with what he says. Although if he means last season then we were doing this in the second half of the season.

[Risso]

The defensive issues have gone on for far too long, and it's far too simplistic to keep putting it down to individual mistakes. Sort it out Unai!

[Paul.S]

I did think Onana would plug the gap left by Kamara. Maybe that needs a tweak and he’s told to hold his position in front of the back 4 more. Kamara not too many weeks away and that will be a huge bonus.