What Unai Emery Said After Villa’s Goaless Draw Against Hull City
Aston Villa’s first point of the season arrived without a goal to show for it. The goalless draw at Hull City left Villa with one shot on target in their opening three Premier League games — the lowest total recorded by any side since 2003-04. Villa boss Unai Emery was left facing the same question he’s been asked all week: where are the goals coming from? His answer was a variation on ‘trust the process’, pointing out that the performance was there even if the result wasn’t.
“overall, I can feel confident and I can feel comfortable”.
–Unai Emery
On the plan working, even without the win
“This is the way, how we planned the match before, more or less everything I expected, we did – trying to avoid their power in transition, their power in set-pieces, through how we were dominating the match, keeping ball possession, trying to stop their press and then trying to get in the attacking third.
“Through keeping the ball possession, stopping them, we tried to, to dominate, and through it, to have more chances and then to win.”
On the missed chances
“Being patient, our skills, our clinical actions, and today we weren’t clinical. We had four or five very good chances to score and normally, hopefully, we can improve it and the next matches, through playing matches like that, we can win.
“We are improving, but not enough.
“When you are not scoring as well, you must be always care defensively about the transition, about the long ball second action and maybe some corners defensively.”
On new players taking time to gel
“The players who joined us need some adaption. Some our adapting quicker than others. In everything we are building, we must try and add the players who joined us in the direction we want. The structure as well individually to feel each one in their position comfortable and confident, is the process.
“This is the process we need, and some players who joined with us need time.”
On accepting the point
“Today, this point is not enough, but I am accepting it and of course how we played, how we planned, how the players responded on the field, overall, I can feel confident and I can feel comfortable.
“So not completely happy, but I think, and I, I told the players, we must understand this is the way how we did before. We did before our, our way here with the player we had, with the player we added, and now with the new players and the players they were here, try to guide everybody in this direction.
“Overall, I can tell the fans and the players that I understand this is the way. In the last four years, with the success and performances we have had, we have had some days like today.”
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