#PLStories- Unai Emery on Aston Villa game plan, dropping Leon Bailey, Watkins injury, Alex Moreno #AVFC
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Unai Emery
Unai, how happy are you?
Good evening. Yeah, really happy. A tough match, a difficult team. Our performance tonight was different in the first half to the second half. The first half, I think, we deserved more and, in the second half, we decided on pushing for three points.
Were you close to dropping Leon Bailey at all given his recent performance? How happy are you with him?
Yes! Because the last match we played against Wolves he had two chances and we drew and he was thinking about his responsibilities to score. We were helping him, supporting him. We were as well trying to give him confidence to continue and to carry on with his work. Tonight was totally different. He participated in the first goal and the second goal.
Pleased with Alex Moreno, almost two goals from him…
He was very important and the club worked very well to have him as an option from the bench. With Lucas injured, he was very important. His impact was good and his adaptation is going to be better having played tonight, with the rhythm and intensity. I think, for him, it’s important and for the team as well that he plays so soon.
Updates on Lucas Digne, is it collarbone and what’s up with Ollie Watkins?
I don’t know exactly. We’ll check tomorrow and we’ll know tomorrow about them with Lucas and Ollie.
Emi Martinez, how important is he in the dressing room? How important was he tonight…
He’s intelligent! He knows now after the World Cup, he has to do and be committed here. He came here to improve individually and the club helped him as well to be in the national team, being a protagonist and winning. But now, I’m so happy with him because we spoke about the differences between the national team and now with us. He did very good work and he has experience. He’s been amazing. He’s in his best moment of his career and now, I think, we have to share with him his moment. The supporters love him as well. When he didn’t play as well with Olsen, he accepted his role and he helped us. I think we can be so, so happy with both goalkeepers. I want to build a team, with good spirit and a small family.
How was your heart when Martinez played out from the back?
We controlled that better in the second half with positioning, keeping ball possession longer to break their pressing. The goalkeeper is very important to give us confidence, to give us calmness and to help the centre-back by making sure each action with the ball building up. Emiliano is very good at saving as he did but, as well, with the ball he can help us.
Would he have kept you in the FA Cup if you had played him?!
No, I believe in Olsen. We have to be respectful to him and we won at Tottenham. We won 2-0 and he played very well.
Moreno, he was making an impact in both boxes, is that’s what to come?
He has to adapt. His adaptation is going to be quicker having played tonight. He struggled a little bit with the rhythm and intensity. It was different but he reacted very, very well. He finished the match showing us his skill and he got in the box and had two good chances to score. He crossed some good balls as well. I’m so happy with him and Lucas and I want to have players competing and being better in the squad, the possibility to use different profiles with the squad and, with both, I’m so happy.
What did you tell the players afterwards in the dressing room?
The first half we were a little bit happy but confused. We weren’t playing very well. We had less chances than we wanted. We were expecting them to attack as well. They’re a team who want to attack quickly and to get balls into the box. They are so direct with long balls and second actions. We didn’t control the first half and we were a little upset and confused. We changed something to keep the ball possession longer and that, for us, was the key. Because after it we break the pressing and had spaces to attack. They backtracked and we had chances to score the second and chances to score the third.
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