Aston Villa boss Unai Emery reacts to their disappointing 1-0 defeat to Monaco in the UEFA Champions League
Stade Louis II, Monaco
Courtesy of UEFA
Stade Louis II, Monaco
Courtesy of UEFA
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00:00Evening Leroy, what do you put a defeat down to tonight?
00:07Sorry?
00:08What's the reason for the team's loss tonight?
00:12Okay, what is the reason?
00:18We can't stay, can't be here, maybe two days playing it.
00:24And one minute is difficult.
00:32My point of view has two directions.
00:39One is analysis each match, today, how we played, I think we played 70 minutes like
00:48I want, 70 minutes more or less.
00:52Of course, they opened it, they have their game plan as well, transition, good transition.
01:04When they were keeping the ball position, attacking us in our position defensively,
01:08really they didn't threat us a lot.
01:13The problem was a little bit set pieces, they scored one goal and some transition.
01:19But more or less, we controlled it more than less.
01:24And when we were with the ball, we were playing, keeping ball position and trying to progress
01:31with passes being organized.
01:35We were connecting with our two ten numbers, Emilia Wendia and Morgan.
01:40Emilia Wendia, he played a fantastic match.
01:43I think we needed something more right side, a little bit as well left side.
01:50But attacking directly with the middle with passes, we were getting their box and we created
01:58three good chances to score, more or less, three or four.
02:02Of course, if we want to be there in this level, we have to try to score those options,
02:10those chances we had.
02:12But even like that, I was more or less positive.
02:19The second half, we started the first 20 minutes more or less the same.
02:22The first chances for Morgan, more or less clear chances.
02:26We were horrible today in set pieces, we were horrible.
02:30We had seven corners and we didn't have one corner good to try to score.
02:35And when we are playing, of course, matches like today, very important those three points
02:41because we lost the opportunity, I think, to be the top eight.
02:44And today was the key to get it.
02:49The last 25 minutes, when we were playing with two strikers, we lost a little bit our
02:54positioning and we weren't threatening them like the first 70 minutes.
03:01This is the first part of my point of view about the match, I did that summary.
03:07That is how I want to build the team, with the mentality I want.
03:12And of course, we are in this direction, being very demanding with the players we have.
03:21And of course, they are not following the plan we are doing.
03:27And this is the only objective I have as well now, try to build the team as strong as possible
03:37with the mentality we are building progressively, getting better with the players.
03:42And of course, I am very happy with a lot of players.
03:45And today, especially with Emiliano Buendia, because he was with the option to leave.
03:54But today we needed him and he played fantastic with his qualities, fantastic with his mentality,
04:04and fantastic with his commitment with the squad.
04:17Emi hasn't played many games recently, you look tired at times in midfield, is that fair?
04:24Tired of Emiliano Buendia?
04:26No, no, Buendia looked sharp because he hasn't played as much.
04:30Did the rest of the players look a bit tired to you?
04:33And did playing Arsenal on Saturday night help at all?
04:38Because the team played on Saturday night, a game of maximum demand in Arsenal.
04:45It was better, it was fresher, but maybe the rest of the players have noticed the demand as well.
05:07We played matches in a few days, and I think Kamara, Tielemans, Konsa, Cash,
05:17Emiliano Martinez, Tyrone, really they played doing everything we were planning.
05:25And maybe they finished a bit tired, but normal.
05:28Of course, we had some players injured, maybe we could have more possibilities in the bench
05:34with some players attacking third, or wingers, maybe we could get something more,
05:40with more possibilities tactically to do something.
05:46But it's not an excuse, I think we played 70 minutes very well, and we deserved more.
05:52But the last 20 minutes we lost a bit of our position on the field.
05:56It was not because the play was tired, it was because I decided to play with two strikers,
06:01and with two strikers sometimes we are not being organised with our positioning like I want.
06:06And today we didn't work well tactically those 20 minutes, more than a bit tired.
06:14Unai, is it then a priority for you to get John and Oli working together?
06:20You said in the pre-match press conference last night it was going to be a challenge for them to play together at front.
06:26Is that going to be one of your priorities moving forward?
06:30We have very good two strikers.
06:32Playing together we have to try to be the same structure we want to create,
06:43being strong in our structure.
06:45And playing with two strikers is my challenge, to get through those players on the field,
06:51this positioning tactically, defensively and offensively.
06:54And today we didn't do it, we didn't achieve it.
06:58And of course this is my challenge, because both are very good players.
07:03But today we didn't work well.
07:09Unai, just following on from that, how disappointing is that?
07:12Because obviously you had so much attacking ability on the pitch, two strikers and the forwards,
07:17but as you said you didn't threaten enough.
07:19We didn't work well, we lost.
07:21It was my mistake, it was my mistake.
07:25I made a mistake when I decided to play with two strikers and we lost the positioning.
07:30Because until that moment we were more or less controlling the game,
07:34and we were cutting chances, we were stopping them.
07:36And then we lost, I did another two chances in the last ten minutes, five, ten minutes.
07:45Because we were very weak in the middle, very weak.
07:49And they were getting transition and they were close to score the second goal in that moment.
07:54We deserved more until the minute 70, and after the minute 70 we lost our positioning.
07:59And I tried to react in the last ten minutes, but I was a little bit late.
08:04And in that moment it was clearly, I took this decision trying to get better.
08:10But progressively I was watching, it's not working well, it's not working well.
08:17Unai, you mentioned some players not following the plan and you not being happy with that.
08:22Can you give an example of what you mean from what you saw?
08:27Can you elaborate on that?
08:30So you mean you don't think the mentality is strong enough?
08:33We want it and we need it.
08:39Last two, on you go and then John.
08:43Unai, can you just reflect on the final game?
08:46Obviously a win should be enough still to get you in the top eight
08:48and maybe results elsewhere going for you.
08:51How do you see that game now against Celtic?
08:53Okay, now I can speak about how we are in the Champions League.
08:56We are fantastic.
08:58We are doing a fantastic way in the Champions League.
09:01We were in contenders, today we had the opportunity to be in the top eight.
09:07Playing the last match at home against Celtic.
09:10We didn't get it today, but we are fantastic.
09:13We are in the next round.
09:16And we have to be excited, we are in the Champions League.
09:19You have to be motivated.
09:21Playing against Celtic without supporters, playing this round.
09:25Wow, fantastic.
09:27But today we lost one opportunity.
09:31Everything we did before in the Champions League.
09:34To win against Young Boys, to win against Bayern Munich, to win in Leipzig.
09:39Wow, but lost today.
09:42Okay, we didn't work today like we were doing.
09:47But we are fantastic in the Champions League.
09:51Thanks everybody, we'll just...
09:52Okay, thanks so much.
09:53Thanks.