The Unai Emery Thread | Page 75 | Vital Football

The Unai Emery Thread

Stephen Jay Hawkings said:
I didn't see anyone complaining about the team selection before the game.

Completely his fault? Absolute bollocks.
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So you think that was the BEST team he could have chosen, if so you must still believe in Father Christmas. We all thought we had dodged a bullet in not having to play Man U or any other half decent side. I would like to think had it been a "better" side he would have at least played a stronger team but it's this mindset that pervades the game that pl teams have to field the fringe players to protect the first team. Why Unai decided to do that is down to him as its not as though a fixture list is heavy with European games !
Yes many of the team was crap and we all know who they are so why pick them. Well done Stevenage for putting out a side that had nothing to lose and they didn't.
Looking forward to more useless platitudes from our Coach on why his team he picks are fecking useless. I have followed the Villa for 75 years with proud memories of winning the FA Cup, League and European Cup, now ashamed and angry at this debacle orchestrated by piss poor team selection with World Cup goalkeeper benched and a clown of a goalkeeper chosen in front of him.
 
kevinl48 said:
So you think that was the BEST team he could have chosen, if so you must still believe in Father Christmas. We all thought we had dodged a bullet in not having to play Man U or any other half decent side. I would like to think had it been a "better" side he would have at least played a stronger team but it's this mindset that pervades the game that pl teams have to field the fringe players to protect the first team. Why Unai decided to do that is down to him as its not as though a fixture list is heavy with European games !
Yes many of the team was crap and we all know who they are so why pick them. Well done Stevenage for putting out a side that had nothing to lose and they didn't.
Looking forward to more useless platitudes from our Coach on why his team he picks are fecking useless. I have followed the Villa for 75 years with proud memories of winning the FA Cup, League and European Cup, now ashamed and angry at this debacle orchestrated by piss poor team selection with World Cup goalkeeper benched and a clown of a goalkeeper chosen in front of him.
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Any manager who doesn't rest the team against fucking Stevenage is an idiot. You're talking fluent Hindsight.
 
kevinl48 said:
So you think that was the BEST team he could have chosen, if so you must still believe in Father Christmas. We all thought we had dodged a bullet in not having to play Man U or any other half decent side. I would like to think had it been a "better" side he would have at least played a stronger team but it's this mindset that pervades the game that pl teams have to field the fringe players to protect the first team. Why Unai decided to do that is down to him as its not as though a fixture list is heavy with European games !
Yes many of the team was crap and we all know who they are so why pick them. Well done Stevenage for putting out a side that had nothing to lose and they didn't.
Looking forward to more useless platitudes from our Coach on why his team he picks are fecking useless. I have followed the Villa for 75 years with proud memories of winning the FA Cup, League and European Cup, now ashamed and angry at this debacle orchestrated by piss poor team selection with World Cup goalkeeper benched and a clown of a goalkeeper chosen in front of him.
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Of course it wasn't the best team he could have played, but no one in their right mind would have expected that.

It was actually a stronger team than I expected, and if you read back through the thread I was calling for a strong team because these games are unpredictable.

Luiz, Coutinho, Ings, Bailey, Cash, Chambers, Dendoncker against a League 2 team at home. There is no way we should have lost that game and the players who were out there can take the blame for it.
 
kevinl48 said:
So you think that was the BEST team he could have chosen, if so you must still believe in Father Christmas. We all thought we had dodged a bullet in not having to play Man U or any other half decent side. I would like to think had it been a "better" side he would have at least played a stronger team but it's this mindset that pervades the game that pl teams have to field the fringe players to protect the first team. Why Unai decided to do that is down to him as its not as though a fixture list is heavy with European games !
Yes many of the team was crap and we all know who they are so why pick them. Well done Stevenage for putting out a side that had nothing to lose and they didn't.
Looking forward to more useless platitudes from our Coach on why his team he picks are fecking useless. I have followed the Villa for 75 years with proud memories of winning the FA Cup, League and European Cup, now ashamed and angry at this debacle orchestrated by piss poor team selection with World Cup goalkeeper benched and a clown of a goalkeeper chosen in front of him.
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I don’t think it’s as simple as the team selection, there were no kids or no-hopers in the team, all experienced players who have played in top leagues for several years. Dendoncker for example has 120+ PL appearances to his name and was playing in the World Cup last month for a team ranked 2nd in the World - and he was the one who ultimately cost us the game. Emery deserves to be criticised for not getting more out the players on the night, but I don’t think he can be criticised for selecting a team filled with experienced top flight players who just didn’t bother turning up. Hopefully several players tonight won’t be trusted again and a few will soon be gone.
 
