Emery assesses Ipswich challenge

Ipswich Town was on Unai Emery’s agenda as he spoke to the media on Friday afternoon.

The Aston Villa manager was quizzed by reporters on facing the Tractor Boys and other topics ahead of Sunday’s trip to Portman Road. 

Here’s what he had to say…

On Villa’s form…

“Every match we are playing has a different game plan because to compete against each team with their game plan means adapting and trying to impose our game plan.

“Ipswich Town is different but difficult like the matches we played before. We’re trying to build a team and we have to be strong in our structure tactically with every player.

“Some players are in the process and we want to increase our level individually and collectively through them. The process is positive because we are getting points in this way.

“We have to improve a lot of things, individually and collectively. The match we played against Wolverhampton was a very good match to analyse deeply how we were playing before in the Champions League as well emotionally.

“Sometimes the result is not giving us all the information being positive because sometimes we are winning but needing to change something to improve. Maybe it’s not enough for other matches to get the result like we had.”

On keeping the focus on Ipswich…

“We are thinking only about the next match, which is Ipswich. I can repeat from the beginning of the season in the pre-season how important every match is that we’re playing.

“The last two years, we got Conference League with a one point difference with Brentford and last year we got Champions League with a two point difference to Tottenham.

“One point, two points, three points – we are playing for something in every match we are facing. At the end of the season, we don’t want to remind ourselves of some moments when we weren’t focussed on those points.

“We are thinking only about Ipswich Town and respecting them a lot. We are not thinking about the next match or the next week.”

On facing Ipswich Town…

“They are playing very well. They’re not getting points like they deserve, but they are being competitive.

“They played against Liverpool at home and lost, but they were playing very well. They drew against Fulham at home and played very well. They drew the last two matches against Brighton and Southampton, playing very well.

“My expectation for Sunday is that they will play very well and we have to compete to adapt to them and stop them because they’re aggressive in their high press and their duels.

“They have a very good structure to play in combination with the players they have. The goalkeeper is playing very well and we have to respect them because they deserved to be promoted last season to the Premier League. Their coach is doing amazing work and tactically they are showing a very good structure.

“I am working deeply, analysing them and trying to set our structure on the field on Sunday to be competitive.”

On Jhon Durán’s impact…

“He’s evolving and focusing like I want. He’s playing with his impact being very well. Playing like he did on Tuesday in a Carabao Cup in 90 minutes, he played fantastic.

“It’s my challenge to try to get the best of him, playing as a striker, playing with Ollie Watkins. The idea is they will play more together.

“Now, like we are in the squad with our structure tactically, for players like him I think it’s the best thing we can feel and we will get good performances individually and collectively.”