How Unai Emery Made Aston Villa Champions League Contenders 

As a Villa fan I love seeing excited content around us. The “big” media companies will headline “Spurs dropped points to Villa” and never “Villa break to top 4”. The statistics and enthusiasm in this video is exactly the type of thing Villa deserve for what they have achieved since Uni has come in. The sleeping giants have woken! UTV💜💙

Sir Alex Ferguson said to watch out for Villa after they were smashed by Newcastle opening day. Game recognize game.

The great thing about Unai is that you are not wrong, BUT Villa has played about 4-5 more tactics beyond just this. Against Totts they played a back three and used Cash and Digne as full-out wingbacks for a half only to bring on an 8 and a winger at half. Many games this season they played with the back four and had Kamara drop between the two CBs. Unai is as genius as he is flexible.

Pau Torres is the key to this style as he's one of the best ball playing centre backs in Europe, he could easily be a quality midfielder if needed.

As a member of the Hollywood Lions Club here in Los Angeles, CA - I love it - we’ve been languishing for so long and what Unai has done with this team is absolutely amazing. Not getting ahead myself but just love that Villa are an actual threat every week and such great football to watch! Thanks for the content!

Amazing video, and nearly spot on. We don't switch around the back 3 when we make it. When cash plays RB, its Kamara who drops into the back 3, and then Mcginn switches to the DM role, so the front 5 will be both Digne and cash with Watkins Diaby & Zaniolo. However against Spurs, Wolves, Burnley & Liverpool, we played Konsa at RB, therefore Kamara stayed as DM and we make the 3 with Konsa, Carlos & Pau.

Awesome video 👏🏼 the way we’ve seen our team evolve under Emery has been nothing short of jaw dropping. Easily our best managerial appointment in my life time UTV

This isnt the only tactic that unai uses neither. Ive never seen such a good manager at villa in my lifetime

Fantastic to see all these videos about us. Unai is a genius because this isn't all he does. I've seen us play with a back 4 when we attack sometimes with Kamara dropping back into defense. More Villa content please! UTV!

I don't know why Emery isn't talked about in the same circles as Klopp and Guardiola. He is a serial winner.

Unlike his time at Arsenal, Villa have no 'superstars'. The ego driven names won't buy in to being coached. They think they are too good for it. Excellent breakdown. I always enjoy watching none Villa fans say nice things about us.

I ❤️‍🔥 Adam’s explanations. So crisp 👍

Really informative video - thank you! Just a humble note, we've been without 4 first teamers since the start of the season who were integral to how we played last season. Emery has managed that and cracked on and the team have done incredible well in the face of that. Take four first teamers out of any other top side and, well, you'll never hear the end of it. ;)

Brilliant video I'm very happy with how we are playing Unai Emery as completely transformed us we are definitely a better team since he took over. UTV

"Defending is for nerds" 🤣 Love the Aston Villa that we have had since Unai came in to pull us out of the ashes. UTV

Great content mate, good too see Villa getting abit of credit for a change. Fair play!

I like how you spoke about the system more than the players. I got it. Well explained ✌️

Subscribed ! Great vid UTV

Excellent analysis Sir!!!!

Good video, great edit!

Loved this analysis

Great analysis 👍👍👍👍

Good ebening and thank you for a jolly fine video

Superb piece. 👌

Awesome analysis again. 🎉 No.1 analyst of football bar none.

It's nice to see someone in the media given Aston villa some real credit.

From a Villa fan thank you, seems no one wants to give us any credit, regarding our transfers, we got the final payment of grealish £33m sold archer £20m Aaron ramsey £16m £5m for biddace, and extra few quid for others total £85m then we bought diaby £45m -£50m Torres for £35m and tielemans on a free, so we didn’t actually spend a penny, looking forward to January if we are near to the top 5 I think we will go and sign one or two, look at previous windows, Douglas luiz £15m kamara free konsa £12m emi Martinez £17m McGinn £2.5m Watkins £30m cash £15m Moreno £13m all in the starting 11, we sold carney for £20m our business has been good, and with these owners and this manager we are progressing, we have a multiple systems like you’ve stated and it’s exciting to watch every week, UTV

We're catching loads of teams offside too Great vid m8 , Ta

Great video!! UTV 💙 💜

Regarding the buy in point, you are right. Only Laca, Emi, Xhaka and Tierney actually did what he wanted.

