Emery and Morgan Rogers on Villa's UCL trip to Leipzig
09/12/2024
uefa24
09/12/2024
uefa24
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00:00If we can raise hands, then we'll work our way around the room.
00:15If you want to mix up between the manager and Morgan, that's totally fine.
00:19A year ago today you were playing for Middlesbrough against Ipswich in the Championship.
00:33A year on, Premier League player, Champions League player, England international.
00:38Are you able to put into words your life and career over the last 12 months and what the man alongside you has done for you?
00:46It's hard to put into words. Everything has happened so quickly.
00:51The next challenge has just kept falling in my lap.
00:55I'm loving it, I'm enjoying it.
00:58It's my dreams and ambitions as a kid, playing in the Premier League, playing in the Champions League.
01:03Enjoying these experiences along the way are vital and massive for me.
01:06I'm just trying to improve and get better.
01:08There's not a better manager to be alongside that pushes me every day,
01:12that helps me in the good and the tough moments to shine and to be the player that I know I can be.
01:18I've still got obviously work to do and a long way to go to where I want to get to.
01:22I've been happy with how everything's progressed and where I've got to.
01:26As I said, I just want to keep pushing and keep getting better.
01:29Hopefully I can do that with Villa.
01:32What is the level you'd like to get to?
01:43I want to be an established Premier League player, which I don't think I am yet.
01:48I want to be that consistent player in my national team.
01:51I want to play on the biggest stages and be considered as one of the best players in the competitions.
01:57I think I can get to there, but I know there's a long way to go.
02:00A lot of improving, a lot of learning along the way, a lot of experiences like tomorrow night that I'll face
02:06and that I'll have to come back and come through.
02:09I can't wait, but that's where I want to get to.
02:13Morgan, I wanted to ask you about your relationship with the manager.
02:18When I played under Martin O'Neill, there'd be games where I'd find it frustrating.
02:24It wasn't at my best, but the game afterwards, the manager would have faith in me to go again.
02:29I see that with you sometimes, where games you're not at the exact level you want to be in,
02:34the gaffer will trust you the next game and then you bring back the top performances.
02:38The big one for me lately has been to keep going.
02:43Not everything's going to be perfect, not every game is perfect for me.
02:46Not every game I'm going to do what I want to do and show what I'm capable of,
02:50but just to keep going, just to keep persevering.
02:53Whether that be at the end of a game or whether that be the next game,
02:56to keep going and to keep into the team, keep showing what I'm about,
03:00keep doing what's right and trying to do the right things.
03:03Of course, in football, not everything's going to work and everything's going to be perfect,
03:06but if I have the right attitude, the right mindset to keep going,
03:10I know that the good will come of it.
03:12Not even just for me, just for the team in general, that I'll still stick to what I need to do
03:16and not get frustrated and not try to, even though it's hard and I'm human, I suppose.
03:21But to try and stay as level-headed as possible, to keep going and know my task
03:25and keep trying to do it.
03:32Morgan, you say you don't feel you're an established Premier League player.
03:35I think that will surprise a lot of people because you're one of only two players
03:39that's started every Premier League game for Villa.
03:42To the outside, it feels like you are established.
03:45I'm just interested why you think you aren't established.
03:49I've not played enough games, I don't think, yet, to consider myself an established player.
03:53I think I need more consistency in my game.
03:56I need more games under my belt in terms of taking that next step
04:00and really cementing my Premier League status, I'd say.
04:04That's why I made that comment.
04:06I still think there's more to come and more consistency within my performances,
04:10not game to game and week to week before I see myself as that yet.
04:19How do you assess Villa's Champions League experience so far?
04:23Obviously, over halfway now.
04:25How important is it to get back on track with a victory in this competition?
04:29Good evening.
04:31We are very motivated and we are enjoying it.
04:35Tomorrow is Day 6.
04:40It's very important because, more or less, we can feel we are close to getting the next round.
04:48But we have the opportunity to be in the top 8.
04:52Tomorrow is the match.
04:55Of course, it's very difficult.
04:57At the beginning of the competition, Leipzig were more content than us to be in the top 8 or top 24.
05:07But they had a really hard schedule, playing against a lot of very good teams.
05:15They played against Liverpool, they lost.
05:17They played against Juventus, they lost.
05:19They played against Atletico Madrid, away.
05:21Against Inter Milan, away.
05:23Against Celtic, and they don't have one point.
05:26They have a nil, but tomorrow for them as well is the opportunity to try to get some chances to be in the next round.
05:34I like matches like that.
05:37Because it's a match that is key for them to get the next round.
05:44Playing here at home with their supporters.
05:47Tomorrow the atmosphere will be fantastic for them.
05:52Of course, we have our supporters here helping us.
05:57And for us it's how we can respond against this atmosphere.
