Unai Emery

[N'ZMAV]

3 more wins (Forest, Burnley & Europa Final) and it's the season dreams are made of.

[Toronto Villa]

Our attitude will determine everything. If we set our stall up on Thursday to pinch a goal and keep it tight we will lose. Forest will come to Villa Park to win. If they score early they will make it as hard as possible for us to take shots. I mean, we don’t take many as it is. If we don’t start the game on the front foot it will be over very quickly.

[geolex]

I reckon a lot of people are talking themselves into thinking Unai is the problem when he’s clearly the best manager we’ve had in over 40 years. Recruitment under him hasn’t been especially good but given the constraints we have to operate under I’m not sure it’s _that_ much of a criticism. Some signings don’t work out but unfortunately the way the rules are means we can’t go and spend another £30/40m on another player despite being able to afford to. Consider that spuds Europa win was achieved by giving up on the league, Newcastle’s league cup win same, and our opponents in the semis this year are Forest who are 16th and in a relegation scrap; that we’re consistently going deep into European competitions whilst also maintaining consistent challenges for CL football is pretty remarkable.

Alas when we do spend  £30m we waste it , waste £200k a week on a charlatan, loan a player and never play him then bring back a player we thought surplus to requirement at start of season.. while i do agree we do operate with one hand behind our back we dont exactly do ourselves any favours on the recruitment front either

[Toronto Villa]

I do wonder sometimes if Unai's head is in the right place. Talk of Real Madrid hasn't gone away, the financial rules we are operating in must be defeating mentally, but alos his own insistence and inability to be flexible. Tne same system and structure or nothing, and the nothing looks horrific. It is too rigid, he is too rigid and in the end rigid things don't bend, they break. Instead of looking relaxed it just feels eveything at Aston Villa is tense and lacking freedom. As most things, it starts in the mind.

[PaulWinch again]

I don’t know what is going on, but it is patently obvious we are not playing well enough. There is a fundamental flaw in our approach to the game, when we’ve been at our best under Unai our play out of the back has been purposeful. We are aimless and everyone looks to be operating as individuals.

It’s a massive couple of days for Unai, especially as Forest look to be flying.

[Ianu]

We are definitely the underdogs now and that’s usually when Unai thrives…

[Monty]

Forest right now are looking fundamentally jammy. Let's hope it runs out on Thurs (the jam I mean, I hope they run out of jam).

[kippaxvilla2]

He’s been linked with Real Madrid again today.  Great timing.

[Holy Trinity]

I think he's going in the summer, he isn't himself and the team needs a massive overhaul and i doubt he fancies it.

There are better jobs available, if he stays there is a very real risk we fall off a cliff if the rebuild goes wrong and tarnish his memory.

Win a cup, get us in the CL again and I think he will see it as job done.

[Villan82]

The Emery era has been parked by two very distinct phases:

1. The first 18 months where we had a high line, played incisive football, scored early goals, got the stadium rocking and often blew teams away.

2. The next 18 months or so where it became more cagey, tighter at the back, less free scoring but much more nervy and less enjoyable.

The evolution has seen us stable at the top table but it feels like it's just not hitting the same standard as before. November 2022- to about December 2023 is by far the best 12 months I ever had supporting this club.

[curiousorange]

The Emery era has been parked by two very distinct phases:

1. The first 18 months where we had a high line, played incisive football, scored early goals, got the stadium rocking and often blew teams away.

2. The next 18 months or so where it became more cagey, tighter at the back, less free scoring but much more nervy and less enjoyable.

The evolution has seen us stable at the top table but it feels like it's just not hitting the same standard as before. November 2022- to about December 2023 is by far the best 12 months I ever had supporting this club.

Olympiacos killed that high line, didn't they?

[VancouverLion]

I think he's going in the summer, he isn't himself and the team needs a massive overhaul and i doubt he fancies it.

There are better jobs available, if he stays there is a very real risk we fall off a cliff if the rebuild goes wrong and tarnish his memory.

Win a cup, get us in the CL again and I think he will see it as job done.

My thoughts entirely too.

[jwarry]

Disagree with all this speculation.  Unai has the keys and he’s up there with the highest paid managers in the league, and he knows he has the full backing of very rich owners.  I agree that he’s going through stages with the highest paid press last season to the playing through the middle this season, and I’m intrigued to see what he comes up with next season if he has a bit of flexibility to get the players he wants.

Can’t help feeling JJ would have been a great help to us right now

[PaulWinch again]

If we get Champions League I can’t see him going - unless Real Madrid come knocking, which I think is unlikely.

[VancouverLion]

If we get Champions League I can’t see him going - unless Real Madrid come knocking, which I think is unlikely.

Apparently they're about to come knocking..