cha0sthe0ry said:
No team should be resting their goalkeeper, a player that has hardly played for over a fortnight and should be getting some match sharpness minutes under his belt.
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Can only say what if Martinez did play, and imagine he got injured? There’d be the immediate cries of why take such a risk against a lowly league 2 side? I guess Emery thought Olsen playing was the lesser risk out of the two scenarios, he obviously got that wrong and hopefully he’s learnt the lesson and Olsen won’t play again for us
 
david-avfc said:
Can only say what if Martinez did play, and imagine he got injured? There’d be the immediate cries of why take such a risk against a lowly league 2 side? I guess Emery thought Olsen playing was the lesser risk out of the two scenarios, he obviously got that wrong and hopefully he’s learnt the lesson and Olsen won’t play again for us
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Yes an even worse scenario is Emi injured and us shopping for a new GK / using Olsen for the rest of the year.
 
Platypus said:
Any manager who doesn't rest the team against fucking Stevenage is an idiot. You're talking fluent Hindsight.
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Well he can rest his team on the weekend of the next round. Rest his team, my God why do you need to rest a team when most of them just had a month off but yes I forgot they had a busy fortnight. Ye gods these blokes should be able to play twice a week and they get 7 days till next game. As for an effing idiot the whole team including the coach fit that bill. Don't tell me most of us couldn't see it happening under dogs with sod all to lose won the day. Every game for the foreseeable future the opposition will be chanting STEVENAGE at us.
 
Not willing to put this all on Emery. Although there are some changes I would like to see, there are times when it is not good to play from the back for example. Bednerak in a Southampton team for another.

But not too long back I was more concerned about relegation than winning the FA cup. The recruitment has been generally poor and it showed yesterday. Vindicates some of us who were underwhelmed with the last window.
 
I saw no complaints about the initial line up that included players with top flight experience and many with international experience. The side that was selected was more than good enough to beat these.

I’m sure if Emery could turn back time he would have chosen Martinez, Mings and Kamara. He obviously takes some blame but the vast majority falls on the players who failed to show enough quality and desire.
 
I posted this in the FA Cup thread, but it's more apt here to be honest

  • Can't play without a defensive midfielder
  • Can't play in a system where the left/right back provide width
  • Can't play unless he has a run of games
  • Can't play out from the back

These are the sorts of excuses that we've started to allow these players to get away with and it's a joke. They should absolutely be able to execute a system that their manager wants, especially one who has pedigree and trophies to their names and regardless of whether they are first team regulars or not.

If these players can't play in a system, in the way the manager wants and with the passion and desire of playing for a club like Villa, then they are the problem and need getting rid of. Bottom line.
 
Pangloss said:
I saw no complaints about the initial line up that included players with top flight experience and many with international experience. The side that was selected was more than good enough to beat these.

I’m sure if Emery could turn back time he would have chosen Martinez, Mings and Kamara. He obviously takes some blame but the vast majority falls on the players who failed to show enough quality and desire.
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I honestly only think Martinez would have made a difference simply because he wouldn't have cocked up for the 2 goals. We still wouldn't have created anything even with the starting 11 we used vs spurs.
 
Absolutely agree that those players yesterday should have won comfortably.

However, I am worried that the last 2 games we have been sent out and played slow, pedestrian, tippy tippy shit . And that is on the manager.

I get the Spuds away tactics . Perfect . But home to Wolves and Stevenage I expect more than what has been placed before us,
 
Melon Donkey said:
Absolutely agree that those players yesterday should have won comfortably.

However, I am worried that the last 2 games we have been sent out and played slow, pedestrian, tippy tippy shit . And that is on the manager.

I get the Spuds away tactics . Perfect . But home to Wolves and Stevenage I expect more than what has been placed before us,
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Totally agree. Is this slow, backwards and forwards walking football Unai’s preferred style? It bored the shit out of everybody in the first half against Wolves and produced little to excite against Stevenage. My hope is that Unai recognises the weakness of this squad and is using a system that negates the worst of the faults. Once he gets better quality on the pitch he’ll adapt the style to something more adventurous and energetic.
 
Melon Donkey said:
Absolutely agree that those players yesterday should have won comfortably.

However, I am worried that the last 2 games we have been sent out and played slow, pedestrian, tippy tippy shit . And that is on the manager.

I get the Spuds away tactics . Perfect . But home to Wolves and Stevenage I expect more than what has been placed before us,
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We haven't got the quality in the final third to break down teams that sit back have we ? In fact a few teams like to play on the counter , Spurs were clueless against us , yet scored 4 away at Palace.

One thing I will say is that we are crying out for proper width , yet Gerrard got rid of the wingers and it's left us woefully short in that area.
 
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