Unai Emery

[Villan82]

Question is, does Unai have another way of playing that can get us out of this rut we're in. As so far we seem to be just doing the same thing each game.

The way he smashed teams from March to December 2023 indicates he has.

[PaulWinch again]

Question is, does Unai have another way of playing that can get us out of this rut we're in. As so far we seem to be just doing the same thing each game.

That is entirely the problem.

[Grande Pablo]

When we moved it forward quick today we looked half-decent, but they guys are trained to slow it down & not risk losing the ball, pass backwards if required which loses all impetuous, stifling any creativity.

My guess is he wants Elliott & Sancho fully indoctrinated in order to replicate the prime Diaby-Bailey line up.  Sooner rather than later.

[eamonn]

Awks timing that Guillem Balague's book on the Unai "revolution" at the Villa comes out next week with no little pomp and ceremony.
I wonder has Woodhall ever had to worry about a hagiography chiming with a bad stint for a player/manager....he's not OTT with emotive praise so I'm guessing not...

[Monty]

It just seems like everybody's worked out how to play against us, and the only people surprised by this every week is ourselves.

[PeterWithesShin]

Question is, does Unai have another way of playing that can get us out of this rut we're in. As so far we seem to be just doing the same thing each game.

The way he smashed teams from March to December 2023 indicates he has.

We weren't in a rut 2 years ago. He has to change his own poor form now, for the first time since joining.

[PaulWinch again]

We are in a massive rut and Unai has clearly loss confidence. The first half “performances” are a great indicator - you can almost hear the team talk, “don’t worry about goals just try not to concede”.

[Villan82]

Question is, does Unai have another way of playing that can get us out of this rut we're in. As so far we seem to be just doing the same thing each game.

The way he smashed teams from March to December 2023 indicates he has.

We weren't in a rut 2 years ago. He has to change his own poor form now, for the first time since joining.

I am aware of that, I am merely pointing out that he clearly can set us up differently. Maybe some of this is on the players?

[Toronto Villa]

I know the players are a part of the issue but surely they can’t be happy playing this way. In this tactical structure and set up. Harvey Elliot must be wondering what the fuck he signed up for. From one of the most free scoring sides in the league and world to this.

[PeterWithesShin]

I doubt a player that wants CL football is happy with "get to HT at 0-0", that's Gregory levels of negativity.

[PaulWinch again]

I know the players are a part of the issue but surely they can’t be happy playing this way. In this tactical structure and set up. Harvey Elliot must be wondering what the fuck he signed up for. From one of the most free scoring sides in the league and world to this.

And that’s just it though - we, for much of our time under Unai, have been free scoring - he needs to revert, revise or whatever. It cannot continue like this, we are miles off it.

[eamonn]

We are in a massive rut and Unai has clearly loss confidence. The first half “performances” are a great indicator - you can almost hear the team talk, “don’t worry about goals just try not to concede”.

Thing is we were doing this last April when winning all the time. Brighton away, got dominated until Rashford's greyhound legs wins us a counterattack and the opening goal.

[pauliewalnuts]

I think the situation over the summer (remember ‘the players that went to be here’) has impacted spirit behind the scenes.

The whole team just look uninterested.

[PaulWinch again]

We are in a massive rut and Unai has clearly loss confidence. The first half “performances” are a great indicator - you can almost hear the team talk, “don’t worry about goals just try not to concede”.

Thing is we were doing this last April when winning all the time. Brighton away, got dominated until Rashford's greyhound legs wins us a counterattack and the opening goal.

We were being conservative in the first half, it wasn’t this though. This is properly fearful stuff.

[PaulWinch again]

Another massive indication of Unai’s concern is Mings starting. I know the whole Pau vs Mings thing, but for Unai Pau has been his guy and central to his play - the fact he’s not playing him is a good indicator he’s got into a negative mind set.