Unai Emery

[aldridgeboy]

And the imminent sacking of Nuno.

[Ads]

Can't believe Nottingham feckin' Forest have a midfield to be envious of - Gibbs-White, Luiz and Anderson.

The Temu Rogers, Tielemans and Kamara.

[PaulWinch again]

Unai has had an atrocious start to the season. There is a real air of defeatism about the club at this moment.

[Monty]

Very very early days, and the guy has enough credit in the bank to start his own bank, but I just have this sneaking fear that it's the end of the road for this kind of football you know. In different ways him and Guardiola come from the same position-and-possession set of ideas, and today against Brentford past and Brentford future both looked absolutely hopeless.

[Smirker]

We drew games followed by a loss every season prior to this.

No need to panic.

Not a good start but we'll be fine.

Chill 

[Mister E]

Very very early days, and the guy has enough credit in the bank to start his own bank, but I just have this sneaking fear that it's the end of the road for this kind of football you know. In different ways him and Guardiola come from the same position-and-possession set of ideas, and today against Brentford past and Brentford future both looked absolutely hopeless.

Totally agree. As I watched the earlier game I thought that Guardiola has shifted his thinking on the game: there has been much less passing-across-the-back, more long balls and a focus on forward momentum. Very different to previous sessions; maybe matching Liverpool's approach last season.
Interesting, given how ponderous we looked in both games.
All of the teams I've watched so far are playing at a much higher tempo than us. The slow build from the back is being countered by quick pressing and good shape.  To play that way, though, requires quick thinking and pacy forwards. How about Guessand, Watkins and Malen starting up front?!

[Proposition Joe]

Very very early days, and the guy has enough credit in the bank to start his own bank, but I just have this sneaking fear that it's the end of the road for this kind of football you know. In different ways him and Guardiola come from the same position-and-possession set of ideas, and today against Brentford past and Brentford future both looked absolutely hopeless.

Were Unai's previous teams tiki-taka teams? The ones he one those UEFA cups with? I thought they were more direct.

[Monty]

We drew games followed by a loss every season prior to this.

No need to panic.

Not a good start but we'll be fine.

Chill 

Unless he keeps playing known leper and orphanage-arsonist Ollie Watkins, in which case it's time for RELENTLESS FUMING.

[olaftab]

I think Emery’s body language and actual words have not helped. Not sure as if he’s prepared to do what he did in 22/23 when he took over.

[Monty]

Very very early days, and the guy has enough credit in the bank to start his own bank, but I just have this sneaking fear that it's the end of the road for this kind of football you know. In different ways him and Guardiola come from the same position-and-possession set of ideas, and today against Brentford past and Brentford future both looked absolutely hopeless.

Were Unai's previous teams tiki-taka teams? The ones he one those UEFA cups with? I thought they were more direct.

They varied with what they did with the ball, but the fundamental was a very rigid obsession with position, which is what us very knowing people actually call the Guardiola-etc type of game (the juego de posicion, dontchaknow). Guardiola himself has been very very worried about this game going into decline as the new generation of coaches favour a kind of 'control the chaos' kind of football, with a lot of initiative and pulsing running.

Despite his own adaptations, you watch those two games today and that's exactly what happened. One team ponderous, slow, waiting for gaps that never come; the other much more focused on attacking the spaces whenever and wherever they open up. RDF on the match thread said we didn't look coached, but I completely disagree - actually we looked over-coached, deeply limited by our own rigid instructions.

[ez]

Watching goals and chances other clubs are creating compared with us is worrying.

[caster troy]

A good mate of mine is a very reasonable Arsenal fan who said Emery’s biggest issue was he had no plan b, for the first time I can see what he means. I thought there would be a bit of a reboot this season but it hasn’t happened.

[PaulWinch again]

The results are rubbish, but you can draw or lose games and be unfortunate. But this isn’t that - we are not winning, or even scoring, because of how we’re set up. That’s what is truly worrying, it’s baffling Unai thinks this is the right approach.

[ozzjim]

Emery looks equally beaten as the players right now. He needs to reboot and sort it the fuck out. Love the man, but the team selection, the style and the whole fucking ethos right now is not positive. Change the narrative, sort it out, and get the fuck on with it Unai. Oh and PS, Rogers needs taking out the side, he needs to realise hard work is what made him good.

[Tuscans]

Todays player or todays person are known to have shorter attention spans. Many need to be told what to do and can't use their own initiative if being told fails. I wonder if the 2 hour long video sessions and tactical drills are restricting the modern footballer to a degree. If we as fans can see what we're doing then the opposition team/ coach certainly can but we don't change. The system/style needs tweaking and the odd player needs the shackles off. There have been many exciting brilliants matches under Unai and equally some absolute stinkers.