Unai Emery - our manager

[RamboandBruno]

Article from The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/4415455/2023/04/18/aston-villa-are-very-good/

How Unai Emery made Villa good: Details, planning, meetings

Gregg Evans
Apr 18, 2023

As the sun drops behind the main building at Aston Villa’s Bodymoor Heath training complex, on comes the light in Unai Emery’s office. The Spaniard is a deep thinker who sometimes doesn’t leave the training ground until after 9pm. That attention to detail is proving key in Villa’s surge up the Premier League table.

Last week, the focus was on stopping Newcastle United’s high-pressing side and Emery got it spot on, deciding after studying the Champions League-chasing side’s performances to abandon the patient build-up play that worked so well in recent weeks and instead encourage goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to be more direct.

The squad knew Emery was different after he crafted the perfect system to beat Manchester United 3-1 in his opening game. He took Erik ten Hag by surprise as his side patiently played out from the back and caused havoc by springing devastating attacks through the middle of the park.

Emery gets a kick out of confusing opposing managers as he did Eddie Howe on Saturday. As captain John McGinn said: “We’re making it hard for teams to see what we’re good at.”

Asked what Emery has done specifically to help his game, McGinn said: “Add a Spanish style. He tells me I can take some more time on the ball, have more touches. In Scotland, you’re told to clear it after two or three touches. Every day I’m learning different things from him.”

Those words are echoed across the team. Emery has helped almost every player find a new level, from Martinez and his distribution — not to mention how he still pulls off at least one stunning save each week — to top goalscorer Ollie Watkins, now the second-hottest striker in the Premier League in 2023 behind only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.

The World Cup break that followed back-to-back wins over Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion was a godsend for Emery as it allowed extra time on the training pitch and for the 51-year-old manager to show individuals exactly what was required in their position.

Watkins had scored just two goals in the first 14 league games of the season before Emery started to tweak his game. One of the first things Emery told him was to only make runs through the width of the box instead of stretching out wide. He then used video sessions with coach Rodri (full name Antonio Rodriguez Saravia) to show Watkins how elite strikers, including Edinson Cavani at Paris Saint-Germain, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at Arsenal and Carlos Bacca at Sevilla, were successful in the systems Emery set up at his former clubs.

Watkins now has 11 goals in his past 12 games and is set for talks over a new contract. He’s a huge part of Villa’s rise up the table and has flourished since becoming the go-to man following Danny Ings’ £12million ($15m) exit to West Ham United, which could be worth an extra £3m in add-ons.

When Villa were in Dubai in December, Emery also got to work with Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa, showing them how to position their bodies when receiving the ball and what passing sequences to work on, though some of their fine work cannot be taught. Both have responded well to new demands while also adding a gritty desire to keep the ball out of the net and Villa have conceded just one goal through open play in the last eight games.

When Villa beat Tottenham Hotspur in January the players were stunned to hear Emery’s delight during half-time with the game still goalless. The team were expecting a dressing down because they were riding their luck, but all Emery was concerned about was not conceding. Minor tweaks were made and Villa won 2-0, just as the manager planned.

Early into his tenure, Emery started increasing the time spent on team meetings and video analysis. A giggling McGinn said: “As long as you stay concentrated in the meetings, which are… quite long… you know what you are doing going into the game on a Saturday and it is really enjoyable.”

Some players became concerned as he pulled no punches in front of the group. If a player was not following his demands they would be told bluntly. On the other hand, when players perform well, Emery is keen to praise them. For example, he highlighted Ashley Young in recent weeks as the 37-year-old has covered for the injured Matty Cash.

Emery, it’s said, is not a manager who holds long, personal conversations with his players — and at the start, his approach took a lot of getting used to — but when he checks in on those who are out of the team, he’s said to be caring and considerate.

Another minor tweak is the pre-match routine before home games. Players now stay at a hotel the night before the game and have an extended team meeting there. Emery feels it brings the group closer together and gives him more time to get across his specific demands for the match ahead. Changes to the schedule, however, will be considered if Villa get into Europe next season as it will mean more midweek matches.

In sixth and with momentum in their favour, there’s no reason to play down the chance of a top-seven finish or beyond. “I’m not here to waste time,” Emery said last week, but admitted over the weekend that a push for the Champions League is too extreme. “We are not thinking about the top four,” he said.

That he’s even asked to comment on a potential top-four finish speaks volumes of Villa’s transformation. This was a side three points off the bottom when he took over. Now they’re not afraid of any opponent.

It hasn’t all been perfect, though. Debriefing the Arsenal game at the training ground after a 4-2 home defeat was a harrowing experience. Emery asked his defenders and midfielders why they ignored instructions and persisted with long balls in the closing stages of the game, allowing Arsenal to pounce.

The Arsenal defeat meant Villa had conceded 11 goals in three games, shortly after also exiting the FA Cup to League Two side Stevenage in humiliating fashion. It feels incredible to think that was just two months ago — the fear of relegation was creeping back in but the reaction since has been impressive. In Emery’s words, it has been “fantastic”.

