Unai Emery

[itbrvilla]

The transfer business overall over the last 4 years has been piss poor.  That fact that so many of Bruce's, Dean's and Gerrard's signing make the majority of the first team selection is very telling.

[Flamingo Lane]

Given how sparingly Abraham has been used, the decision to ship out Malen looks to have been a serious error.

[aev]

The UEFA punishment isn't going to make it any easier this summer either.

Guessing getting rid of Malan and bringing in Tammy was a positive move financially.

[Dave]

The UEFA punishment isn't going to make it any easier this summer either.

How so?

[Smithy]

Given how sparingly Abraham has been used, the decision to ship out Malen looks to have been a serious error.

I'm not sure how Malen's story has been twisted into us "deciding to ship him out".  Unai was happy with him, and wanted him to stay, but Malen wasn't happy with his lack of pitch time and wanted to play more to cement his World Cup place (which I completely understand).  We acquiesced and agreed to let him go.

If it were up to us only, and Malen hadn't asked for a move, I have no doubt Malen is still a Villa player today.

[aev]

The UEFA punishment isn't going to make it any easier this summer either.

How so?

Don't we need to have a net positive transfer balance?

[Dave]

The UEFA punishment isn't going to make it any easier this summer either.

How so?

Don't we need to have a net positive transfer balance?

Don't think so. If we were good boys this season, then the sanction for the further years are suspended. And presumably our lack of spending was with the aim of being good boys.

So I don't think we'll be splashing out hundreds of millions or anything because we still need to meet those tricky SCR limits, but the positive transfer balance thing shouldn't be there anymore.

[aev]

The UEFA punishment isn't going to make it any easier this summer either.

How so?

Don't we need to have a net positive transfer balance?

Don't think so. If we were good boys this season, then the sanction for the further years are suspended. And presumably our lack of spending was with the aim of being good boys.

So I don't think we'll be splashing out hundreds of millions or anything because we still need to meet those tricky SCR limits, but the positive transfer balance thing shouldn't be there anymore.

I hope you are correct - the wording on the document wasn't very clear, and wasn't there also something to do with different periods for UEFA and our SCR stuff?

[Demitri_C]

The UEFA punishment isn't going to make it any easier this summer either.

How so?

Don't we need to have a net positive transfer balance?

Don't think so. If we were good boys this season, then the sanction for the further years are suspended. And presumably our lack of spending was with the aim of being good boys.

So I don't think we'll be splashing out hundreds of millions or anything because we still need to meet those tricky SCR limits, but the positive transfer balance thing shouldn't be there anymore.

I hope you are correct - the wording on the document wasn't very clear, and wasn't there also something to do with different periods for UEFA and our SCR stuff?

I think Dave is correct on this

[aev]

Excellent

[Smithy]

I might be wrong, but was last night the first time Unai has ever complained about a decision made in a match?  I like that he said something, as it was clearly a bottle-job, but interesting that it was THIS decision that made him vocal, when he's been so calm about decisions going the wrong way for us previously?

Is this a sign of pressure on him personally, or is this simply him knowing how European competitions/organisations work, and he thinks complaining about such a high-profile error might give us a fraction more benefit of the doubt if something contentious happens in the second leg?

Either way, I thought it was an interesting deviation from the norm for him!

[LeeB]

I might be wrong, but was last night the first time Unai has ever complained about a decision made in a match?  I like that he said something, as it was clearly a bottle-job, but interesting that it was THIS decision that made him vocal, when he's been so calm about decisions going the wrong way for us previously?

Is this a sign of pressure on him personally, or is this simply him knowing how European competitions/organisations work, and he thinks complaining about such a high-profile error might give us a fraction more benefit of the doubt if something contentious happens in the second leg?

Either way, I thought it was an interesting deviation from the norm for him!

Palace away he was seriously pissed off with the ref, which was noticable for the reasons you say.

[achilles]

When Unai first came to the club, I think we were all surprised how innovative he was with his team selections, substitutions and signings and it was refreshing and exciting. Unfortunately he seems to have progressively got worse in these respects! He seems intent on not playing his signings unless absolutely necessary, it is the same formation and personal every game and whatever the state of the game the substitutions are made at the same times!
 
I would love to know what has changed with his thinking?

[itbrvilla]

There's an interesting post on Reddit about how we conceded goals and he's graded the goals we've conceded into 4 tiers  - 1 great well worked goal, no defensive errors to 4 - complete fuck up and absolutely avoidable and their fag packet maths suggest 40% of our goals concede are from errors (hand balls, gifting possession etc.).

Also, what the fuck is Austin up to these days? Why all these wank floaty balls into the box time and time again?

[PaulWinch again]

We haven’t been good since January - obviously injuries are a major part of that. But it is what it is and most are back now, Unai needs to get the team playing coherently and with more attacking spark. We are not being proactive enough - it’s not about playing out of the back or not. That isn’t inherently negative, but it is when it’s possession/control for the sake of it without a clear way of getting to goal. We need to take more risk in these games, or we’re going to regret it.