It is little surprise that Unai Emery knows everything there is to know about West Ham United’s relegation struggle.
The Spaniard has an iron grip on Aston Villa and runs the club in a way more akin to a traditional manager than a modern head coach. But don’t be fooled into thinking Emery is backwards or old school. He is every inch a forward thinker and has built a formidable team behind the scenes to support him.
One of the key departments is his analytics team. At the last count, Emery’s Villa had 29 analysts tasked with collecting data on everything from potential signings and their own performances to detailed opposition scouting.
Emery Leaves Nothing to Chance Against West Ham
Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s game, Emery said: “In the last twelve matches they have played, they have only lost two — against Liverpool and Chelsea, both in the last minute.”
He’s not wrong, and the former Arsenal boss will know every detail of every ball kicked in those defeats.
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“It’s marginal gains on steroids at Villa,” as someone told me last year and a million miles from how West Ham are run under the stewardship of Sullivan and Brady.
So when the Villa boss says, “We know what to expect from West Ham,” you can be certain that not only has he done his homework… he’s read everyone else’s too.