Unai Emery

[danno]

It can’t be sheer coincidence that a brutal regime appoint the English Ned Flanders as the face of their football brand.

[Gerrin]

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.

My big concern before Saturday was they'd be messing around with it at the back, knowing Newcastle would be all over that. Nothing to worry about though, Emery obviously knew not to bother with that tactic too much, so was letting Emi just ping those balls in to midfield instead.

[LeeB]

He's like some mad wizard record producer, a Basque Lee Scratch Perry, that has full mastery of this complex recording console and whatever style you come to him with he can just knock it out inch perfect to suit.

[eamonn]

Very good point about Howe - he did talk like he had the measure of us in his pre-match quotes. Up yours!

[Gerrin]

Very good point about Howe - he did talk like he had the measure of us in his pre-match quotes. Up yours!

I know it's just one game, but I think his tactics got totally found out on Saturday.

[Risso]

Very good point about Howe - he did talk like he had the measure of us in his pre-match quotes. Up yours!

I quite like the chap on the whole, but his pre-match stuff about "Villa being tactically *interesting*" sounded a like he was being just a teensy bit condescending. I hope the absolute gubbing the team received, and the schooling Unai handed him on a silver platter was suitably interesting for him. And he still looks like he was in the Hitler Youth.

[RamboandBruno]

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.

I agree with you about Howe, who also always looks constipated and Jason we all need Shades Tindall.
Also in terms of Emerys influence, the Liverpool 7-2 and Arsenal 3-0 a few weeks later, felt cavalier, almost Harlem globetrotter esque, not diminishing it, it was fantastically exciting (oh to have been there), but it was almost a mirror image of a team
playing like their best player in Grealish. But this is so different, it is just control and mastery.

 It’s Stephen Hendry at his peak, seeing all the angles and thinking 5 or 6 shots ahead. Emery see’s pictures on the pitch, spaces, that none of us see.
I went down and had a pint at half time Saturday and said to people i know, we should be 4 up, you have to take your chances etc etc, I’m worries etc etc. I have no idea, no clue,  we were literally just flexing our muscles before going up a gear and taking Newcastle apart.

I’m getting giddy.

[VILLA MOLE]

Howes comments before ,  were something along the lines of Villa play in a certain way and don’t change  from that ?  i maybe wrong

[Percy McCarthy]

Gabby was fine until he was made to bulk up.

Who by? O’Neill said he didn’t like it.

[Risso]

Also in terms of Emerys influence, the Liverpool 7-2 and Arsenal 3-0 a few weeks later, felt cavalier, almost Harlem globetrotter esque, not diminishing it, it was fantastically exciting (oh to have been there), but it was almost a mirror image of a team playing like their best player in Grealish. But this is so different, it is just control and mastery.

Yes, I loved those two matches, with Grealish and Barkley at their unplayable best. But the consistency wasn't there like it is now, and we had two defeats either side of the Arsenal game including shipping 3 and 4 at home to Leeds and Southampton.

[paul_e]

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.

That's exactly why I thought it was such a good performance, we didn't just beat them, we shredded them up and left them in pieces. The scoreline might not look like it but I think Howe has a big job this week in helping the players recover.

To step back to the Bielsa/intensity thing I actually think what we're doing now is a more sustainable way of playing than how we played under Gerrard and Smith. Our players look fitter and are lasting the 90 better now and that's because of how we play. By controlling the tempo and having the guts and ability to keep the ball with the defence we can 'turn down the heat' at will but we don't lose our shape or intent when we do it so the opposition can't relax (and when they do we spring from back to front very quickly) so were draining the energy out of teams without running ourselves into the ground.

[Drummond]

Watkins post match made an interesting point on how Emery has us operating, "trusting teammates in tight areas". For so long we've had players that not only wouldn't trust a teammate in a tight area, they didn't trust themselves if there was an opposition player in front of them. It was forever safety first, zero risk, pass it back, now it's power, strength and skill with so many driving forward with the ball. Passes are now made in those tight areas and players are expected to deal with it. Of course mistakes will happen but in the majority of cases teams are struggling to deal with our driving ambition on the pitch.

Bielsa managed to also quickly get Leeds playing that way but it wasn't sustainable due to the small squad he insisted on, a couple of key injuries and they struggled. Emery has a very important summer ahead of him with recruitment but the standard requirements from players has been set, whether new signings or bringing back some of the kids, the foundations have been set and they're bloody solid.

Next season, whether in Europe or not, rotation will be key. Players will need to seamlessly step in and do the job they're told to do. If Dendoncker's performance yesterday is anything to go by, we're in great hands.

I think the players trust each other because the manager trusts them and they trust him.

[Monty]

Howes comments before ,  were something along the lines of Villa play in a certain way and don’t change  from that ?  i maybe wrong

Thing is, he's right, we always play our game; what changes is how we get into position to play our game. Long flat balls to McGinn, Buendia coming deeper, Moreno's starting position even higher and wider than usual, the Donck really sitting in there allowing Luiz to press more, all those little things.

Garth Brooks (I know, I know) faint-praised us for having cut through the overcomplicated with 'simple football', which couldn't be more bollocks. It's some of the most detailed football I've ever seen!

[Risso]

To step back to the Bielsa/intensity thing I actually think what we're doing now is a more sustainable way of playing than how we played under Gerrard and Smith. Our players look fitter and are lasting the 90 better now and that's because of how we play. By controlling the tempo and having the guts and ability to keep the ball with the defence we can 'turn down the heat' at will but we don't lose our shape or intent when we do it so the opposition can't relax (and when they do we spring from back to front very quickly) so were draining the energy out of teams without running ourselves into the ground.

We have the majority of possession in every game now, which we didn't under Gerrard and Smith, and our passing is better. It takes much less energy to pass the ball 30 yards than it does to run with it, and less energy to chase after a player to try to win it back if you don't lose it in the first place. Before emery, Buendia didn't look like he had 90 minutes in him, and McGinn looked overweight (by a footballer's standards). Neither of those things is true any more.

[paul_e]

To step back to the Bielsa/intensity thing I actually think what we're doing now is a more sustainable way of playing than how we played under Gerrard and Smith. Our players look fitter and are lasting the 90 better now and that's because of how we play. By controlling the tempo and having the guts and ability to keep the ball with the defence we can 'turn down the heat' at will but we don't lose our shape or intent when we do it so the opposition can't relax (and when they do we spring from back to front very quickly) so were draining the energy out of teams without running ourselves into the ground.

We have the majority of possession in every game now, which we didn't under Gerrard and Smith, and our passing is better. It takes much less energy to pass the ball 30 yards than it does to run with it, and less energy to chase after a player to try to win it back if you don't lose it in the first place. Before emery, Buendia didn't look like he had 90 minutes in him, and McGinn looked overweight (by a footballer's standards). Neither of those things is true any more.

Possession is a big part of it but even in games where we don't dominate the ball (like Chelsea a few weeks back) we still dominated the territory and tempo of the game, which can have just as big an impact. Part of it is that we condense the pitch by playing a high line and challenging teams to try to beat our press and play over us. There will be times where that backfires but we do it so well that I don't think it'll become something teams figure out.