When Unai Emery talks to the media at Aston Villa’s Bodymoor Heath training ground, it offers an insight into his idiosyncrasies.
Emery, the person, is reluctant to be seen, so there’s a tendency for every public-facing action to be football-centric. Lighter comments and questions around off-the-field matters are kept to a minimum and, in some ways, that is telling in itself.
Naturally, a Premier League manager or head coach of Emery’s eminence is not obligated to lower the barriers surrounding his demeanour away from football if that is how he feels most comfortable. That decision is revealing, though, of the 52-year-old’s general character.
Emery is a blinkered personality, focused solely on the next challenge and nothing outside of his immediate football bubble. Such a close level of introspection can leave you unaware of outside perspectives — ultimately contributing to his demise at Arsenal, where he was sacked as Arsene Wenger’s successor after 18 months in November 2019. In the aftermath of that departure, he accepted he had not paid enough attention to matters beyond his immediate sporting concerns, clouded by his obsession with tactical systems and improving players individually.
Emery is immersed in building football structures and watches hours of footage. He carries out analysis while on treadmills, in long team meetings and at home — even after sometimes working 12-hour days. This all indicates a highly focused and singular mindset, something that comes across in his communication style during interviews.
Emery’s Villa are fourth in the Premier League (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
At Villa’s Bodymoor Heath training ground, the press conference suite is separate from the main building, with Emery walking down from his office, situated upstairs and overlooking the gymnasium, and across the car park to reach the room.
It means the written and broadcast media can see him coming by looking out of the window and this often provides some light relief, given timekeeping is not exactly his speciality. Emery likes his press conferences at the same time every week, regardless of when Villa are playing that weekend. Invariably, media members are told to convene for a 1.30pm start on Fridays.
Emery arrives through a side door, accompanied by Villa’s head of communications, Tommy Jordan, and Damian Vidagany, his close aide and Villa’s director of football. Vidagany, at press conferences, serves as Emery’s right-hand man (literally, he always sits to his right) and is there to clarify any questions or answers Emery does not grasp. This ties into the feeling that Villa’s head coach has learned from his errors at Arsenal. Vidagany is personable and well-liked.
Emery has Vidagany as reassurance when speaking to the media but his understanding of English has shown a marked improvement since his first spell in England five years ago. He is accustomed to the Midlands press pack and their accents, having watched BBC crime drama Peaky Blinders, which is set in Birmingham.
Vidagany acts as a safety blanket in areas Emery perhaps feels vulnerable in and helps to deal with those shortcomings. He meets Emery next to the stadium tunnel after games before accompanying him to his media duties. Sources, who remain anonymous to protect relationships, who have been involved in recent transfer dealings speak highly of how clear and purposeful Vidagany’s communication style is.
Emery offers pleasantries, and is often holding a sheet of paper with key lines of messaging or questions from the broadcast section. The embargoed part of the session, where the Villa head coach talks to the written press, comes after he has spoken to broadcasters. Embargoed quotes are not allowed to be published until an agreed time, usually 10.30pm that day.
The Spaniard is often late for his media duties, the delay often due to training sessions overrunning and, subsequently, pushing him back in terms of having lunch and a shower. Despite its derisory usage during his time at Arsenal, strangely mocked on social media and beyond, Emery still says, “Good afternoon” or, “Good evening” at the start of every interview, a preface for his first answer.
Emery answers most questions at length, particularly open-ended ones when he can riff. The first question after a match generally asks for his general assessment and he can go through the 90 minutes chronologically — unless he does not like the question or quite grasp the sentiment, then his retort can be short or, before the start of his answer, he takes a prolonged inhale of breath.
“39 points…it’s amazing” 🤣
Unai Emery is still positive about Aston Villa’s position, despite their loss to Man Utd #PLonPrime #MUNAVL pic.twitter.com/iiwzBKjM8J
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 26, 2023
It has become known that Emery usually takes a long time getting to the stadium’s press conference suite following games — it can be well over an hour after the final whistle. This does push journalists’ deadlines, with Emery — once he has completed his initial broadcast-media interviews — taking a post-match break to decompress. The delay means he is measured and reflective when he does eventually arrive, regardless of the result.
Emery has a list of buzzwords and repeatable phrases that are delivered in response to run-of-the-mill questions. It is why journalists have to choose their wording and themes carefully to ensure they get as insightful a response as possible.
For example, if a reporter is vague when asking about Villa’s tactical system or changes made during a game, Emery will repeat phrases such as “being demanding in our structure” or expressing how he wants his players to “keep the idea”. Moreover, any mention of Villa Park’s home crowd will frequently end with Emery detailing the importance of “connecting with our supporters”.
When he is — painfully in its predictability at times — asked about the strengths of the upcoming opponents, his response will inevitably centre on Villa having an “organised structure” and him expecting a “very difficult match”.
As for connectives, he uses “more or less” frequently and with his English improving impressively, has started to incorporate British football sayings, such as “bad day at the office”.
Emery speaks to Amazon Prime in December (Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)
Emery is an earnest talker but when the cameras are turned off after the broadcast section, he tends to have a more relaxed demeanour. Questions about fellow managers he rates highly stoke a different fire, however. He is increasingly fervent on the touchline, animated in press conferences, and relishes the process of analysing the game’s best coaches.
Before Villa’s performance for the ages against last season’s treble winners Manchester City in December, it was put to Emery as to how he would finally beat City manager and countryman Pep Guardiola.“Keep trying,” he said with a wry smile.
Emery similarly shared that level of respect with Ange Postecoglou following the win at Tottenham Hotspur 10 days before. After, he explained that he had enjoyed watching and learning the Australian’s tactical nuances in preparation.
When speaking about his squad individually, Emery has stock responses for certain players. The list is as follows:
Emiliano Martinez — “A fantastic goalkeeper”
Douglas Luiz — “You (Douglas Luiz) can do more, you’re so important”
Leon Bailey — “He needs to be more consistent away from home”
John McGinn — “A leader… Super John McGinn”
Ollie Watkins — “He does more than just score”
Emery is undoubtedly emboldened by his ‘triangle of power’ comprising of him, Vidagany and Villa’s president of football operations Ramon Rodriguez Verdejo — universally known in football as Monchi.
Monchi accompanies Emery to every game on the team coach. In press conferences taking place abroad — during Villa’s pre-season tour of the United States last summer and before the Conference League fixtures against Legia Warsaw and AZ Alkmaar — Monchi has sat towards the back of the room.
Emery’s press conferences may be often and fairly routine, but they provide an understanding of his character and why, in part, he has been able to fully settle since joining Villa 17 months ago.
(Top photo: Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images)
Read the full article here