Unai Emery

[LeeB]

Agreed, everyone knows the Bielsa thing is brilliant until it just collapses in its own froth and steam. There's nothing as obviously insane as that in Emery's football - the current level might be unsustainable just because it's so high, but that's riding the crest of a wave more than anything.

Our style is high intensity, yes, but you have to be to compete these days. What strikes me is how smart it is, reserved, economical even, compared to that Bielsa team or maybe something from Klopp's early Liverpool. We don't just go balls-to-the-wall - we choose our moments.

This is precisely it, and why those XG clods are scratching their heads. It's the control in our performances which is astounding me, we can step off for 10 minutes whilst seemingly keeping our opponents at arms length and it's like we're doing it just to lull the opposition out of their shape. We're also seeing out games with our slippers on and a pipe in front of their fire, it's so comfortable.

[Brend'Watkins]

I wonder how Bielsa would fare these days with 5 subs and assuming he had half decent subs?

[Risso]

Agreed, everyone knows the Bielsa thing is brilliant until it just collapses in its own froth and steam. There's nothing as obviously insane as that in Emery's football - the current level might be unsustainable just because it's so high, but that's riding the crest of a wave more than anything.

Our style is high intensity, yes, but you have to be to compete these days. What strikes me is how smart it is, reserved, economical even, compared to that Bielsa team or maybe something from Klopp's early Liverpool. We don't just go balls-to-the-wall - we choose our moments.

This is precisely it, and why those XG clods are scratching their heads. It's the control in our performances which is astounding me, we can step off for 10 minutes whilst seemingly keeping our opponents at arms length and it's like we're doing it just to lull the opposition out of their shape. We're also seeing out games with our slippers on and a pipe in front of their fire, it's so comfortable.

Normally, 1-0 up against a team like Newcastle, having missed a couple of other chances and you're sat waiting for the inevitable equaliser/winner with a heart rate of 180bpm. Now though, it's just enjoy the game and wait for our nailed on second.

[pauliewalnuts]

Emery’s game management is outstanding.

The way we change shape and formation depending on the flow of the game, the way we put a foot on the ball and wait for our moment, pulling opposition players where we want them so we can create space.

Those are things that are utterly unlike the way any Villa managers in my lifetime have done it, let alone Gerrard.

We are not expert at all this yet, and we’ll only really excel at it once he gets to choose players who can don this for him more naturally, but the degree to which, on occasion, we control games is incredible to see given he’s been here what, 18 or 19 games.

[Risso]

Emery’s game management is outstanding.

The way we change shape and formation depending on the flow of the game, the way we put a foot on the ball and wait for our moment, pulling opposition players where we want them so we can create space.

Those are things that are utterly unlike the way any Villa managers in my lifetime have done it, let alone Gerrard.

It's one of the things that Lambert was supposed to have been good at it. It turns that wasn't *quite* true.

[LeeB]

Emery’s game management is outstanding.

The way we change shape and formation depending on the flow of the game, the way we put a foot on the ball and wait for our moment, pulling opposition players where we want them so we can create space.

Those are things that are utterly unlike the way any Villa managers in my lifetime have done it, let alone Gerrard.

We are not expert at all this yet, and we’ll only really excel at it once he gets to choose players who can don this for him more naturally, but the degree to which, on occasion, we control games is incredible to see given he’s been here what, 18 or 19 games.

Yep, it's unprecedented.

[LeeB]

Agreed, everyone knows the Bielsa thing is brilliant until it just collapses in its own froth and steam. There's nothing as obviously insane as that in Emery's football - the current level might be unsustainable just because it's so high, but that's riding the crest of a wave more than anything.

Our style is high intensity, yes, but you have to be to compete these days. What strikes me is how smart it is, reserved, economical even, compared to that Bielsa team or maybe something from Klopp's early Liverpool. We don't just go balls-to-the-wall - we choose our moments.

This is precisely it, and why those XG clods are scratching their heads. It's the control in our performances which is astounding me, we can step off for 10 minutes whilst seemingly keeping our opponents at arms length and it's like we're doing it just to lull the opposition out of their shape. We're also seeing out games with our slippers on and a pipe in front of their fire, it's so comfortable.

Normally, 1-0 up against a team like Newcastle, having missed a couple of other chances and you're sat waiting for the inevitable equaliser/winner with a heart rate of 180bpm. Now though, it's just enjoy the game and wait for our nailed on second.

There's been a few games as well, Chelsea and Spurs spring to mind, where I've looked at the opposition with half an hour to go and thought 'they're done, they're not getting back into this' and not because we're five goals up or whatever, but because we've broken their spirit by just being fucking better all over the pitch.

Even in that wonderful 7-2 game against Liverpool I didn't feel comfortable until we'd got the 6th.

[Brend'Watkins]

Emery’s game management is outstanding.

The way we change shape and formation depending on the flow of the game, the way we put a foot on the ball and wait for our moment, pulling opposition players where we want them so we can create space.

Those are things that are utterly unlike the way any Villa managers in my lifetime have done it, let alone Gerrard.

We are not expert at all this yet, and we’ll only really excel at it once he gets to choose players who can don this for him more naturally, but the degree to which, on occasion, we control games is incredible to see given he’s been here what, 18 or 19 games.

Yep, it's unprecedented.

Saturday there was very little playing it out from the back from goal kicks.  It was clear that Newcastle were geared up to exploit this so when Emi was pinging balls out to Moreno or McGinn the bewilderment amongst Newcastle was there for all to see. Emery knew they'd set themselves up for it, God knows what Howe told them to do 2nd half given the amount of space our midfield had.