06:00Against one team like the team they are and the players they have.
06:06How we can respond on the field.
06:08How we can get our performances collected individually.
06:12And to compete.
06:14To play and get the points we will face.
06:19And of course it's a really good match.
06:22How they are responding, the players as well.
06:24How we are now in this competition against one team.
06:29They are one team with more experience than us here.
06:34I think we have to enjoy it.
06:36I want to try to get more experiences together.
06:40And try to respond during this way.
06:45Good evening Unai.
06:46You have two top top strikers in Duran and Watkins.
06:51I want to ask you how difficult is it to keep them both happy?
06:55Because every striker wants to play every minute.
06:58Yes, really they are both very good strikers.
07:05Different each one.
07:07With the experiences Watkins has.
07:13And getting more experiences with the national team.
07:16With us as well playing in Europe.
07:18Last year, this year in the Champions League.
07:20And being consistent.
07:22Being competitive always.
07:25Always in everything we need on the field.
07:29And another like John Duran has big potential.
07:33And he is progressively getting better.
07:36Progressively his adaptation started two years ago.
07:39Now he is much better than the process we had.
07:43And on Saturday he scored a very important goal for us.
07:48And of course those moments for the striker like last Saturday.
07:53Or the first goal he scored at Watkins.
07:56It is very important for the team.
07:59And of course for them.
08:01But they committed now to try to understand each moment.
08:05For them playing more minutes or less is very very important.
08:09And the next challenge I have is to play with both.
08:12As well we are trying.
08:15And I will try again to play with both.
08:19And we have to keep the balance tactically in everything.
08:23Playing as well with both.
08:24This is the next challenge.
08:26But of course the first always is the team.
08:31The objective we have is as a team.
08:33And then individually as well.
08:35And tomorrow for them as well is a very important match.
08:37Playing in Europe.
08:38Playing in the Champions League.
08:40Playing against one team they have very good two strikers.
08:45Openda and Cesco.
08:47It is a good challenge as well in front of them.
08:50And this is the very motivation way we have in everything.
09:00In terms of expectations is it a bit similar to the Bruges game?
09:03Because obviously a lot of people thought your team would just win that game.
09:06And maybe quite easily.
09:07But obviously it was a difficult test.
09:09A difficult night.
09:10What can you learn from that game?
09:11Because again people probably won't expect Leipzig maybe to get anything.
09:15They will expect Aston Villa to win.
09:18Our expectation here at the beginning was try to enjoy it.
09:22Try to use the experience we had last year in Europe.
09:26To use this year with another level.
09:29And really we are doing a fantastic way.
09:32A fantastic way.
09:33And even when we lost against Bruges.
09:35The way the last night we played away.
09:37It was very good to learn.
09:39And how the difficulties we faced last year and we are facing now.
09:44Even being more or less our start very good.
09:49For tomorrow is again the new test.
09:52And to be consistent as a team is our challenge.
09:59To be consistent in this competition.
10:01To be consistent sharing with Premier League.
10:04Trying to play every match focusing on the wishes we need.
10:11To get our performances and improve with the players and with the team.
10:17This is really how we can face our expectation in this competition.
10:22Our expectation as well how we can increase our level.
10:27And get the demand we will face for the next month, next week, next month or next year.
10:33And this is really the objective I have with the players and with the club and with the team.
10:42Hi Unai.
10:43You say that you like this fixture tomorrow.
10:47Is that because you know that there is a touch of desperation in the fact that they haven't got any points like PSG at the moment.
10:52And their managers described it as a must win game.
10:54Or is it because you see it as a necessary building block towards future growth.
11:00What is it about tomorrow that you especially like about this game?
11:04My expectation and my wishes to play tomorrow or in this competition is because how we can break our limits.
11:17How we can break at the beginning we were more or less contended to be in the 8th and 24th between those positions.
11:26But with the opportunity we had and we still have the opportunity to be in the top 8.
11:31How we can face this and how we can respond to the players showing as well our capacity.
11:37This is the expectation I have and I want to play matches like that because for our mentality is good as well.
11:45How we can manage one match like tomorrow and with the difficulties we are going to face.
11:51Because the opportunity is tomorrow.
11:53Maybe tomorrow if they are not winning they will not have possibilities to be in the next round.
12:01And for Leipzig it is really one thing.
12:04Usually they have capacity players and the club is one objective to be there.
12:11And this is our challenge tomorrow and how we can get this challenge.
12:19Can I just ask you about Boubacar Kamara?
12:22How important he is to the team and the possibilities he gives you to play different types of ways?
12:28Kamara is a very important player because he is giving us a lot of balance playing in our structure.
12:36Tactically he is a very intelligent player and his capacity to play when we need to play.
12:43When we need to play keeping ball possession.
