Unai Emery

[Beard82]

Happy Belated Birthday Unai!

I feel very twitchy about all this speculation about us as well. I'm concerned about our best players being tempted away too. Yet again. We're cursed: as soon as we get somewhere,  events conspire to slap us down again.

I truly want to believe it's different this time. It's been a long, long time since that 1996 League Cup win. Hearing people singing that 1982 song at the ground is truly embarrassing.

Singing about winning the European Cup in 1982 is not the slightest bit embarrassing to me. Being present in Rotterdam for the greatest moment (so far) in our history that night, it still seems quite recent. I suppose it depends on your age.

Whilst I was only born in 1982 I don’t think it is embarrassing - we should be proud of it - and football didn’t start in 1992. 

Also we have to listen to 1966 and all that - and I think the response to Bobby charltons death shows the importance of history in football

[Somniloquism]

Happy Belated Birthday Unai!

I feel very twitchy about all this speculation about us as well. I'm concerned about our best players being tempted away too. Yet again. We're cursed: as soon as we get somewhere,  events conspire to slap us down again.

I truly want to believe it's different this time. It's been a long, long time since that 1996 League Cup win. Hearing people singing that 1982 song at the ground is truly embarrassing.

24 English Teams have won the league,
23 have won the League Cup
44 have won the FA Cup
6 have won the European Cup.

So why not sing about the most exclusive title we have won?

[lovejoy]

If he did decide to leave now or even at the end of the season he would immediately go to the ranks of O’Leary or Oneill in the wanker stakes.  And that is purely down to the way we have built the structure around him.

Also in the long run he gets a reputation for walking out which won’t help him either. I think he needs to achieve something tangible with us over a few years before he even thinks opabout being tempted upwards. Also as a Basque I do not think the draw of Real is as big as we think it is.

[tomd2103]

The article highlights just how much influence Unai Emery has been able to exert in terms of shaping the backroom side of things at the club.  Normally a new manager might bring an assistant or two with them, but be expected to work with what is already there in the main.

In the space of a year, it seems that UE has been able to  shape a completely new team behind the scenes which is a pretty impressive feat really.

[Dante Lavelli]

The article highlights just how much influence Unai Emery has been able to exert in terms of shaping the backroom side of things at the club.  Normally a new manager might bring an assistant or two with them, but be expected to work with what is already there in the main.

In the space of a year, it seems that UE has been able to  shape a completely new team behind the scenes which is a pretty impressive feat really.

changing the perspective on this, is it a bit of a blind spot that he’s replaced almost everyone?  Where will the new ideas come from?

Who has been retained other than the set piece guy?

[danno]

They don’t work in isolation do they? Presumably the deputies in the various departments are picking things up from them seeing their methods etc.

[dekko]

The article highlights just how much influence Unai Emery has been able to exert in terms of shaping the backroom side of things at the club.  Normally a new manager might bring an assistant or two with them, but be expected to work with what is already there in the main.

In the space of a year, it seems that UE has been able to  shape a completely new team behind the scenes which is a pretty impressive feat really.

It is impressive, but it does highlight just how fucked we're going to be when he eventually does leave.

There's been a lot of talk recently about having the structures in place at the club to make us more sustainable and successful in the long term.  I would hope that the hierarchy have succession planning in place about what kind of manager to go for when he goes.  My concern, however, is that everyone at the club who you'd expect to make those kind of decisions is one of Unai's Guys.  If he went and took all of his staff with him, it'd leave Heck, Sawiris and the tea lady.

Long term I think the recipe for success is having a structure in place where you can bring in a fitting replacement manager in the same way you would a replacement player.

All hypothetical of course, Unai will be here 20 years and will be our Fergie.

[LeeB]

Good God people, this us like pulling the women of your dreams then worrying about what you'll do when she leaves you.

Just bloody enjoy it.

[pauliewalnuts]

Happy Belated Birthday Unai!

I feel very twitchy about all this speculation about us as well. I'm concerned about our best players being tempted away too. Yet again. We're cursed: as soon as we get somewhere,  events conspire to slap us down again.

I truly want to believe it's different this time. It's been a long, long time since that 1996 League Cup win. Hearing people singing that 1982 song at the ground is truly embarrassing.

Singing about winning the European Cup in 1982 is not the slightest bit embarrassing to me. Being present in Rotterdam for the greatest moment (so far) in our history that night, it still seems quite recent. I suppose it depends on your age.

I’m old enough to remember it and I don’t mind bigging up 1982 as an idea.

The think that bothers me isn’t the content, it’s that it is incredibly unoriginal, a lot of teams have their own version, the song itself is dirgey but above all, my problem is hearing it every two minutes.

And before anyone says it, yes yes yes, make up your own song if that ones not good enough etc etc.

[Nii Lamptey]

All hypothetical of course, Unai will be here 20 years and will be our Fergie.

Absolutely this. Unai won't be going anywhere soon - Certainly not until he's ticked the 'success' box here at Aston Villa, which I would see as cementing us back into English football's elite group, and a bursting trophy cabinet.... and even then, I could only see it happening if Spain, Barca or Real come in for him.

[pauliewalnuts]

Genuinely can’t think of a manager less suited to managing an international side than Emery.

He’s way too intense for a job where you get a match every few months.

[tomd2103]

Happy Belated Birthday Unai!

I feel very twitchy about all this speculation about us as well. I'm concerned about our best players being tempted away too. Yet again. We're cursed: as soon as we get somewhere,  events conspire to slap us down again.

I truly want to believe it's different this time. It's been a long, long time since that 1996 League Cup win. Hearing people singing that 1982 song at the ground is truly embarrassing.

Singing about winning the European Cup in 1982 is not the slightest bit embarrassing to me. Being present in Rotterdam for the greatest moment (so far) in our history that night, it still seems quite recent. I suppose it depends on your age.

Whilst I was only born in 1982 I don’t think it is embarrassing - we should be proud of it - and football didn’t start in 1992. 

Also we have to listen to 1966 and all that - and I think the response to Bobby charltons death shows the importance of history in football

I agree that it is something that we should be very proud of, but have had a feeling over the past couple of years that it is something we do need to move on from a bit.

It is over 40 years ago now and although it is an achievement that should never be forgotten, maybe it is time to focus on the now and the future.  There are reminders of it all round the ground (the pictures of the players on the Trinity Road side of the Holte, the banner of the commentary on the North Stand) and footage shown in the video packages before every home game.

It is a tough one as it is something to be immensely proud of, but the constant reminders of it do somewhat give credence to those from other clubs who accuse us of living on past glories.

[astonvilla82]

All hypothetical of course, Unai will be here 20 years and will be our Fergie.

Absolutely this. Unai won't be going anywhere soon - Certainly not until he's ticked the 'success' box here at Aston Villa, which I would see as cementing us back into English football's elite group, and a bursting trophy cabinet.... and even then, I could only see it happening if Spain, Barca or Real come in for him.

Don't forget that massive club who have attendances of 90 thousand every home game and have 200 thousand on the waiting list,I give you ladies and gentleman Birmingham City Football Club, which I can understand if he goes to them

[Nev]

The day I stop crowing about our greatest achievement is the day I stop supporting Villa.

[Toronto Villa]

His pre match interview yesterday was captured just who he is. In one example asked about his birthday he basically said he had time for that. That it was all work and maybe if we win he’d enjoy it after. But everything was about improving as an individual and collectively and not taking a single thing for granted in finding success.