Unai Emery

[Beard82]

Can we now say that we are an established top 6 club?

Nah - not til we move to Londoin

[Beard82]

Best Manager since Saunders. I doubt he can ever win the league but with smart succession planning we could be at the elite level for longer.

He made us. We should be a 7th-10th club in the current world (I know it is shit but true) into at 3rd-6th club. We need to be Top 3/4/5/6 for rest of the decade and with a following wind replace Chelsea and Spurs.

He can win the league.

He's got us into a title race twice with limited resources relatively speaking.

If we had the same ability to spend as the Sly 6 we'd already have been champions once.

If he stays for a few years he will do it. 100%.

This is it for me - if we can find a way of getting him the players he needs - then anything is possible.

[Smirker]

Can we now say that we are an established top 6 club?

Tottenham were being referred to as one after three seasons of consecutive top 5 finishes, as were MC.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Six_(Premier_League)

No reason why we shouldn't be in that group ahead of Tottenham now.

Not that I support the concept of a Big Six.

[PeterWithesShin]

Bonkers to think that less than 4 years ago it was the players that were shit not StevieG, none of them were good enough for the top 10, no manager could do any better, criticising Gerrard was like reading the Daily Mail comments section, we shouldn't even bother trying to get a top notch manager like Poch/Emery, SJM had zero chance of ever being a CL player and so on.

Then came Unai.

[Toronto Villa]

We won’t be a big 6 club in the eyes of the media. That definition is locked in place. And it’s absolutely fine.

[Brazilian Villain]

"Unai Emery isn’t - checks notes - on the six-man shortlist for Premier League Manager of the Season - checks notes again."
https://x.com/henrywinter/status/2055393584933675358

[Sexual Ealing]

OT debacle laid to rest tonight. Back in the big leagues.

Win on Wednesday, and that cock-up last year would be another Fulham play-off final 'sliding doors' moment, for me.

But as the newest member of Paddy and CD's anti-jinx club, I'd like to say that we definitely WON'T win on Wednesday. Freiburg are going to hump us.

You're a wise gentleman, Rory. I don't agree with what people say about you./b]

The highest compliment I've ever received 😃

All my organs are swollen with pride, lads.

[Sexual Ealing]

It's not a fucking club though, Rory, it's a religion.

[cdbearsfan]

I'd like to point out that we are dangerously close to some gods-angering going on in the Freiburg vs Villa thread.

[Beard82]

Bonkers to think that less than 4 years ago it was the players that were shit not StevieG, none of them were good enough for the top 10, no manager could do any better, criticising Gerrard was like reading the Daily Mail comments section, we shouldn't even bother trying to get a top notch manager like Poch/Emery, SJM had zero chance of ever being a CL player and so on.

Then came Unai.

I honestly think this is down to Nas - he realised that werent thiniking big enough.  He saw what made the differnece.

[rob_bridge]

"Unai Emery isn’t - checks notes - on the six-man shortlist for Premier League Manager of the Season - checks notes again."
https://x.com/henrywinter/status/2055393584933675358

I only object to 'Pep' not that any of the pundits know him and Carrick being on the list. Both clubs spent hundreds of millions and weakened any potential rivals by buying their best players.

All the others should be on the list. Andrews incredible after losing forward line. On balance my MOTS. Iranola - what a coach and how much appreciation of players. DeVries - unreal.

So yeah Arteta is in the shout and if he wins both fine. Or PL and RU.

How Emery isn't on ahead of Pep and Carrick is farcical.

[PeterWithesShin]

If wins both then Arteta. But the 3 that have punched well above their weight are Unai, Iraola and Andrews. All 3 have done a more impressive job than Guardiola ever has relative to resources.

[cdbearsfan]

I can't say I'm too arsed about Unai not being nominated. If anything, it's a compliment. People now expext us to be competing at the very top level, so when we do so, it's considered unremarkable.

[Rory]

It's not a fucking club though, Rory, it's a religion.

Yes, your holiness.