Villa boss Emery previews UCL clash with Monaco

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Aston Villa boss Unai Emery previews their UEFA Champions League UCL clash with Monaco Stade Louis II, Monaco Courtesy of UEFA

Transcript

00:00Just before we begin, sorry, just a reminder that it's a pre-match press conference.

00:29So we'll not be dealing with transfer speculation tonight.

00:32It's about the game in the Champions League.

00:34I'll speak to you after if you've got any questions.

00:37OK.

00:41If you raise your hand, then we'll try and work our way around the room.

00:55Hello there, Unai.

00:5613 points from six games is a tremendous achievement so far.

01:01If you could get the team to finish in the top eight,

01:05what would that say about the progress that's been made by Aston Villa, do you think?

01:09Good evening, bonsoir.

01:12I think we are being very motivated playing in the Champions League

01:20because the club for a long time didn't play

01:24and Europe has always been something very special for me.

01:29And I am transmitting the play as well.

01:32Trying to feel it, everybody, to play Europe last year and this year.

01:39And we want to compete, to compete, trying to be a protagonist in this competition.

01:47And we have a very huge opportunity.

01:54Arriving here to play day seven with 13 points,

01:58I think we'll need three or four points more to get the top eight.

02:06But now, of course, our target is to play in the top eight.

02:12Tomorrow is the key.

02:14Firstly, because in Monaco they have as well this opportunity,

02:19in case they are winning us, they can get 16 points.

02:23And with 16 points, maybe, maybe, not sure, but maybe could be as well in the top eight.

02:29I think maybe 17 is the point the team will need, but even with 16.

02:36And our opportunity and our objective is to try to get, not 16,

02:41try to get 19 points.

02:44Because with 19 points, of course, it's sure we will be there.

02:48But how we are playing this competition is the most important.

02:54Trying to enjoy each moment, trying to focus as much,

02:59trying to show our capacity, how we can face in this competition

03:03against the better teams in the world.

03:06Tomorrow, Monaco is one of the teams as well experienced in Europe.

03:11Last year, second in the French League.

03:15This year, fourth.

03:18Here, I play sometimes and it's very difficult.

03:21They have very good players.

03:22And really, I think for all Aston Villa supporters,

03:27it's again one day to try to share together our feelings for this competition.

03:41Good evening, Unai.

03:42First of all, I wanted to ask you how important it is to finish in the top eight,

03:47because you don't want two extra games in February in the playoffs

03:51with the tight schedule and the FA Cup game coming up.

03:54And also, I wanted to ask you about, tomorrow is going to be a difficult game.

03:58We have to remember that Monaco, their next game is Inter Milan away.

04:03So they're going to be really up for tomorrow's game,

04:05which is a must-win for them maybe.

04:07So it's going to be a difficult game, isn't it?

04:09Yes, of course, very difficult.

04:11And we won.

04:13I am Bayern Munich at home.

04:15We won Leipzig away.

04:17And we lost Prussia.

04:20This is this competition.

04:21It's very difficult, everything.

04:23And we have to be 100% focused, respecting them.

04:26Of course, because they have a very good structure tactically with their coach

04:31and very good players, young players and very potential young players.

04:37And to get to the top eight, of course, is very important

04:41because we are playing less matches.

04:45But in case we will play as well, it's an opportunity

04:52to try to build our team,

04:55try to be as best competitive way we have to.

05:02And the Champions League is the best team in the world.

05:06Tomorrow is one French, very experienced club.

05:10And we are in this competition for everything.

05:15Of course, we are no favorite.

05:17But if we are getting top eight,

05:20we have to try to enjoy and to compete,

05:25thinking and preparing to do our best individual and collective work.

05:41Hi, Unai. Can I get an injury update on Amadou Benane?

05:43How long is he going to miss?

05:45And also, John McGinn, is he available for this match?

05:48Yes, we have some players out.

05:51But the players, they are available for tomorrow,

05:55more or less, after we play two matches in a few days.

06:00I think the players are excited, motivated.

06:04We are trying to rest well, to try to have good food.

06:10Tomorrow, we are going to play in the evening.

06:13And of course, we can prepare the match as well in our meetings.

06:18And I think we are going to be ready 100%

06:22with the players we have for tomorrow, to compete

06:25and to show our capacity, our possibilities as well,

06:31to get the three points.

06:34Hi, Unai. Can I ask you about Yuri Tieleman?

