Unai Emery

[Rory]

I know I might have to wait twenty years for his autobiography, but I’d be fascinated to learn if he knew when he took over that this squad was capable of the performances we’re seeing.

It's a good question. He's clearly a humble bloke, so while I'm sure he was confident of his ability to make a positive difference, I doubt he thought the players would react the way they have.

Yes, we go into games with a plan now, the players are better coached and we look like an excellent side. But the lads are playing in a way that reminds me of the influence the very best teachers can have.

There are shit teachers - the ones you hate, the ones who don't care, the ones who try but just are not cut out for it. There are those who place emphasis on authority and discipline, who can be very effective in establishing order and motivating by fear or pressure. There are the popular, arm around the shoulder ones - you like them and they make you enjoy the subject.

But there are the very rare ones, the kind you might get once or twice in your whole school life: the ones you trust.

They don't go about ranting and raving, because they don't have to. They don't try to be Mr or Ms Popular, because they don't care. You're not afraid of them because they treat you with respect and fairness. But something deep down tells you that they know exactly what they are doing.

They know their shit, they work hard at it, and they want you to do well. On off days, they won't shout, mock, or place any blame, they will want to help you - but only as long as you want to help yourself. On the good days, even if they deserve 99% of the credit, you know that they will decline it and say "well done, you were great today".

The last thing in the world you want to do is let them down, and that's how I see Emery.

Every goal we score, he doesn't feel vindicated or self-righteous, he feels a fatherly pride; every error is forgiven but not forgotten, because it can be worked on; he doesn't hang around waving at the fans because he doesn't feel like he won the game, and he isn't interested in personal adulation; he lets the players celebrate their win with the fans; then, he shifts focus to the next game, because he has absolute faith that, however well you performed, and whatever the magnitude of the game, you can keep growing and keep getting better.

I fucking love the bloke, and the knowledge that he wouldn't want me to love him makes me love him even more.

[Scott Nielsen]

The Football News Show - Unai Emery's Villa revival:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0fdqdcz/the-football-news-show-unai-emerys-villa-revival

[oldtimernow]

Spot on Rory,
After 60+ years still recall the teacher you describe, the guy the word Sir was made for.

[Rory]

Spot on Rory,
After 60+ years still recall the teacher you describe, the guy the word Sir was made for.

Absolutely. Now, we have one at VP, and he can take us anywhere.

[algy]

I haven't felt this way about football in a very, very, long time.

Yeah, me too. This is magical.

Unai Emery is quite something. As Rory said, he just has the air of somebody who knows exactly what he's doing. The programme notes got to me. I absolutely love the guy.

[Neil Hawkes]

I was expecting an improvement, when he joined us but nothing remotely on this scale, pity he doesn't join in with the on pitch celebrations, but there again, he can't wait to get back to the dressing room, to start the preparations for the Brentford match, what a bloke.

I hope he does the celebratory walk round of the pitch after the last home game of the season against Brighton; as his preparation for the next game can possibly wait for a few hours, :-)

[Smithy]

I know people keep looking at this stat, but if the season started 1st November, just ahead of Unai's first game in charge, we'd be joint second with Man City on 38 points, and six points clear of 5th.  Our form since he took over isn't just worthy of a European challenge, it's worth of a title challenge.

And he's done all this with only minor tweaks to Gerrard's squad.  Imagine what he can do when he brings in three of four faces of his own...

[eamonn]

You know what I mean

Well for someone who is good at the stats  it's a rare aberration.

Gerrard was shit but he was gone by that game. I wouldn't want to give him any credit for the hammering of Brentford either.

[pablo_picasso]

I had a Liverpool supporting mate watch the game yesterday & afterwards he texted me, & I quote, "well jel!" 😂

And for context, he is the single most one eyed Liverpool fan I have ever met...

[Steve67]

What Unai is also doing is adding to the value of any of the players we might be willing to sell too.

[PeterWithesShin]

Unai, 18 league games, 12 wins.
Gerrard, 38 league games, 12 wins.

[KevinGage]

I liked the idea that we were getting a very demanding coach, big on giving players detailed instructions and all the rest of it.

But football being football, I expected some to take to that and others - players whose approach is more off the cuff - to have issues with it.

So far we haven't seen that at all. Bailey has had issues for various reasons and Buendia frustrates in possession (was good yesterday, mind). But they all seem to embrace the extra responsibility and workload.

[Eckybloke]

I liked the idea that we were getting a very demanding coach, big on giving players detailed instructions and all the rest of it.

But football being football, I expected some to take to that and others - players whose approach is more off the cuff - to have issues with it.

So far we haven't seen that at all. Bailey has had issues for various reasons and Buendia frustrates in possession (was good yesterday, mind). But they all seem to embrace the extra responsibility and workload.

I don’t think we have a weak link that the opposition might target effectively. I think we have players who are evolving with the expectations, some faster than others, but there’s so much quality that was untapped previously that any slight mistakes are easily dealt with now.

[tomd2103]

Sitting at the game yesterday after we had gone 3-0 up and the game was done and dusted, I did think about how he has turned it around so quickly and so well.  He has implemented a formation that works and has players playing in positions and in a way that really suits them.  It sounds simple, yet many managers seem unable to achieve that.

It reminds me a lot of the first time under Graham Taylor.  Nothing too complex, just a well organised side, playing well and with confidence (albeit one that had the talents of McGrath, Cowans and Platt).  He reminds me of GT in some ways, in that he is an experienced manager who knows what he is doing and although he is a seemingly decent person, there is a ruthless streak when it comes to his approach to football. 

The other manager during my time that springs to mind is Martin O'Neill.  The game yesterday reminded me a bit of when we beat Chelsea 2-0 at home and Doug Ellis waved off Abramovich in the Trinity Road.  We were electric that day and Chelsea just couldn't cope.  Again, it was a well set up team with players playing in the right positions (although there may have been a CB at RB knowing MON) and at a real pace and tempo.

Where Graham Taylor could have taken us had he stayed on in 1990 remains the big 'if' question of my time watching the Villa.  I still believe that O'Neill lost his spark towards the end of his time with us and that he hadn't got that missing strategical ingredient when it came to building a quality squad to take the club to the next level.  That obviously coincided with the end of Lerner's ambition and another opportunity went begging.

It is still early to tell with Unai Emery, but it is beginning to feel similar to times under GT and MON now (would have to mention Brian Little and John Gregory as well).  The tantalising thing now though is the position the club is in off the field with wealthy and engaged owners, redevelopment of Villa Park etc.  Without wishing to sound corny, it feels like the stars are starting to align and things are in place to push the club on over the next few years. 

[Risso]

I think the difference at the moment is that Emery is doing this without his own players. He’s taken an unbalanced squad, had a load of players sold from it such that we can’t even name a ‘proper’ bench, and got them performing like one of the three best teams in the country. God knows how good we’ll be when he’s bought a few of his own choice of players in, but I’m looking forward to finding out.