Villa will occasionally employ another system, but same shape, where the DM (Kamara) will drop back and be the third CB on the attack, and one of the wide midfielders (McGinn) will tuck inside to form the double pivot, allowing both fullbacks to push up to provide width.

Aston Villa scored 31 goals not 28. 28 is number of points.

I thought this was gonna be a top10 when I noticed it was Adam 😂 Great to see you with a new channel young man 👍

Up The Villa! Nice analysis, and loved the Brian Butterfield appearance 😂

Another feature not mentioned is how we drop Kamara into a back three when both full backs are bombing forward. Really effective in stretching the width and keeping numerical dominance in the middle.

Great job, there’s a few another attacking power plays you missed that have destroyed teams , and also Kamara at times drops into Center back to form direct attacks from the defence, And with Bailey now on form Villa now play right wing weighted plays , Emery is a friggin genius. When you see the signings come in January villa will go up another level.

Have you also noticed when villa have to defend deep they play 6-2-2? (See Brighton game)

Also, Villa have had 136 offsides in the last year, next best is 93.

Love the channel! I do have a few questions regarding Villa's systems. On Saturday, 21/04/24, against Bournemouth, because of midfield injuries and suspensions, we had Tielemans and McGinn in the centre with Bailey and Diaby who are more natural wingers started. Did Unai change the systems for this match?

Came for the class analysis, stayed for the Butterfield!

Masterclass

I think Tottenham did really well playing wide the passing thru the back line one thing villa need to sort coming into man city and arsenal

Emery has done really well, showing just how a former Liverpool midfielder was so out of his depth. Mings' injury might have been a blessing in disguise given how seamlessly Torres had slotted in (think he's a big upgrade too). They're more likely to challenge this season than say Tottenham for the Champions League

Good video, but you have the possessional system slightly out of date. Last season Cash would stay in the back 3 like you said, but after Moreno was injured at the start of the season it's Kamara who drops in the back 3, Mcginn comes inside and fullbacks high.

Mate: "High line for life baby!!" Gud ebening: "b*tch, I'll show you how a proper high line looks like

Also - watch how Unai defers to Austin McPhee in the Tech area for set pieces - he trusts and empowers those around him. Top class. UTV !

Please where did you get stats for direct attack in the premier league ?

Unai Emery is the best Villa coach in my lifetime.

Ok, im about to go down the Brian Butterfield rabbit hole. Great video. UTV

Our high line is the most effective in the PL the stats don’t lie, spurs can go on about if they put their chances away ect they didn’t we did and won that’s the only stat that matters

Arsenal supporter here. Always saw Villa as the penultimate midtable team. Emery has definately changed them for the better. Nice seeing the Clarets take point off Spurs and the like. Man U seem to enjoy the mediocre midtable role more recently, they can stay there.

This is the first Adam Cleary video I’ve watched that wasn’t Whatculture and even though I obviously knew it was a FourFourTwo video, I was still caught off guard for a split second when he said “I’m Adam Cleary from FourFourTwo” and not Whatculture.

13:41 a Dibu Martinez injury derails us.

You’re using the example of Emerson Royal and Ben Davies at CB…. Yeh it’s easy to score when you’re playing against no CB’s

I always liked Emery at Arsenal. He took a shit Arsenal team to Europa League Finals and one point shy of fourth in his first season at charge. Think bad apples like Ozil, Auba and Laca really hindered his chances. If the owners backed him like they back Arteta, he would have given us silverware. That being said, I think Arteta is a genius and is our Gaffer.

Kamara drops to the RCB position an awful lot too.

Enjoyed the video... hopefully we can continue to go under the radar and embarrass more of the so called big 6 this season

Great vid but villa have 31 goals for not 28 so there tied for 2nd in that regard not 3rd.

The high turnover stat is funny (9:07) because didn’t Villa force more high turnovers out of City than they’ve had in a while? Villa were constantly winning the ball back in the final third. Which just goes to show that them not doing that more widely is a tactical choice, not a skill issue.

Can we give any credit to Gerrard? I mean he brought in the transfers and didn’t really get time to let them gel before being terminated. I understand Unai is leagues above, but he got left a decent arsenal of players

Is the tactic close to that of xavi's Barcelona 🤔

Its great nobody is talkin about villa .. keep talkin about man u an spurs let us do our thing... UTV

i think its worth mentioning Matty Cash should be suspended for injuring Bentancur

Rice is going to eat Villa for his dinner.

