Unai Emery

[manic-road]

Pretty sure £100+ million to sb spent by a CL team should get you more than the contributions of Onana Maatsen and Malen.

Same amount that Liverpool paid for Darwin Nunez. There’s no guarantees that any transfer works out (and I’m not sure I agree on Maatsen anyway, he’d be our first choice left back now had Digne not had a massive upsurge in form).

You did watch Maatsen at Old Trafford?

The whole team was shit that day.

You keep saying Maatsen is crap, but he was very good the tail end of last season.

He was shite v Palace too.

But I would give him a decent run in the team now. Digne looks done on the evidence of this season so far.

The evidence so far of Digne playing against Newcastle and Everton with two clean sheets? 

[PaulWinch again]

It’s weird how many players either look done or hopeless….it’s almost like something wider than individual performance might be at play.

[villa for life]

It’s weird how many players either look done or hopeless….it’s almost like something wider than individual performance might be at play.

I would say it’s not “almost like” but “definitely like”. I still believe the club is in shock at what happened on the last day of last season. It has taken the summer and transfer window to fully comprehend the ramifications of not reaching the champions league. Morale is now low and the bubble has burst.

 I don’t believe we will fully get our mojo back until we get our first positive result in the Europa league and can dare to dream again.

In the meantime, the most important thing is to bear Brentford and keep that route to silverware alive.

[adrenachrome]

It’s weird how many players either look done or hopeless….it’s almost like something wider than individual performance might be at play.

I would say it’s not “almost like” but “definitely like”. I still believe the club is in shock at what happened on the last day of last season. It has taken the summer and transfer window to fully comprehend the ramifications of not reaching the champions league. Morale is now low and the bubble has burst.

 I don’t believe we will fully get our mojo back until we get our first positive result in the Europa league and can dare to dream again.

In the meantime, the most important thing is to bear Brentford and keep that route to silverware alive.

I think you are right, and quotes from Unai and Tyrone have intimated as much.

If certain players were informed that they would be shipped out if suitable offers came in that would be unsettling. JJ was clearly close with Rogers, for example.

I would bet that Unai will be able to sort things out, but it may take while.

[villa for life]

It’s weird how many players either look done or hopeless….it’s almost like something wider than individual performance might be at play.

I would say it’s not “almost like” but “definitely like”. I still believe the club is in shock at what happened on the last day of last season. It has taken the summer and transfer window to fully comprehend the ramifications of not reaching the champions league. Morale is now low and the bubble has burst.

 I don’t believe we will fully get our mojo back until we get our first positive result in the Europa league and can dare to dream again.

In the meantime, the most important thing is to bear Brentford and keep that route to silverware alive.

I think you are right, and quotes from Unai and Tyrone have intimated as much.

If certain players were informed that they would be shipped out if suitable offers came in that would be unsettling. JJ was clearly close with Rogers, for example.

I would bet that Unai will be able to sort things out, but it may take while.

The timing is so important: were players informed they were up for sale before the Man U game??
If so, that was a monumental misjudgment.

[BoVillan esq]

It’s weird how many players either look done or hopeless….it’s almost like something wider than individual performance might be at play.

I would say it’s not “almost like” but “definitely like”. I still believe the club is in shock at what happened on the last day of last season. It has taken the summer and transfer window to fully comprehend the ramifications of not reaching the champions league. Morale is now low and the bubble has burst.

 I don’t believe we will fully get our mojo back until we get our first positive result in the Europa league and can dare to dream again.

In the meantime, the most important thing is to bear Brentford and keep that route to silverware alive.

I think you are right, and quotes from Unai and Tyrone have intimated as much.

If certain players were informed that they would be shipped out if suitable offers came in that would be unsettling. JJ was clearly close with Rogers, for example.

I would bet that Unai will be able to sort things out, but it may take while.

The timing is so important: were players informed they were up for sale before the Man U game??
If so, that was a monumental misjudgment.

Yep, clearly their is something horribly wrong, Watkins looks shell shocked, Rogers looks like he's already left the club its just a question of when.

[pauliewalnuts]

If the club had banked on getting CL qualification again this year, having achieved it once in the entire time it has 'been a thing', then that's monumentally stupid.

[PaulWinch again]

If the club had banked on getting CL qualification again this year, having achieved it once in the entire time it has 'been a thing', then that's monumentally stupid.

Yes that would be astonishingly stupid.

[adrenachrome]

If the club had banked on getting CL qualification again this year, having achieved it once in the entire time it has 'been a thing', then that's monumentally stupid.

For sure.

But if the club not qualifying for the CL on the last of the season + PSR restrictions meant that we had to inform certain players that they would be gone if a good offer was received won't have helped morale.

JJ did not want to leave, and the players probably thought that Martinez would be gone. Mings said we we have to wait and see who is still here that wants to play for the club.

Unai himself has said that we need to get our emotions together.

[pauliewalnuts]

If the club had banked on getting CL qualification again this year, having achieved it once in the entire time it has 'been a thing', then that's monumentally stupid.

For sure.

But if the club not qualifying for the CL on the last of the season + PSR restrictions meant that we had to inform certain players that they would be gone if a good offer was received won't have helped morale.

JJ did not want to leave, and the players probably thought that Martinez would be gone. Mings said we we have to wait and see who is still here that wants to play for the club.

Unai himself has said that we need to get our emotions together.

I don't disagree with any of that, it's not really related to the point I was making, though.

[brontebilly]

Pretty sure £100+ million to sb spent by a CL team should get you more than the contributions of Onana Maatsen and Malen.

Same amount that Liverpool paid for Darwin Nunez. There’s no guarantees that any transfer works out (and I’m not sure I agree on Maatsen anyway, he’d be our first choice left back now had Digne not had a massive upsurge in form).

You did watch Maatsen at Old Trafford?

The whole team was shit that day.

You keep saying Maatsen is crap, but he was very good the tail end of last season.

He was shite v Palace too.

But I would give him a decent run in the team now. Digne looks done on the evidence of this season so far.

The evidence so far of Digne playing against Newcastle and Everton with two clean sheets?

I didnt see the Newcastle game but on the evidence of Brentford and yesterday. He was second best in every physical contest with Ndiaye. He's not pushing on at all on the left flank either.

[Monty]

I like Maatsen and I don't think Digne's in the greatest form, but I honestly don't think this is even in the top twenty problems we've got honestly.

You can't just keep reducing everything to the form problems of individual players (and presumably their moral failings) - 10 previously excellent players don't all suddenly suffer drops in personal performance at the same time. The issues are structural.

[PaulWinch again]

Exactly that, it’s very evident that there’s a structural/tactical issue and a morale thing. Both are probably linked, but it’s really not about individual form. It’s very apparent by how entirely at odds we are with all the time Unai’s been here.

[villa for life]

Exactly that, it’s very evident that there’s a structural/tactical issue and a morale thing. Both are probably linked, but it’s really not about individual form. It’s very apparent by how entirely at odds we are with all the time Unai’s been here.

Totally - structural and tactical deficiencies combined with an ultra conservative approach and add in a pinch of low morale to boot.

We need a therapist and some fresh input on the tactical side. Even Pep realized the game had moved on and recruited new and arguably more
modern tacticians. They say the great leaders always recognize their own weaknesses and then hire the right people to make up …