[LeeB]

Emery’s game management is outstanding.

The way we change shape and formation depending on the flow of the game, the way we put a foot on the ball and wait for our moment, pulling opposition players where we want them so we can create space.

Those are things that are utterly unlike the way any Villa managers in my lifetime have done it, let alone Gerrard.

We are not expert at all this yet, and we’ll only really excel at it once he gets to choose players who can don this for him more naturally, but the degree to which, on occasion, we control games is incredible to see given he’s been here what, 18 or 19 games.

Yep, it's unprecedented.

Saturday there was very little playing it out from the back from goal kicks.  It was clear that Newcastle were geared up to exploit this so when Emi was pinging balls out to Moreno or McGinn the bewilderment amongst Newcastle was there for all to see. Emery knew they'd set themselves up for it, God knows what Howe told them to do 2nd half given the amount of space our midfield had.

They couldn't react, he didn't have an answer to it. Switching the formation only made it easier for us, his commment in the pre-match presser that "They very rarely change what they do" should haunt him. I know a few people on here like him and he's evidently a good manager but I think he's a smug twat and his teams are niggly, cynical bastards. And he needs to have a word with his No.2 about excessive tanning.

[Marlon From Bearwood]

Agreed, everyone knows the Bielsa thing is brilliant until it just collapses in its own froth and steam. There's nothing as obviously insane as that in Emery's football - the current level might be unsustainable just because it's so high, but that's riding the crest of a wave more than anything.

Our style is high intensity, yes, but you have to be to compete these days. What strikes me is how smart it is, reserved, economical even, compared to that Bielsa team or maybe something from Klopp's early Liverpool. We don't just go balls-to-the-wall - we choose our moments.

This is precisely it, and why those XG clods are scratching their heads. It's the control in our performances which is astounding me, we can step off for 10 minutes whilst seemingly keeping our opponents at arms length and it's like we're doing it just to lull the opposition out of their shape. We're also seeing out games with our slippers on and a pipe in front of their fire, it's so comfortable.

Normally, 1-0 up against a team like Newcastle, having missed a couple of other chances and you're sat waiting for the inevitable equaliser/winner with a heart rate of 180bpm. Now though, it's just enjoy the game and wait for our nailed on second.

Spot on. I said the same thing to my son at half time. That I’ve seen countless games where the Villa of old have a good first half against a strong team, take the lead but miss a few chances and we then all knew what was coming in the 2nd half, where we’d inevitably throw it away.

But with Emery in charge I felt relaxed, as I knew he’d have a plan.

[danno]

I know a few people on here like him and he's evidently a good manager but I think he's a smug twat and his teams are niggly, cynical bastards. And he needs to have a word with his No.2 about excessive tanning.

Personally I find his “perfect next door neighbour” persona as genuine as Klopps teeth.

[pauliewalnuts]

I don't mind Howe too much, he seems genuine enough, and regardless of the fact we battered them on Saturday, he has done a really excellent job there to get that iffy squad where it is now.

However, it does make me laugh when theVillaPodcast refer to him as The Ambassador for Saudi Arabia.

[FatSam]

Even in that wonderful 7-2 game against Liverpool I didn't feel comfortable until we'd got the 6th.

Yes, that game was end to end, and Liverpool were very much in it. It was only when the sheer weight of goals took their toll, that the result was inevitable. Of course they were free-scoring reigning champions at the time. Newcastle have been playing well, but they’re not quite at that level.

[Monty]

Emery’s game management is outstanding.

The way we change shape and formation depending on the flow of the game, the way we put a foot on the ball and wait for our moment, pulling opposition players where we want them so we can create space.

Those are things that are utterly unlike the way any Villa managers in my lifetime have done it, let alone Gerrard.

We are not expert at all this yet, and we’ll only really excel at it once he gets to choose players who can don this for him more naturally, but the degree to which, on occasion, we control games is incredible to see given he’s been here what, 18 or 19 games.

Yep, it's unprecedented.

Saturday there was very little playing it out from the back from goal kicks.  It was clear that Newcastle were geared up to exploit this so when Emi was pinging balls out to Moreno or McGinn the bewilderment amongst Newcastle was there for all to see. Emery knew they'd set themselves up for it, God knows what Howe told them to do 2nd half given the amount of space our midfield had.

Using McGinn as a kind of target man was honestly an unbelievable tactic - not hoofed aimlessly at his brain, but dragging in the Newcastle press then dinking balls to land just in front of him that he can control while holding off that baffled oaf.

On the game management thing, when they brought on Wilson to go 4-4-2 they had some initial promise, and then Buendia just dropped deeper into the giant space they'd left and it was back to pure control. We truly fucked them up.

[FatSam]

I didn’t previously have a problem with Howe. He was pretty loyal to Bournemouth, and only left when they were relegated, when it looked like they needed new impetus. Taking the Newcastle job though, in full knowledge of the morally corrupt club governance, has seriously lowered him in my estimation. I like the fact that the Villa Podcast relentlessly refer to the team as Saudi Arabia, and Howe as the ambassador, if it’s not repeated then their repellent ownership becomes normalised. It was the same with Abramovich at Chelsea. Everyone knew he had made his money in very dubious ways (basically defrauding ordinary Russian people), but it got suppressed because of the razzmatazz his spending brought to the league. Only when Russia invaded Ukraine, and his closeness to Putin became inconvenient, was he pushed out. By that point Chelsea had been completely transformed from the middling top flight club that there were, to two-time European champions, and ESL candidates.