Fixtures
- Aston Villa Vs. Bournemouth – Sat, Oct 26th 2024, 15:00
Unai Emery spoke to the local and national media at Bodymoor Heath on Friday afternoon, ahead of tomorrow’s Premier League visit of AFC Bournemouth.
The Aston Villa manager discussed tomorrow’s opponents, the progress made in the two years since his appointment, the Villa supporters and more.
Here are the key lines from his pre-match press conference…
On the progress made in the two years since his appointment…
“Hopefully, we will improve more and more. This is the objective. Of course, two years since I arrived here with the coaches we have here.
“We have been very demanding, and we were starting always trying to be better in each moment we were working here. We achieved some objectives quick, but there is still a lot of work to do.
“And now, when we are achieving the objectives we can face each season, it is very important to work hard to keep it. This is the target with the players, the club, the owners, the supporters, the coaches and myself, every day. I am demanding with everybody.
“But of course, we have to try and enjoy the way we are doing. I enjoy it a lot, the first years, because playing in Europe was my first objective when I arrived here, because that means you are getting your objectives in the league and getting in the top seven, more or less.
“And as well, the second dream I had was, in that moment and now, to get a trophy. We are looking forward to continuing to watch us improve, and tomorrow, again, football is always the objective, you have to face each moment.
“We are working more hours to prepare for each match, and we are not resting.”
On working hard to continue the progress…
“My responsibility and my concern, every day, is to try to work hard, with the players, with the club, and try to get stronger with our structure, with everything.
“Try to get better as a coach with the experiences I have had, but also the experiences I am having with the players here, and of course we are playing in the Champions League, we are feeling comfortable, strong, and really confident, but we want more.
“Not just to stay as we are now. Keep this for a long time. In the Premier League, this is our biggest challenge that we have this year, because 38 matches to be consistent and to keep the same position more or less that we have now, or that we had last year.
“This is the only objective I can have here, is to keep the level we have, and keep the high standards we are more or less having. This is the message for the players, the staff, for everybody.
“Of course, we are enjoying this way, as we did last year, playing in the Conference League and getting fourth position in the table. This year, we started struggling a little bit, but getting better.
“After we won at Fulham and won on Tuesday, we are feeling strong and happy, but tomorrow again I am focusing on the match with the players.
“The last match we played after Champions League, I was feeling we were a little bit tired, with less energy, maybe even less intensity or focus. And tomorrow, the challenge is how we can respond again after Tuesday, playing full in everything.”
On ‘Super John McGinn’…
“Of course, I am going to push him more than I am doing. I will want more. More from the players and from him as well.
“He is a very good man, very good player, but he has to improve his standards this year.
“When we are watching him, Super John McGinn in the stadium, we are happy, but not always, and this is my objective. Every day, he has to try to get it.”
On tomorrow’s visitors…
“Very difficult. Very demanding team, at home, or away, they play always with the same style – pressing a lot, being competitive, in duels.
“They are playing so active in everything. Quick. Individually, they have very good players and a strong structure. Their coach is progressing and improving a lot.
“To beat them, to get tomorrow three points, I know it is going to be very difficult, and we will need the players’ full energy, full focus, really being clinical in every decision we can have tomorrow, and the supporters behind us.”
On the Villa supporters…
“In football, the supporters are the most important in each club, in each team, because we are playing for them. They are still, for all their lives, supporting and feeling something for Aston Villa.
“We are professional, in each team I played for or coached, I feel strongly, my heart is with them, and now it is here. To connect with the supporters when we are playing in Villa Park, we feel it a lot, and then when we are playing away, they are travelling to be with us as well.
“My concern is always playing, trying to get them close to us and getting the same energy and same happy moments, getting our objective and playing when we are away.
“Villa Park is something special. So, so special to play there, to be with them, to try to win. We were 15 matches in a row winning there, and that was because they were supporting us and we were feeling really, really strong in Villa Park.
“This is again, my objective. Try to play at home, playing with 11 players, but 12 players with the supporters behind us.
“I can feel comfortable and confident with the protection we have on our back from the supporters and the owners, and the responsibility is a huge responsibility for us, and for me.
“Hopefully, in the stadium, the supporters will be helping us, because we will need the supporters in Villa Park like they are usually, transmitting their energy.
“We are going to try to play, transmitting, as well, our energy off them, and playing in our structure as well as possible.”