Through long, hard hours on the training pitch, the recovery came. Villa began to record more passes in their own half and retain possession better, the key objectives Emery had set out to improve.

The tactics are still varied. In the 1-0 win over Crystal Palace, Emery left out Leon Bailey and gave right-back Cash the licence to get forward. Cash responded by setting up Watkins for the winner. The following week, in a 3-0 win over Bournemouth, Cash was told to sit deep and cover the two centre-halves because of the counter-attacking threat. Bournemouth have beaten Liverpool, Fulham, Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur in recent weeks but couldn’t get anywhere near Villa.

Alex Moreno, an Emery signing, is normally the most advanced full-back, pushing ahead of Villa’s midfielders at times, as shown by their passing network from last month’s draw with West Ham United.

Moreno’s 0.23 open-play expected assists per 90 are higher than any other member of the Villa squad, suggesting he is creating chances worthy of an assist nearly once every four games.

The left-back was only signed from Real Betis in January and did not settle immediately but now looks like a £12million bargain. Emery still has to guide the 29-year-old through games, often barking his orders in Spanish. There have been a few heated on-field exchanges between the two but certainly no hard feelings.

Emery is thorough in his approach. He stands on the sidelines organising his side for every minute of the game, barely taking time to stop or think. It’s a world away from that dreadful night at Fulham in October under Steven Gerrard when instructions from the dugout dried up and Watkins, of all players, attempted to form a huddle as the second goal was conceded in a 3-0 defeat.

Emery is sometimes positioned six or seven yards out of his technical area, gesticulating and instructing. He micro-manages everything. The coaching team take a backseat on matchdays — they let the man in charge set the tone — but there is a wealth of talent and experience alongside him, from 60-year-old Pako Ayestaran, assistant to Rafa Benitez when Liverpool won the Champions League in 2005, to first-team coach Pablo Villanueva, who has worked with Emery for a decade.

The new arrivals have fitted in well with longer-serving staff in the sports science, data analysis and youth development departments. Emery often takes some of the Bodymoor Heath staff out for dinner and that has created a harmonious environment at the training ground.

Set-piece coach Austin MacPhee has been given extra responsibility and is granted authority around corners and free kicks. Villa have become more creative with their set plays because more time is being dedicated to it in training and Emery is fully buying in.

On Saturday, they came up against a Newcastle side who had the highest expected goals (xG) figures from set pieces, but Villa kept a clean sheet. One trick Villa used was leaving two attacking players up the pitch when Newcastle won their first corner and that aggressive setup sent confusion rippling through Howe’s side. The way Villa have tightened up at set pieces has been a key to keeping six clean sheets in the last eight games.

Midfield players are also improving. Douglas Luiz is a candidate for player of the season, largely because he has been so consistent. He says he’s in the form of his life and Emery’s guidance has made him play with freedom. Jacob Ramsey is a regular goal threat and is the academy’s poster boy — with four goals and five assists, his numbers are stacking up nicely. McGinn is playing the best football of his life and Emiliano Buendia has a renewed swagger about him.

Yet this is a team built over four years through the investment of owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens (NSWE), supplemented by considered management from CEO Christian Purslow. Johan Lange, the sporting director, was hired in the summer of 2020 when Villa had fought off relegation on the final day of the season. His brief was to deliver a top-half finish within three years and he is on track to hit his target.

Behind the scenes, Villa are in a good place and Emery has come in to add that sprinkle of magic that was required after the failed appointment of Gerrard — the first major mistake of the NSWE era.

But are Villa riding their luck? Sure, there’s an element of good fortune in some of their results. Single-goal wins over Leeds United, Southampton and Palace have not been pretty, but that doesn’t mean they should be diminished. Their xG stats show Villa are scoring more than they should while conceding fewer.

Their xG difference — which accounts for the opportunities they have generated and conceded — does suggest they have given up a fair few chances in their own box, but it is important to note these numbers are likely to be influenced by the state of the game. Villa have scored first in each of their last nine games and a winning position will lend itself to greater attacking intent from the opposing team.

Thankfully, football isn’t played on a spreadsheet. Granted, the stoppage-time win at Leicester earlier this month was made considerably easier by a late misplaced pass and Nottingham Forest gifted Villa an opener a week later after nullifying the threat for 45 minutes. But it’s no coincidence Villa are now seeing off the lower-ranked teams through a mixture of guts and guile while also giving the top teams a scare.

Villa have also scored in all 20 games under Emery. If they score at Brentford on Saturday, they will set a new Premier League record for scoring in consecutive games from the start of a manager’s tenure.

So much about Emery’s style is focused on the defence, though. There’s an unsung tactic that he turns to when Villa are trying to hold onto a lead, especially away from home. Sometimes, such as in the 2-0 win at Chelsea, the full-backs tuck in and the midfielders become additional full-backs to create a back six, with a row of three sitting in front. At Stamford Bridge, it helped Villa block off the passing lines and was particularly successful in the early games under Emery when his side were not as good at keeping the ball.

