Emery previews Man Utd meeting

Unai Emery met with the media at Bodymoor Heath on Friday afternoon, to look ahead to Sunday’s trip to Manchester United.

The Villans take to the field for the final time ahead of the November international break at Old Trafford, looking to bounce back from a midweek defeat at Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League.

And the Villa boss spoke with local and national outlets at his side’s training base ahead of the game, discussing the Red Devils, Villa's record at Old Trafford and his vision for the future of the club.

Read the key lines from his pre-match press conference below.

On vision for the future…

“My vision is to keep our consistency, and how we are improving, how we are building a lot of things positively – be strong, keeping consistency in our process.

“So, it’s a huge challenge, but the club is involving in it. They decided, of course, speaking with us last year, to build a new stand. Adding more supporters in Villa Park is one step forward, clearly, to get better.

“How we are, as well, increasing our budget each year, increasing our revenue as well, of course through our performance playing in Europe, improving players, selling players, then buying young talented players, this is the process and the vision we should keep in our future.”

On United...

“It’s Manchester United, and we have very clear examples. We didn’t win one match there. Four years I am here, travelling to Manchester to play against them, we have lost. Even in the first match we played, Carabao Cup, we lost 3-2, four years ago.

“So, it means, for us, it’s very difficult. Manchester United is a fantastic club. They are performing very good last year, achieving to play Champions League.

“This year, as well, they are Champions League, playing well. In the league, they started a little bit not being consistent, but should recover their consistency in the Premier League, hopefully not on Sunday against us. So, it’s a very, very difficult match.”

On integrating new players...

“I am positively worried about how we are doing the process with the players we joined this summer, and building the structure as strong as possible.

“I am positive, because I think we should do it getting better each match, and worried because we are [in a] lack of some points in the league, we are lacking of some moments not performing enough to win matches, and working hard, analysing deeply every match we are playing, analysing deeply each player how they are progressing.

“Sometimes, the progress is being forward, clear. Sometimes, we are doing one step back in some situations – for example, last week, against Fulham at home when we drew.

“We started fantastic in the Champions League, but we lost in Barcelona 3-0. We performed more or less in good ways like we planned, but it was not enough, because the level we were facing, this is the highest level for Premier League and for the Champions League matches.

“Of course, everything matters. How we are tactically trying to set our structure, defensively, offensively. The players, how they understanding everything, how we are individually giving them confidence, to feel confident, comfortable in the structure.

“How we can as well set some players in the combinations we need on the field with them, understanding it’s better to play right side, left side, it’s better to play lower, higher, how we can get [the] best ways in our build up.

“So, we have a lot of work to do, and we must compete at the same time.”

On working with Nassef Sawiris...

“He’s very ambitious. He is, as well, a hard worker, and his commitment with the club is a huge commitment with everything.

“So, for me, it’s easy to have meetings with him because we are on the same page.”

On record at Old Trafford...

“Old Trafford is a huge challenge – for me, for the players, for our trajectory here together, because we are not winning there.

“Even we had some defeats hard, like two years ago when we were close on the last match, the day 38, to be in the Champions League, and we lost. We lost it.

“So, it’s always very, very difficult there. We must play in our best – in our best individual and collective way.”

Watch Emery's full pre-match press conference now via VillaTV, by clicking below...