Why do I get upset and worried watching this as a Newcastle Fan… worry? Fear? Competitiveness…? 2:30

Nice to see some real insight and tactical understanding. FootballJOE had Pau Torres in their worst transfer XI... 😂😂😂

This is the statistical rhetoric we've been waiting for. Great break down (I hope the opposition don't watch this). UTV!

5 attacking 5 defending box .. same as everyone else then 😂😂

I think out of Villa, Newcastle, Spurs and Man Utd then Villa do have the best squad and manager but I still think for any one of these teams to get champions league (assuming City, Arsenal and Liverpool are top 3) they are all reliant on the other teams to slip up. Good news for Villa is that all those other teams are more likely to slip up, be that because of unrest among the squad and seemingly a lack of leadership (Man Utd) or injuries in key areas and just over reliance on certain players (Newcastle and Spurs) or "Ange ball" which I don't think is sustainable over an entire season in the Prem, Spurs injury problem will get worse if he stick to that way of playing week in week out. Having said that I do think that IF Watkins picks up a knock that sidelines him for any amount of time that could be difference between top 4 and not for Villa.

“As you know defending is for nerds” sent me 😂😂

P.S.G formation 4-4-2> 3-2-5

omg it's the 325 again😅

GG

"He's actually using a 4-4-2". You clearly do not watch much football outside of England. Unai has used 4-4-2 several times during his career. At Sevilla and Villarreal he had great success with the 4-4-2.

This is how villa played in the 1980's

Same as almost any top team tbh

In what way are they champions league contenders? They haven't even come close to qualification yet.

Goals For should be 31

DON'T TELL EVERYONE FFS!!!!!! UTMV!!!

Don’t think using a depleted Tottenham team was the best example, especially since they got outplayed for the majority of the game. But overall I agree Emery has done well, don’t think they’ll get UCL but Europa is on the cards. Edit : I DONT HATE EMERY, I RATE HIM & THINK VILLA WILL MAKE EUROPA JUST DONT GET HOW THIS GAME IS A “MASTERCLASS” WHEN TOTTENHAM SHOULD HAVE BEEN 5-0 BY HALF TIME. ALL I TOOK FROM THE GAME IS I MISS HARRY KANE💔.

Arsenal are getting relegated by direct attack league lol. It sounds like countrr attack? Emery is doing a great job may het top 4 but doubt it. 5th may get CL helos his cause but if Man U and Newcastle go out will we get 5 ?

villa was outplayed for 60 minutes and hardly looked in the game. they are lucky not to have come away with a 4-2 loss against a second string spurs team. yea they are doing great, but some perspective is needed here.

Infuriating to watch Spurs absolutely batter them, still lose, then see this video the very next day 😩😮‍💨

*Champions League qualifying contenders

We're being exposed 😂😢

*title contenders

Isn't this just given other managers how to stop us or am I being stupid😂

FFS. sshhhhhh!!

This is what ten hag was trying to do, beware the camel

Bentancur crippled... Ye they are champions league quality alright ... Or just another Wimbledon we all want relegated asap?????!

when Emery took over, I actually tweeted he will take Villa to next level. The players are there, he doesn’t have to rebuild like PSG or Arsenal, he can just get on with it like he has with Villarreal. I was called a madman. I was probs the only Arsenal fan that was begging for him to stay. But obviously the structure at Villa is better for him

Meanwhile, EtH can't play good football (after 2 preseasons and £400m) because the players (HE BOUGHT) can't play it. Here come the United fans.

Emery: "easy piece of cake. Imma turning Villa to Villains, telling Cash, Kamara to play it rough and tackle injuries out of the opponents main players" Easy wins.

Villa rode their luck at times and against Spurs reserve team, could've been behind by 3 at the half....

Literally only just beat a second string spurs team and they didn’t deserve to win that😂

The one thing Villa have going against them is their lack of squad depth. Getting similar vibes to when Leicester bottled Top Four two seasons in a row.

They gave more chances to Spurs in first half than Arsenal have given all season.

Defending is for nerds.

Villa are as bad as Arsenal ! Beyond there station.

I don' think they'll keep this up. Emery is more of a cup coach than a league coach.