Unai Emery - our manager

[pauliewalnuts]

It is totally down to Emery.

Anyone who hasn’t seen it should watch the comments after our game on motd last night where they look at how we adapted our defence more than once during the game and how they worked like a tightly trained unit. So impressive.

Then try and imagine Gerrard doing that.

[PaulWinch again]

It is totally down to Emery.

Anyone who hasn’t seen it should watch the comments after our game on motd last night where they look at how we adapted our defence more than once during the game and how they worked like a tightly trained unit. So impressive.

Then try and imagine Gerrard doing that.

Yep it’s the tactical adjustments midgame that are the real giveaway and the fact he uses his subs with a clear purpose on mind.

[Monty]

I am genuinely unsure of how much of the new manager upswing is down to Emery being fantastic versus Gerrard being horrendous. Probably a bit of both.

Gerrard not being manager certainly helps but our results in the last two league games are purely down to Emery. In just two weeks we’ve seen evidence of coaching, tactics, improved player performances and game management. It’s quite astonishing really.

People were saying exactly the same things a year ago after the win against Brighton. A couple of weeks before that we'd been treated to the sight of Bailey trying one of Macphee's long throws with hilarious results, and bits of paper being handed round the pitch. I am a lot more confident under Emery though, but I still think we need 2 decent additions this January, and then the same in the summer, at least.

Well last year we did at least have a good coach in the setup, albeit not in the biggest chair. Gerrard himself, though, not a tactician, not a coach, not a strategist, not inspiring, not loved by the players...what exactly is he?

Emery on the other hand, you know exactly who he is and what he does. As Paulie said above, that defensive shape, that was frightening. And he's had a week and a half!

[brontebilly]

I am genuinely unsure of how much of the new manager upswing is down to Emery being fantastic versus Gerrard being horrendous. Probably a bit of both.

New manager bounce, Gerrard benefitted from the same a year or so ago. Yesterday reminded me of an early unconvincing away win at Everton last season when Gerrard strutted across the pitch afterwards. The setup v Man Utd was more impressive I thought as tactically it threw them. Near the end of Gerrard's time we couldn't buy a goal (Leeds, Forest etc) whereas now at least we do look like scoring.

This mini pre season camp during the World Cup will be key in setting us up for the rest of the season. Getting the likes of Kamara, Digne and Buendia a bit fitter. The problem Gerrard to be fair identified and was brutally exposed again in the first half yesterday was the inability of Konsa and Mings to play out from the back. Maybe Konsa's is more confidence related, Mings is his lack of technical ability. Maybe we will see the likes of Kamara or Luiz dropping into to play a 3 a lot more when we have the ball. Something has to change there.

[rob_bridge]

The Graun has a comment that he has used 15 subs in 3 games so far

[coreyfeldman]

OK people stop this fawning over Unai's first week. He did well against  manu at home and today. Got it badly wrong on Thursday. Let's see how things are towards end of Feb.

Nothing like a bit of optimism is there.

[nigel]

It is totally down to Emery.

Anyone who hasn’t seen it should watch the comments after our game on motd last night where they look at how we adapted our defence more than once during the game and how they worked like a tightly trained unit. So impressive.

Then try and imagine Gerrard doing that.

Absolutely spot on.
5 at the back becoming 6. It was a thing of beauty.

I also thought I was hearing things when he said ‘we changed shape for Danny…’
Danny Ings must think Christmas has come early

[LeeB]

It is totally down to Emery.

Anyone who hasn’t seen it should watch the comments after our game on motd last night where they look at how we adapted our defence more than once during the game and how they worked like a tightly trained unit. So impressive.

Then try and imagine Gerrard doing that.

Absolutely spot on.
5 at the back becoming 6. It was a thing of beauty.

I also thought I was hearing things when he said ‘we changed shape for Danny…’
Danny Ings must think Christmas has come early

Hearing 'we changed shape' from our manager is me sorted for Christmas.

[Brend'Watkins]

I mean, if you can't feel excited about his start in the league, you might as well just give up. Imagine the sense of dread we would have been feeling going into a 6 week break with liverpool on the horizon, had the other fella still been in charge.

Absolutely Ger.  Can you imagine the wailing and gnashing of teeth if the results had gone the other way? But it's not just the results it's the way we are going about it that gives the feeling of hope that we're heading in the direction we all hoped we would be.

[paul_e]

I mean, if you can't feel excited about his start in the league, you might as well just give up. Imagine the sense of dread we would have been feeling going into a 6 week break with liverpool on the horizon, had the other fella still been in charge.

Absolutely Ger.  Can you imagine the wailing and gnashing of teeth if the results had gone the other way? But it's not just the results it's the way we are going about it that gives the feeling of hope that we're heading in the direction we all hoped we would be.

That we did it so differently in the 2 games is a big positive as well. In both cases we let them have the ball where we were happy for them to play but how we nudged them into those areas was completely different and showed we'd created a plan designed to work against each.

[kippaxvilla2]

You only had to see the players celebrations and togetherness at the end to know that the sword of Gerrard has been lifted.  What a waste of time that experiment really was.

[Villan82]

It is totally down to Emery.

Anyone who hasn’t seen it should watch the comments after our game on motd last night where they look at how we adapted our defence more than once during the game and how they worked like a tightly trained unit. So impressive.

Then try and imagine Gerrard doing that.

Jenas described us as a 'well drilled team'! When was the last time we were described as a well-drilled team?

[Bad English]

Did we ever find out what was written on those bits of paper?

[kippaxvilla2]

Did we ever find out what was written on those bits of paper?

'If you don't want Gerrard, fcukin equalise quick.'

[Risso]

Hearing 'we changed shape' from our manager is me sorted for Christmas.

I'll be changing shape at Christmas I expect.