Unai Emery's style is limited in league competitions but is optimally suited to cup competitions.
Aston Villa may have had a huge turnaround last season in the league, but don't expect that to last.
Their style doesn't optimally control the opposition's build-up.
A thread.
Aston Villa may have had a huge turnaround last season in the league, but don't expect that to last.
Their style doesn't optimally control the opposition's build-up.
A thread.
Philosophically, Emery's approach has always been flawed despite his success as a manager.
His teams play out from the back but don't press high with relentless aggression when the embedded staple of possession-based football is to counterpress high when possession is lost.
His teams play out from the back but don't press high with relentless aggression when the embedded staple of possession-based football is to counterpress high when possession is lost.
Emery contradicts that logic, though, and has become a uniquely successful cup manager by doing that.
How?
Well, because he always inherits or builds teams that are uniquely good technically, and he has continued in that vein at Villa with Torres, Kamara, Luiz, Moreno, etc.
How?
Well, because he always inherits or builds teams that are uniquely good technically, and he has continued in that vein at Villa with Torres, Kamara, Luiz, Moreno, etc.
However, because Villa don't press high with relentless regularity they get pushed back into a low block & are forced to defend deep which means the opposition block is high & when attacks break down they are ready to counterpress directly on top of Villa.
That has implications.
That has implications.
Only unique technical quality can play out of those circumstances, but that's what Emery is trying to build at Villa.
The key word in that sentence is 'trying', though.
Martinez, Mings, Konsa, and Cash who started yesterday against Newcastle are good but non-elite technicians..
The key word in that sentence is 'trying', though.
Martinez, Mings, Konsa, and Cash who started yesterday against Newcastle are good but non-elite technicians..
To play out of Newcastle's peak Liverpool-esque narrow 4-3-3 high press, the build-up has to consist of elite technicians. Villa's does not, and it's where they lost control in the game as a whole.
Newcastle pressed them off the park & Villa rarely set out in their 3-2-5 shape..
Newcastle pressed them off the park & Villa rarely set out in their 3-2-5 shape..
That is because for Villa to get into the 3-2-5 shape they require settled possession in midfield.
However, they couldn't bypass the first phase to progress into the second phase, so they rarely created that scenario.
This left them vulnerable and Newcastle controlled the game.
However, they couldn't bypass the first phase to progress into the second phase, so they rarely created that scenario.
This left them vulnerable and Newcastle controlled the game.
Newcastle either directly punished Villa's mistakes in the build-up by being direct and attacking the goal in transition or by recycling and building patiently in settled play.
In these moments Villa held a high line but only sometimes applied pressure on the ball.
In these moments Villa held a high line but only sometimes applied pressure on the ball.
Again, Emery breaks the principles for defensive play as a result of that approach.
Holding a high line with little pressure on the ball is a recipe for disaster. It invites clipped balls in behind the defence which are easy to play because the build-up is not pressurised.
Holding a high line with little pressure on the ball is a recipe for disaster. It invites clipped balls in behind the defence which are easy to play because the build-up is not pressurised.
This is also where Newcastle killed Villa yesterday.
However, this isn't seen with reliability in terms of Villa being exploited because they try to apply pressure on the ball *sometimes*, but when they don't they are very vulnerable.
Emery's Villa are limited ceiling-wise.
However, this isn't seen with reliability in terms of Villa being exploited because they try to apply pressure on the ball *sometimes*, but when they don't they are very vulnerable.
Emery's Villa are limited ceiling-wise.
A team with such blatant tactical flaws will not make a dent in the Premier League this season when the quality is so high. They did last season because Villa have some top players that were badly mismanaged under Gerrard/other coaches + Emery is a good coach, but he ain't elite.
His success in European competitions is no surprise, though.
Morocco got to the World Cup semi-final by playing the philosophical same way as Emery's teams (except without the high line and little pressure on the ball).
They defended deep but still played out from the back.
Morocco got to the World Cup semi-final by playing the philosophical same way as Emery's teams (except without the high line and little pressure on the ball).
They defended deep but still played out from the back.
That has been the blueprint to win finals for many years. Just look at Madrid, Chelsea, France, Liverpool or even City in the last Champions League final.
These teams played out from the back with elite quality but also defended valiantly for large portions of the game.
These teams played out from the back with elite quality but also defended valiantly for large portions of the game.
Finals consist of two top quality teams so it is unrealistic two expect pure dominance via pressing and passing for 90 minutes. The game becomes about moments of quality and defended valiantly to see the game out.
That is Unai Emery all over - technical teams who defend deep.
That is Unai Emery all over - technical teams who defend deep.
As a whole, though, I have found it difficult to get excited about Villa signing special quality. Diaby, Torres, and Tielemans are players who could start for elite clubs, but the overall trajectory of the project is limited despite likely success in the Europa Conference League.
Emery is a guy that can help Villa bridge the gap between being relegation scrappers and finishing in European spots, which is an outstanding coach which all fans would consider success, but if Villa had a coach like De Zerbi their ceiling would be even higher. They could get CL.
De Zerbi, however, is handicapped by the fact that Brighton consistently sell their players whereas Villa are capable of targeting CL-level players due to the fact that they are such a big club.
Either way, Villa fans should temper league expectations. They are a flawed side.
Either way, Villa fans should temper league expectations. They are a flawed side.
Despite that, though, Villa could still be in for a special season. They have signed CL-level players in Diaby, Torres, & Tielemans on top of their fantastic squad with guys like Watkins & Ramsey being sensational talents.
In the long-run, though, they'll need to upgrade Emery..
In the long-run, though, they'll need to upgrade Emery..
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