Unai Emery

[LeonW]

I can only think Torres and Dougie are not capable of too much game time.

I think they and Abraham and Barkley aren't at the required fitness levels to start games in quick succession.

They are not going to be playing 15 minutes here and there. Tammy was playing regularly enough before joining us.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Just mentioned on the match thread but may as well repeat it here, what worked at the beginning of the season when we were crap was down to Unai insisting in the belief of his system and tactics. It doesn't work with lesser quality players unfortunately.

He needs to adapt to what he has to play with. He's done it from Day 1 and for the life of me I can't understand why he keeps insisting with something that just doesn't work. I hope he's not feeling sorry for himself because I can tell you, after another shit performance I only have enough sympathy for myself.

[ChicagoLion]

Once I saw the line up I knew we were in trouble.
I have no idea why he thinks the midfield and attacking set up can be successful.

[Drummond]

We didn't start to badly, did we? We showed signs of having the beating if Chelsea and were it not for a kneecap width and toenail length at either end we'd have been leading and who knows. We had to chase it and it didn't work because Chelsea can do what they did to anyone.

Fine margins. We're feeling sorry for ourselves sitting in 4th. In the knockout stages of Europe. And all despite losing our three best players, from the heart of our team.

Let's get some perspective.

We all feel shit and worn out after a long winter but spring is in the air and we're on 51 points, not 21 and with nothing to play for.

We've an aging squad and a few will move on, but this is a project and we're still only part way through.

[ChicagoLion]

Just mentioned on the match thread but may as well repeat it here, what worked at the beginning of the season when we were crap was down to Unai insisting in the belief of his system and tactics. It doesn't work with lesser quality players unfortunately.

He needs to adapt to what he has to play with. He's done it from Day 1 and for the life of me I can't understand why he keeps insisting with something that just doesn't work. I hope he's not feeling sorry for himself because I can tell you, after another shit performance I only have enough sympathy for myself.

If you keep doing what you are doing you will keep getting what you are getting.

[tomd2103]

We didn't start to badly, did we? We showed signs of having the beating if Chelsea and were it not for a kneecap width and toenail length at either end we'd have been leading and who knows. We had to chase it and it didn't work because Chelsea can do what they did to anyone.

Fine margins. We're feeling sorry for ourselves sitting in 4th. In the knockout stages of Europe. And all despite losing our three best players, from the heart of our team.

Let's get some perspective.

We all feel shit and worn out after a long winter but spring is in the air and we're on 51 points, not 21 and with nothing to play for.

We've an aging squad and a few will move on, but this is a project and we're still only part way through.

Agree.  We are on a a downwards trajectory at the moment which we need to arrest, but if we'd been offered this position with 9 games to go at the start of the season, I think we'd all have taken it.  The injuries to McGinn, Tielemans and Kamara have ripped the heartbeat out of the team and the poor last few transfer windows have also come home to roost. 

I do feel some sympathy for Unai as he's now been left with a side that isn't really good enough to compete and a squad of players who look good when they come on for 20 minute cameos, but are pretty abject when they start. 

[TheToffnar]

Love the man, will continue to love him irrespective of results, but can't say I have much sympathy for him at present when he refuses to make wholesale changes to a team that continues to disappoint him and ignores the basic niceties observed between managers just because the result hasn't gone our way.

[ChicagoLion]

I am truly baffled by his recent selections and in game management.
We have seen Emery adapt to different teams, different in game circumstances.
We have also seen him get it spectacularly wrong.
But this is the first time when he seems to not recognise the problems the team is having with how he has set them up and continue to play players that are not up to it.
Last night was yet another example, the first half was like a basket ball match, we were so open that Chelsea attacked at will , but we were a goal up we didn’t need to play into their hands.
It’s been obvious for weeks that the 2 in midfield is not enough , that we are unable to get out of a high press and that our centre forward is woefully out of form and confidence.
But he still persists with the same players in the same system getting the same outcomes.

[Clampy]

We didn't start to badly, did we? We showed signs of having the beating if Chelsea and were it not for a kneecap width and toenail length at either end we'd have been leading and who knows. We had to chase it and it didn't work because Chelsea can do what they did to anyone.

Fine margins. We're feeling sorry for ourselves sitting in 4th. In the knockout stages of Europe. And all despite losing our three best players, from the heart of our team.

Let's get some perspective.

We all feel shit and worn out after a long winter but spring is in the air and we're on 51 points, not 21 and with nothing to play for.

We've an aging squad and a few will move on, but this is a project and we're still only part way through.

Well said. Fans are frustrated and understandably so but we're in a very good position still and we're there on merit. We just need to keep the faith.

[PaulWinch again]

I think more pertinently the management and the team need to keep the faith. Accepting all the adversity right now, if they all reflected on what they’re doing I think they’d see they’re under delivering. They rightly get praise for the great things they have delivered to get us into this fantastic position - it’d be pretty disappointing if they don’t do all they can to maintain it, and at this moment I don’t think they are (odd selections, tactical rigidity, lack of proactivity etc).

[Olneythelonely]

I’ve got faith in Unai. I don’t see the point in pretending that last night wasn’t absolutely fucking rubbish though. Other than just trying to make yourself feel better.

[Ads]

It was absolutely awful and totally unsurprising given the selection. Hopefully the Tottenham 2024 of this year.

Win our next game, and we go 3rd. Looks a big task with the weight of history and voodoo given who it is (in the league).

[Clampy]

I think we will get something against Lille. European games seem to suit us better.

[brontebilly]

I am truly baffled by his recent selections and in game management.
We have seen Emery adapt to different teams, different in game circumstances.
We have also seen him get it spectacularly wrong.
But this is the first time when he seems to not recognise the problems the team is having with how he has set them up and continue to play players that are not up to it.
Last night was yet another example, the first half was like a basket ball match, we were so open that Chelsea attacked at will , but we were a goal up we didn’t need to play into their hands.
It’s been obvious for weeks that the 2 in midfield is not enough , that we are unable to get out of a high press and that our centre forward is woefully out of form and confidence.
But he still persists with the same players in the same system getting the same outcomes.

Maybe a 451 type setup for Old Trafford with Bogarde in the middle. Rogers on one wing and one of Bailey or Buendia on the other. But the form of several players has collapsed. Maybe back to Lindelof & Torres at the back, Lindelof definitely deserves a chance in any case.

[Duncan Shaw]

We didn't start to badly, did we? We showed signs of having the beating if Chelsea and were it not for a kneecap width and toenail length at either end we'd have been leading and who knows. We had to chase it and it didn't work because Chelsea can do what they did to anyone.

Fine margins. We're feeling sorry for ourselves sitting in 4th. In the knockout stages of Europe. And all despite losing our three best players, from the heart of our team.

Let's get some perspective.

We all feel shit and worn out after a long winter but spring is in the air and we're on 51 points, not 21 and with nothing to play for.

We've an aging squad and a few will move on, but this is a project and we're still only part way through.

Well said. Fans are frustrated and understandably so but we're in a very good position still and we're there on merit. We just need to keep the faith.

I'm with this, I think if the Ollie goal is given we win that.  What those 5 mins and two VARs did do though was knock the stuffing out of both the team and us, such is the fragility of confidence, and the second half was indeed horrific!