"In the dressing room after the match the mood was electric with handshakes, hugs, singing, dancing and the feeling that something new had begun - that the sleeping giant that is Aston Villa had finally been roused from its slumber. But, amidst the hysteria and the celebrations, Emery and his team were more measured, and Unai's objective analysis of the triumph was clear. And he was not happy."
"Villa had won, but on the players' terms. It had been an end-to-end affair, chaotic and uncontrolled. This wasn't the football that Unai had envisioned. In that one moment he knew that the non-stop, frantic, 100mph football that the fans demanded was the polar opposite of the controlled, patient, measured, deliberate, dominating game that he wanted to put in place at the club."
On 6 November 2022 a packed Villa Park celebrated Aston Villa's first home win over Manchester United since 1995, marking Unai Emery's dream debut after work permit delays. The dressing-room jubilation contrasted with Emery's measured view; he judged the victory chaotic and not aligned with his vision of controlled, patient, dominating football. Emery faced the challenge of persuading players, owners, directors and fans to accept his deliberate style or leave. He inherited a team near the relegation zone and drew on experience of overcoming adversity after ending his playing career due to a knee injury in 2004, which began his managerial path.
Read at www.bbc.com
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