12:45When we need to play covering.
12:48When we are attacking in case some transition can surprise us.
12:52And he is one player we have to try to continue the process with him.
12:57Because when we arrived here two years ago his process was really fantastic until he got injured.
13:03But again he is starting playing even with a better level than he had before his injury.
13:12And for the squad, for the players when we needed to sign one player like Onana in summer.
13:22It was because we were losing a lot of balance when we lost last year Kamara.
13:30And now with Kamara, Onana, Barkley and Tielemans and something as well is playing there.
13:35John McGinn, I think we have a very strong midfielders.
13:39And keeping us the level we will need.
13:45And of course through Kamara is one of those players.
13:52Hi Unai, could I just ask you about Luka Dean this season?
13:56When you came, quite soon after you arrived you signed a left back.
13:59You signed another left back last season.
14:01But he has continued to be one of your most important players.
14:04How important do you think he can continue to be in the future?
14:08He is a player like every coach we want.
14:13He is mature.
14:16Very, very responsible.
14:19He wants every day to improve, to learn.
14:22Even when he is playing matches, he wants to train more.
14:28When we are coming from the national team matches, two days off.
14:32He is usually only accepting one day off himself.
14:36And he is coming to train with us.
14:39And he is coming back again with his national team.
14:43It is fantastic news for him and for us as well.
14:49And of course on the field, he is giving us a lot of moments.
14:56Discipline in our organisation, defensively and offensively with the ball.
15:00His mentality is fantastic.
15:03He wants more and more.
15:05And I think he is a good example for other players.
15:07For young players.
15:09How he is every day trying to train, to be with us.
15:20Improving, learning, listening and being as well humble.
15:28Humble with his experiences.
15:31He played in Barcelona, he played in Paris Saint-Germain.
15:34He played in Rome.
15:36He is a player.
15:38His career was very good.
15:40When we arrived here, his career maybe was a little bit going down.
15:46And again he reacted fantastic with the man we set here.
15:52To try to get a new challenge for him as well.
15:55And he is really doing fantastic.
16:07Unai, can I just ask about team news?
16:09And have you got a more accurate time frame for Leon Bailey's return from injury?
16:14It is a small injury.
16:15Very small injury.
16:17Not for tomorrow.
16:18Tomorrow he is not available.
16:21And we will wait for the next match on Saturday.
16:25And then Jaco Arras is progressing well.
16:27He is really progressing very well.
16:29But still weeks to be available again.
16:36Morgan, I just wanted to know.
16:37What did you take from your senior England camp?
16:41And what did you learn from the more senior pros that you were training alongside as well?
16:47Just the whole experience of how it is.
16:50Obviously not being used to that environment.
16:53And again learning from players that have done it at the biggest stage and the biggest level.
16:58And just things I can take from it.
17:01Just the way they train.
17:02The way they conduct themselves.
17:03The way they do everything really.
17:05And just trying to take it all in and use it to my advantage.
17:08And to try and take it and see what I can do with it.
17:12And how I can improve myself with stuff like that.
17:15It is a really good thing for me to be involved in stuff like that.
17:19And get that opportunity and get that experience at such a young age.
17:23Because I think it will only help me where I want to get to.
17:27And look at people like that as role models to hopefully follow in their path.
17:32And even succeed in their path.
17:34And try and get even further.
17:36It is a big opportunity and a big thing that I was around there.
17:40That really helped me in my career.
17:50How have you coped with the schedule?
17:52That sort of step up with Champions League.
17:54With the England internationals.
17:56Has that been one of the toughest things to deal with?
18:00I thought the Championship was hard.
18:02I think this is a whole new level.
18:04Being the demand of the level.
18:06That you are going to have to play every three days and stuff.
18:09It is difficult.
18:10But it is what recovery is there for.
18:12It is eating right, sleeping good, training right.
18:15And knowing what your body needs.
18:17And understanding your body better than anyone else.
18:19And everyone might look different.
18:21And everyone reacts in a different way.
18:23Everyone uses different things.
18:25But it is just about making sure you are alright.
18:27And you are ready to go when the whistle blows.
18:29If you are not playing, if you are playing,
18:31you are called upon and you are all ready as a squad.
18:33Because we need everybody.
18:35Every player is needed.
18:36Some players might not be at their level.
18:38Some players might be injured.
18:39Some players might be tired.
18:41It is about the next person stepping up and helping the team.
18:44That is how you build a team.
18:46That is how you become successful in all competitions.
18:48Which is what we are trying to do.
18:50We are trying to compete in all of them.
18:52And trying to win as many games as possible.
18:54And compete in all of them.
18:56It is just about understanding your body.
18:58And using that to your advantage.
19:00And trying to be ready when you can.
19:02Thanks everybody.