Unai Emery - our manager

[Monty]

We played the offside trap largely to perfection last season and that more than anything enabled us to control games. Sadly, our efforts to hold a line this year are proving a bit of a disaster. There's a real art to stepping up at the exact right moment, and we've lost it.

Losing Mings has really screwed us.

Mings' leadership and speed in recovery on the occasions the trap was beaten have been massive in their absence.

[LukeJames]

[Dave P]

He’s just one in a million. And to think I actually wanted Poch when the job was available.

[LeeB]

All the recommended videos from YouTube are football related in his feed.

Because of course they are.

[Toronto Villa]

Just the passion and intensity in his post game interview makes me love him all the more

https://x.com/avfcofficial/status/1705983413415547214?s=46

[Astnor]

Just the passion and intensity in his post game interview makes me love him all the more

https://x.com/avfcofficial/status/1705983413415547214?s=46

What a man. (Can carry a suit also - not important but felt to mention it).

[AV84]

Is he watching Everton from yesterday?

[LeeB]

Just the passion and intensity in his post game interview makes me love him all the more

https://x.com/avfcofficial/status/1705983413415547214?s=46

What a man. (Can carry a suit also - not important but felt to mention it).

He can go either way and carry if off, whereas some managers look like you wouldn't be confident leaving your children in their care when they don a tracksuit.

[Steve67]

Great coach, totally dedicated and has really connected the fans to the club again.  He really gets it, this Villa connection.

[Smirker]

I love him.

[PaulWinch again]

It’s funny that we really haven’t hit our straps yet and we’re 6th!

[AV84]

It’s funny that we really haven’t hit our straps yet and we’re 6th!

3 points off third. Not bad really. Still early days but keeping those upper spots within touching distance even when playing badly is how the other teams do it consistently.

[Toronto Villa]

We’ve had to deal with a host of injuries too. I know all teams get them but rarely do teams lose two starting players for the season inside of a week. Throw in the ones we had coming into the season, Martinez missing a game, Diego back out again we are doing well all things considering.

[Astnor]

I did notice that when we where playing for holding on to the lead Emery didnt set us up with a 5-4-1 or something ultra defensive like that but a 4-3-3 (Tielemans in fact playing the pressing top striker role). This  in combo with our high line their CB s then had to shuffle the ball around in the mid of their own half instead of being able to come higher towards ours to establish a press around our box or thereabout. Speaks of a man knowing his stuff and choosing tactic to the situation (Chelsea s play seems to be about setting a press with their backline into the opponents half (what I ve seen from them before anyway) which they didnt manage much against us. Does take som balls/courage though to choose the high line and 4-3-3 when playing for holding the lead at an away ground even them down to 10.

[waringpongo]

In the past bad results have given me the "here we go again death spiral" type of mood. For some reason when we lose now I have hope. He reminds me of Ray Reardon. Trapped in a collapsed mine and all hope is lost, we live again and reappear in a fine suit dapper and ready to win again.