Unai Emery

[dave shelley]

Glorious, just glorious.

[ChicagoLion]

I don't really mind who Gregg supports, his pieces tend to be alright.

I also ... he worded it clumsily, but we've not qualified for Europe for a decade or more and haven't looked much of a force for about 25 years. We haven't been talked about as title contenders for longer than that. We've also spent time in the second tier recently. So 'a club of Villa's stature' ... he's unfortunately probably right there. A terrible indictment on the people who have run the club for the 35 years leading up to 2018, but that is where we are.

Its the suggestion that he should almost be applauded for making the effort whilst he's at the Villa rather than sitting on his arse and going through the motions because we're not worth bothering with. We are a club of stature anyway, just not in recent years as you rightly say. What were Man City before the billions came in, or Chelsea for that matter. I suppose if he was at Tottenham it would be worth it for him, even though they've won less than us in the past 50 years (i think, without researching it!).
I've always thought he's a tit anyway to be honest.

Funny, when I read that line I caught myself thinking that other clubs of similar 'stature' (Spurs, Everton, Newcastle) don't seem to suffer this narrative.  Spurs have acted like a big club since Redknapp got them into the top 4. Everton had that period where they had Ancelotti etc.  Newcastle have in recent years been 'everyone's favourite second team' and now are obviously filthy rich. 

I hope Emery is finally the man to shake this cloak of insignificance off, because there is no reason whatsoever that Villa can't be a massive club globally once again.  We need an identity that respects the history but is not defined by it.

Maybe if we acted like a big club since we last finished in the top 4, the media & world at large would see us as a club with a higher stature.

Absolutely, that's what I was trying to say really.  We've brought it on ourselves to a large degree through a prolonged period of average / shit results.

It’s difficult to find one aspect of our operation that would define us as a big club.

The Websit, transport,catering merchandise ,ticket scheme ,access to the ground, hospitality, marketing , communications. That’s before you look at what happens on the footballing side, allowing a 4th division team to knock us out the cup at home, surrendering leads under the slightest bit of pressure, pissing money up the wall on on journeymen  and once in a lifetime pay cheques. Big club?

1000% agree with you on this, Chicago. Throw in the ridiculous gambling sponsorship, letting Arsenal knobhead TV film at VP last Saturday, selling players without adequately replacing them, consistently losing our best players and not having won a trophy since 1996 (not counting the Play off). Doesn’t speak to me of a big club mentality.

Absolutely spot on. Every point you both make is correct, particularly the “selling players without adequately replacing them, losing our best players”.

not replacing our best players adequately doesn't make us a small club. It makes a poorly run one. Most clubs don't do a good job of replacing their best players or managers. The very few that do are successful or have the finances to spend through and mask their failures. As this is the Emery thread, manager's of his world standing don't leave their very secure jobs mid season to join small clubs. They do it for big opportunities at big clubs where the chance to do something special is presented to them. He wasn't doing what he did to join Palace or Southampton.

He joined a club with potential, maybe potential to be a big club again.
We have the manager we have the owners we hope, but I am not convinced about much else and we have to change a lot of stuff to truly become a big club.

[brontebilly]

I think our defeats against Arsenal and Leicester were a bit unfortunate but on the flip side wins against Soton and Leeds were unconvincing too. The balance of the team without the ball is wrong for me especially down the left side where we are wide open at times. Every manager makes poor team selections occasionally, Emery has been the same. But I do think there is method behind what he is trying to do which there wasn't under Smith or Gerrard. I still think we can finish the season strongly though, our squad depth is good and Watkins is in great form.

What is his method though? Trying to play it out from the back when you haven't got the players to do it properly seems like shooting yourself in the foot to me. Over, and over again.

It's a challenge for sure with our two centre backs. Pressure them hard as likes of Leicester and Leeds did and we are in big trouble. But when likes of Luiz and Kamara get turned on the ball in midfield we can play some really good stuff. You can already see what likes of Moreno can bring going forward. Watkins far more involved. It's just the balance of the team without the ball is wrong for me.

With Smith, we had one method and were a pub team when Grealish was unavailable. With Gerrard, it was hard to decipher a method bar getting our full backs to launch crosses into outnumbered forwards.

[bob]

Sorry lads. Saunders defo wasn’t there against Sheffield Utd.

A terrific day. Really lapped up the Proud History, Bright Future shit. Think I angrily threw my scarf away a few years later.

I remember that I met dave.woodhall a few weeks later and bought a couple of items outta his holdall.

[Footy-Vill]

Just listening to the press conference this morning and it strikes how much better Unai’s English has become in the past few months. Having to speak it every day helps of course but I’m sure it will be beneficial all round to him, his staff and the players.

I thought the plan was that everyone at the club will be speaking Spanish?!

I think it would be foolish of players not to make small efforts to know some Spanish phrases.  Its decent nod to Emery and the coaching staff.

[passport1]

Sorry lads. Saunders defo wasn’t there against Sheffield Utd.

A truly wonderful day. The optimism around the club was immense and it seemed that Saunders returning to the club was an endorsement that we were doing things right at last .My lad was a teenager at the time and although the players didn't have the same meaning to him he has never forgotten that day

[Footy-Vill]

I do very much hope under Emery we can experience glory and can enjoy such moments like what people here have been discussing and reminiscing. It's great that people have had those experiences before and it's fitting reminder to how strong and proud traditions we have in honour to players and our club.
Up the Villa!

[ChicagoLion]

It was the high watermark of the Lerner era, it turned to shit and we still haven’t recovered from it.

[Percy McCarthy]

It was the high watermark of the Lerner era, it turned to shit and we still haven’t recovered from it.

Really? We finished 11th. Surely the high watermark was 3 years later, finishing sixth with two Wembley appearances in the LC Final and the FA Cup semi?

That was some run in the second half of the season. After Christmas we lost 3 in the league, and one in each of the cups.

[eamonn]

Scoring 71 league goals in 07/08 was some achievement, even if they were all set-pieces and breakaway goals!
Even in our good seasons during my Villa-supporting life, we've rarely been high scorers (i.e only 52 in 38 league games in 95/96 despite having such an exciting side that year).

[eamonn]

* And only 57 in both 89/90 and 92/93. Amongst the lowest scorers in the top halves, both seasons. Even when we're good, it ain't enough 

[olaftab]

I think it would be foolish of players not to make small efforts to know some Spanish phrases.  Its decent nod to Emery and the coaching staff.

No not really. I’d rather they listened and learnt what Enery and coaching staff are telling them. Learning “some Spanish phrases” is neither here nor there.

[eamonn]

Yeah, but it'd be a nice courtesy. The type of thing mums and dads would respect.

[ChicagoLion]

It was the high watermark of the Lerner era, it turned to shit and we still haven’t recovered from it.

Really? We finished 11th. Surely the high watermark was 3 years later, finishing sixth with two Wembley appearances in the LC Final and the FA Cup semi?

That was some run in the second half of the season. After Christmas we lost 3 in the league, and one in each of the cups.

More an emotional response , as it felt like we were on our way to being a big club again and were all in the Proud History Bright Future moment.

[Rigadon]

Ah, Proud History Bright Future...  Little did we know!  It was the right idea though.