That Villa have a squad low on numbers because of injuries but united in their approach is actually working as an advantage. Each player knows his role and where his team-mates will be on the pitch. Fear crept in when the most important midfielder, Boubacar Kamara, and their most naturally talented attacking midfielder, Philippe Coutinho, were ruled out of recent games, but others stepped up to show their worth.

Villa have played almost the entire season without £26million centre-back Diego Carlos, too. A summer of recruitment is exciting and important, but this is already a well-organised, fully functional side. They are a group intelligent enough to take on Emery’s tactical plans and execute a game plan.

Before this weekend, you wouldn’t have called Villa exciting or entertaining. Efficient, hard-working and well-drilled were the words that came to mind. Yet seeing off Newcastle — a team Emery was genuinely concerned about — has set a new standard.

The last time Villa won five in a row in the top flight was in April 1998 under John Gregory. Only league leaders Arsenal have picked up more points than Villa since Emery took over. With seven games remaining, the push for Europe is on. The question is, which competition can they qualify for?

Great read, thanks for posting

[eamonn]

Yep, he gets pelters on here, but I enjoy Evans' lengthy articles like this on us, neatly telling the story well with the odd bit of insight or telling quotes from players and coach included.

Doesn't act like a smart-arse trying to impress his mates like the Tifo/Athletic twonks on that video podcast.

[Sexual Ealing]

More coaches incoming, it seems:


villareport
@villareport
Antonio Cordón, Alberto Benito & José Ignacio Navarro will join Unai Emery at Aston Villa.
@CanalSurRadio @muchodeportecom
 #avfc
https://twitter.com/villareport/status/1649161696164958208

[pauliewalnuts]

More coaches incoming, it seems:


villareport
@villareport
Antonio Cordón, Alberto Benito & José Ignacio Navarro will join Unai Emery at Aston Villa.
@CanalSurRadio @muchodeportecom
 #avfc
https://twitter.com/villareport/status/1649161696164958208

Interesting. Was rumoured a couple of months ago: https://sportwitness.co.uk/confusion-aston-villa-approach-transfer-chief-one-offer-villans-another-club/

Where does that leave Lange, I wonder?

[VILLA MOLE]

More coaches incoming, it seems:


villareport
@villareport
Antonio Cordón, Alberto Benito & José Ignacio Navarro will join Unai Emery at Aston Villa.
@CanalSurRadio @muchodeportecom
 #avfc
https://twitter.com/villareport/status/1649161696164958208

Interesting. Was rumoured a couple of months ago: https://sportwitness.co.uk/confusion-aston-villa-approach-transfer-chief-one-offer-villans-another-club/

Where does that leave Lange, I wonder?

Good question, who does what here I wonder

[pauliewalnuts]

I'm all in favour of anyone who is Spanish and goes by three names.

[Drummond]

Strengthening when we're doing well is a good thing. It's always harder to maintain improvement.

I'm impressed with this, and I think there's scope to add people, because we have a solid team ethic and it seems to be working well, doesn't it?!

[Sexual Ealing]

I'm all in favour of anyone who is Spanish and goes by three names.

Pretty much every Spanish/Spanish-speaking person has four names: their given first and middle names, and their maternal and paternal surnames.

I've got four names, but I was born in Shrewsbury to Irish parents so my middle ones were just a sop to dead or dying relatives/blokes in the pub at the time who asked if they could be included (the latter also covers godparents).

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I'm all in favour of anyone who is Spanish and goes by three names.

You'd love it here, anybody with less than five names possibly isn't a twat. #fightthepower #classwar #whatstheshitwithsomanynames

[adrenachrome]

Catholics get a confirmation name to add to the list.

[Sexual Ealing]

Catholics get a confirmation name to add to the list.

Barnabas for me.

[edgysatsuma89]

I'm all in favour of anyone who is Spanish and goes by three names.

Found out the other day that Luis Enrique's last name isn't Enrique, it's Martinez. Why the f**k aren't we calling him Luis Martinez? Crazy Spaniards.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Catholics get a confirmation name to add to the list.

Here they don't get to use it. We have a neighbour (read, gold digger that uses all the surnames of her previous (rich/famous) husbands). She thinks it makes her 'classsssssssy' (see Megham M) but 5 seconds in her company and you realise she's a tramp.

They say everybody has a book in them, one day, if I get really bored, I'll write a book about her with a dedication to Carla Thomas and Otis Redding.

[algy]

More coaches incoming, it seems:


villareport
@villareport
Antonio Cordón, Alberto Benito & José Ignacio Navarro will join Unai Emery at Aston Villa.
@CanalSurRadio @muchodeportecom
 #avfc
https://twitter.com/villareport/status/1649161696164958208

Bit of random googling found these

https://sortitoutsi.net/football-manager-2023/person/67040464/antonio-cordon
https://sortitoutsi.net/football-manager-2023/person/2000066021/jose-ignacio-navarro
https://sortitoutsi.net/football-manager-2023/person/14095/alberto-benito

Sounds like their director of football, head analyst, and chief scout

[Monty]

Catholics get a confirmation name to add to the list.

Barnabas for me.

Barrabas for me.

Jokes I was never baptised, getting flung into Hell when I pop off the mortal.