Unai Emery

[ChicagoLion]

Following Risso's post, the thing that baffles me is why has he continued to play the same way constantly selecting players who have been consistently out of form?

[Olneythelonely]

Maybe that’s what happens when you’re a genius. The last thing you expect to be wrong is something you’re doing.

Anyway, I think we’ll win 3 on the bounce now. Which will see us back in the European places.

[Rigadon]

Maybe that’s what happens when you’re a genius. The last thing you expect to be wrong is something you’re doing.

Anyway, I think we’ll win 3 on the bounce now. Which will see us back in the European places.

That would be most welcome.

[Risso]

You keep saying it's 2 goals a game, but it isn't.

It's as good as, and has been at least two conceded in 7 of our Premier League games this season, including the last four in a row. And of course it's one clean sheet all season, the worst record in the entire top division. Nearly two is a just shorthand for typing 1.7

You didn't say 'nearly two' though. Anyway.

Our goal difference this year is +1. Our league form is 7th best. One win more and it would be 5th, but still a good way off 4th, our record is very similar  to ManU, Newcastle, and Spurs (there's a 3 point gap between all 4).

Given the squad, etc it's still not bad. Ys, we need to improve, everyone can see it, but it's not the end of the world, and hardly the disaster of a year you keep suggesting.

If you're talking about the calendar year of 2024, our GD is -3 and our league position is 8th. Goals conceded per game is 1.81.

[Drummond]

Sorry, it appears the website I was using has, for some reason, missed the defeat at Palace on the last day. Probably because, like me, it deemed it not to count....... ;-)

[markeeeebeeee2005]

Emery was sacked by Arsenal after a 7 match winless streak including 4 draws.

He was sacked by PSG after losing to Real Madrid (and having won the league twice.

He was sacked after 6 months at Spartak Moscow after losing a local derby.

The Arsenal streak is the only one comparable with where we are now, and I think a lot of people felt that was premature. Hence my previous post of entitled Arsenal fans.

He started with us at a much, much lower base and we have seen an overachievement in both seasons.

He's turned other difficult situations around and frankly od rather him in charge of villa than any other manager in the world right now.

We're starved of success, but these things take time. I have absolute faith that we will improve again soon.

Well said Drummond. We’re not wet blankets like the Arsenal fans who got him out.

It’s not great right at the moment. But we need to have a bit more resilience to sit with that discomfort. The games come thick and fast which makes it harder. But he’s the best we’ve had for a very long time and I’m confident he still is.

[Ads]

Sorry, it appears the website I was using has, for some reason, missed the defeat at Palace on the last day. Probably because, like me, it deemed it not to count....... ;-)

I think that's what makes this sort of comparison a bit contrived. Never have the Villa played so badly and so few people cared, as for once the blood alcohol content of the players was on a par with the fans. The season ended when Duran equalised against Liverpool.

[Duncan Shaw]

Sorry, it appears the website I was using has, for some reason, missed the defeat at Palace on the last day. Probably because, like me, it deemed it not to count....... ;-)

I think that's what makes this sort of comparison a bit contrived. Never have the Villa played so badly and so few people cared, as for once the blood alcohol content of the players was on a par with the fans. The season ended when Duran equalised against Liverpool.

The season ended and the party started!

[darren woolley]

Emery is a fucking genius. Of course he'll turnnit around. There isn't a Villa fan who thinks otherwise.

I totally agree with you Ads.

[Risso]

In the rest of 22/23 after taking over from Gerrard and the first half of 23/24 - absolutely brilliant form.

44 games played, 85 points, only 54 goals conceded. 1.93 points per game

Second half of 23/24 and the first third of this season:

32 games played, 48 points, 58 goals conceded. 1.5 points per game.

I think that shows the problem. In a quarter less games, we've conceded 4 goals more, and it's getting steadily worse. You're never going to be successful with an average of 1.81 goals a game going against you, especially when you have a striker as streaky as Watkins. I know it goes without saying, but his first priority has to be the defence. Why he either can't or won't do anything about it, I don't know. I'd start by dropping Torres.

[brontebilly]

Following Risso's post, the thing that baffles me is why has he continued to play the same way constantly selecting players who have been consistently out of form?

He doesn't rate some of the backup players it looks like, Buendia for one. He could point to that Palace cup game when Buendia had a stinker but Rogers has been off it for weeks. If Mings doesn't start v Brentford then I'd wonder if his time left with us is short too. All of Buendia, Mings, Carlos, Digne have 18 months or so left on their deals so might be a factor in his thinking, particularly with PSR.

Rogers has been a great find but sadly Philogene is miles off it. Given our constraints last summer, we couldn't really afford to get a transfer so badly wrong.

We badly need a league win.

[Ads]

I agree in principle just think the cause is slightly different. I'm less concerned about the duals that take place on an individual level at the back; good days/bad days or even moments etc.

We've altered the way we play and we've signed players to suit that. We haven't adapted without those players available and the extent to which we recycle the ball in attempting to attack centrally, leaves us wide open. Onana and Kamara will be the starting pair in midfield and I think the athleticism, press resistance (as they're both big buggers and good on the ball) will account for Yuri threading it and failing now and then (or every time on Sunday). We need strong runners, it should be Morgan, Bailey, but it's just not at the moment. It's not JJ with injuries, it should be Maatsen.

He picks those two interesting running lines, he's quick and he just gets 10 yards higher than Digne. Who I like a lot, but we win the game at West Ham because of Maatsen.

Emery carries on out of bloody mindedness, knowing on balance we'll still be right up there come the end and that he absolutely isn't going to be sacked. Only Juve saw an adaption of the core theme.

[Risso]

Sorry, it appears the website I was using has, for some reason, missed the defeat at Palace on the last day. Probably because, like me, it deemed it not to count....... ;-)

I think that's what makes this sort of comparison a bit contrived. Never have the Villa played so badly and so few people cared, as for once the blood alcohol content of the players was on a par with the fans. The season ended when Duran equalised against Liverpool.

It doesn't make that much of a difference to the overall point though. Even if they'd not all been on the pop the night before, and we'd only lost 2-0, the defence would still have been rubbish for 12 months, and we'd still be 12th this season.

[ozzjim]

I think he's been found out tactically, while also having a number of players out of form. I also think losing Kamara and Luiz as a pair, Ramsey to successive long term injuries and the huge chasm in quality between first 11 and bench when form dipped has hurt him. He openly said he wanted a technical forward that could play in the 10 role in the summer, and had based the summer before on Buendia kicking on in that role. Given the context his record is okz when put against our spend. He needs time, and some good support from Monchi (who is more questionable than Emery) to get 2-3 players in that will help make a difference. I actually think defensively we are capable, but we are far too inconsistent (Carlos and Torres has stinkers in them), Cash personifies it. Do I think I want Emery or a different manager in charge this time next year... I'll take some time being inconsistent, even not good, as I reckon long term he'll win something and find a way to get us back up there.

[wince]

He is the best we have had for a while and the best we are likely to have for a while. Can’t be doing anything it’s this flip flopping with managers anymore. The squad needs strengthening and summer was a kick in the balls. If we were to pot Emery this soon (and it’s a big if), that would be me done for following Villa. What pisses me off more is the Charlie big bollocks stuff about being back in the CL that we are a massive club so buy a pint for 30 quid corporate shite that, when we do fail to live up to the imagined hype will come crashing down around us. Admittedly we need that cash to help the former problem but I have total faith in Emery to work wonders .