Unai Emery's interesting Sunderland verdict - #onthewhistle - video Dailymotion

Sunderland Echo

Phil Smith takes Sunderland fans inside an interesting post-match press conference from Aston Villa boss Unai Emery

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00:00In a press conference with Unai Emery afterwards, which I thought was really interesting.

00:03Understandably, I've seen the fact that he used the word lazy about his players.

00:06We kind of picked up as the main headline and almost presented as like a tirade on his part.

00:11I thought he was really engaging and really fair and really honest in his reflections after the game.

00:15Talking a little bit about the fact that the new players he's brought in aren't up to speed yet

00:19and therefore can't quite have the full impact that he'd want.

00:22Clearly, he understands that there are some players in his team who, for whatever reason,

00:26aren't quite happy at the moment and that's affecting their performances.

00:28But, you know, it didn't hide away from the fact that his team are a long way short of where they should be.

00:33And to be fair, I think he's entitled to call his players out for the defending for that goal.

00:37Huge credit to Xhaka for such a good assist.

00:39Massive credit to Wilson Isidore, who was getting through so much running off the ball,

00:43to be so alert and to be so aware.

00:45At the same time, there is just no way someone should be scoring from that position.

00:49When you look at how many Aston Villa defenders are in the box,

00:52to not play Isidore offside, to not be alert to the danger,

00:55to not challenge Xhaka for the header, really shambolic stuff, I have to say, from Aston Villa's perspective.

01:01So, I don't think there's any doubt that Sunderland benefited from their opposition yesterday

01:04and that was a key reason why they were able to get a point.

01:07But I also think this was the best example yet of why Sunderland's summer strategy looks like it was the right one

01:13and why it's given them a real good chance of staying up.

01:16It seems clear to me that Sunderland have looked at the teams who've come up and gone straight back down

01:20over the last couple of years and realised that they need to invest in players

01:24who can compete with the physicality of the Premier League

01:26and are also really comfortable defending their own box.

01:29And I think we saw that yesterday, Mukele, what an inspired signing that looks.

01:32Alderete, obviously Ballard coming up from the Championship, looks really at home at this level.

01:37But partially, that's because they're really, really comfortable with the way Sunderland are setting up.

01:42Sunderland are prioritising their defensive structure and their organisation

01:45and the way they were able to play with 10 men just feels like a real vindication to me

01:50of their kind of summer recruitment and I think we're seeing that really paying off.

01:54The other thing that Unai Emery said that I thought was really interesting, again,

01:57understandably didn't kind of make headlines, although I did write a piece about it

02:00on the Sunderland Echo website which you can read.

02:02But he also said you can feel how motivated Sunderland are.

02:06You can feel how intense their players are because of the atmosphere and the ground.

02:10And he also said he felt that forced his players into making bad decisions in possession at times

02:15because they could feel that atmosphere.

02:17But I thought it was really telling what he said and I thought he was absolutely right.

02:20I thought there was more hunger from Sunderland.

02:22Is that because Aston Villa, their squad's been together a while?

02:25Maybe it's been a difficult summer for them in the transfer matter because of PSR.

02:29Is that kind of, are they lacking a bit of energy, a little bit of motivation,

02:32those kind of fine lines in football?

02:34Whereas Sunderland, there was just such a positive energy and momentum

02:38and aggression about the team at the moment, determined to prove they belong at this level

02:42and stay up.

02:43I thought that was a really telling factor in it.

02:45And it looks in the early weeks of the season like Sunderland have got a real edge

02:48in terms of that motivation that they have and that aggression.

02:51So I thought that was really interesting and a really fair comment from memory,

02:54which I thought I'd relate because I thought it was quite interesting.

02:57So yeah, I thought Sunderland were more than worthy of their point.

03:01And yeah, a little bit of frustration that they didn't really have the chance to go for three

03:06because of that red card, but certainly feeling very positive.

03:10So I'm going to take a sit back.

Unai Emery's interesting Sunderland verdict - #onthewhistle

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