Unai Emery

[Smirker]

At the end of this season, offer him a new deal.

More important than any player.

We can't risk losing him.

[eamonn]

So dignified and professional in his post-game reaction. Even in his pre-game pressers. The media ask their inane, clichéd, dumbed-down for broadcast questions and he rarely answers directly because his message is consistent.

It seems to boil-down to preparing his players as best he can to focus on carrying-out a game-plan as much as possible and react to setbacks when necessary.
 
The results/performances are a natural consequence of that but to have an intelligent, gifted, humble manager doing this for us when we've had years of spoofers, chancers, limited, unimaginative, nice but not good enough, out-of-their-depth merchants; he's such a breath of fresh air. We've needed someone like him for years and years.

[danno]

The players owed him that today, before he arrived I doubt you’d have found many that considered McGinn Watkins Konsa and Bailey as top six players. That is the mark of good coaching that he’s getting so much more out of the same group.

[Dave]

Today means he's now won more points-per-game (2.26) than any other manager* at Emirates Stadium, slightly ahead of Wenger (2.22) and Arteta (2.11)

(*not counting random caretaker managers who might have fluked a win in their one game in charge in 2014)

[Toronto Villa]

Unai Emery on Instagram:

“Happy players, happy fans.. What else? This is why we work. Simply, we were the team today we want to be & we fully deserved the W. Tomorrow — back to work hard. Focus on Lille. Nothing is done yet. Up the Villa!”

[gpbarr]

Lucky enough to stand on the Holte in the Saunders era. He was a god. Unai is the first manager since who has lifted this club to its rightful place.

I’m in awe of the man. Lose or win, I trust him to take this club all the way.

We are so very privileged to have him.

[ROBBO]

I've had my moans but today he got it just right. Hoped for a draw, expected to lose and amazed at the result. When you take into account the players we were missing it was very impressive.

[pelty]

I have chastised Emery when he has gotten it wrong on those rare occasions, so I feel it is only right to come on and give him credit after that masterclass. What a manager! What a team! What a season thus far! UTV!!!

[Demitri_C]

Unais had the last laugh on arsenal and the media.

[caster troy]

There's a lot of emphasis on Emery being a master tactician which is understandable but lets talk about his man-management skills.

To McGinn when he arrived - you don't score enough goals (9 goals so far this season)
To Bailey - you are too inconsistent (24 G/A this season)
To Konsa - you are better than you think you are (Contender for Euros squad)

And now with Rogers, telling him he is a 'championship player' to manage his expectations but also with the reverse psychology of challenging him to be better. Yes he gives clear instructions and brings the best out of players tactically but he also improves them mentally.

[Olneythelonely]

There's a lot of emphasis on Emery being a master tactician which is understandable but lets talk about his man-management skills.

To McGinn when he arrived - you don't score enough goals (9 goals so far this season)
To Bailey - you are too inconsistent (24 G/A this season)
To Konsa - you are better than you think you are (Contender for Euros squad)

And now with Rogers, telling him he is a 'championship player' to manage his expectations but also with the reverse psychology of challenging him to be better. Yes he gives clear instructions and brings the best out of players tactically but he also improves them mentally.

And possibly more importantly, to Watkins, stop wasting all your energy running the channels.

[Pat Mustard]

Sometimes it all just comes together, and the right man arrives in the right place at exactly the right time.  We need to do everything we can to keep him here for as long as we possibly can.

[caster troy]

There's a lot of emphasis on Emery being a master tactician which is understandable but lets talk about his man-management skills.

To McGinn when he arrived - you don't score enough goals (9 goals so far this season)
To Bailey - you are too inconsistent (24 G/A this season)
To Konsa - you are better than you think you are (Contender for Euros squad)

And now with Rogers, telling him he is a 'championship player' to manage his expectations but also with the reverse psychology of challenging him to be better. Yes he gives clear instructions and brings the best out of players tactically but he also improves them mentally.

And possibly more importantly, to Watkins, stop wasting all your energy running the channels.

With Ollie I think it was also the fact he came in and said 'you're my striker' and sold Ings straight away, that must have given him so much confidence. Didn't he also provide Ollie with a video package of strikers doing well under Unai as inspiration?

[Lastfootstamper]

There's a good piece in the athletic, about "a team that refuses to look for excuses".
https://theathletic.com/5414008/2024/04/15/aston-villa-emery-unai

[Steve67]

Not once have I heard Unai moan about the bad luck, poor refereeing, VAR decisions, injuries etc.  He just gets on with it.  A truly great representative for this football club.  Take a hard look at yourself Mikel Arteta, Jurgen Klopp.