06:37He's been so important for you.

06:39He was obviously part of the Leicester team that was relegated.

06:42People maybe wrote him off a little bit,

06:44but he's been so crucial for your team.

06:47Yuri, he played here for one year and a half, I think.

06:51I said Anderlecht.

06:53He signed in Leicester.

06:56And when I met him in his home,

07:02it was very important in our conversation

07:04to know, firstly, as a man.

07:08As a man, how is his life every day?

07:16With family, thinking about football.

07:18His ambition as well,

07:21to try to keep being important in his career as a player

07:25and as well in one club, being ambitious like him.

07:29And he's showing it.

07:32He's always ready to play.

07:34He's always focusing on his match,

07:37competing in his thoughts 100%

07:43to improve, to help the team, to follow our message.

07:46And really, for us, last year was the adaptation of him to us,

07:53more or less as well.

07:55He had some moments playing in different positions,

08:02but I think last year was very important how he adapted to us

08:07and how he was understanding

08:10how we wanted to build the team with him.

08:14And this year, I think he's playing consistently

08:18and he's playing as well, again, in different positions

08:21because he can play in different positions.

08:23He's a versatile player,

08:25but his better quality is his mind, his mentality.

08:30Hi, coach. How important is Emiliano Martinez for you on and off the pitch, please?

08:37On and off the pitch?

08:39A lot.

08:41Emiliano Martinez, for me and for us, is very important in everything.

08:47He's another player, very ambitious.

08:51And his life is family,

08:53his life is football,

08:55his life is football,

08:58and his life is family, football, Aston Villa.

09:02His commitment with Aston Villa is a huge commitment,

09:06with the team-mates, with the coaches, with the owners.

09:10And he progresses his life always hard-working.

09:17And now he's an experienced player,

09:20achieving individual very huge objectives,

09:25to be the best goalkeeper in the world.

09:27But the first characteristic of him as well is

09:31he's ambitious to continue improving

09:34and getting trophies,

09:38getting individual awards,

09:40and he's working every day to focus on these objectives.

09:48As a goalkeeper,

09:51he shows here in Aston Villa his progress as well,

09:55and how he's helping the team.

09:57Of course, it's very important.

09:59And his mentality, transmitting as well,

10:02the message in the dressing room is very, very important.

10:05And outside it's important because he's a goalkeeper.

10:10We can travel to New Zealand,

10:13and the people, they will be there waiting for him.

10:17We can travel to, I don't know, to Toronto,

10:22and there will be Argentinians waiting for him as well in the hotel.

10:26And he's a very recognised player and man in the world.

10:31And for us, I think it's very important.

10:35Unai, on Saturday after the game,

10:37Ollie Watkins said that he would like to play alongside John Duran.

10:43Is that difficult when there's so many important games,

10:47to change the system and go to a two?

10:50How long do you think before you can maybe use both of them together?

10:55Firstly, it's my challenge.

10:57It's my challenge to try to get the best of them.

11:00Individually, and then collectively.

11:02Collectively means maybe playing together.

11:08But we have to work it tactically.

11:14Because to play with two strikers,

11:16properly two strikers,

11:18they are not with the same task playing together.

11:22Because they have to try to help the team as well.

11:25In our structure, tactically, offensively, and defensively.

11:29And I tried it before.

11:32And someday we were successful.

11:35After one month, more or less,

11:38John Duran out of the team.

11:40Again, we are recovering the work we did before.

11:47And of course, I think we are going to watch those players playing together.

11:54And maybe during the match as well.

11:58I think I can find a solution as well someday

12:02to play at the beginning and start living together.

12:05But they have to try to understand their role.

12:11I think at the moment,

12:14starting this season,

12:16we were more or less showing the capacity we have

12:20to play with both.

12:23Giving them their role and helping the team like they did.

12:27And hopefully, we can get of them

12:31the best performances from here to the end of the season.

12:39Unai, last year Dortmund were a bit of a surprise package in this competition.

12:43They got all the way through to the final.

12:45If you do finish in the top eight,

12:47do you think that you can be considered as contenders to actually win the thing?

12:53In this competition, to be a contender to...

12:55If you finish in the top eight, yeah.

12:58Of course, we have to try to focus each moment.

13:02Firstly, we got to be in the next round.

13:05Now we have the possibilities and the opportunity to get to the top eight.

13:09But it will be very difficult.

13:11After tomorrow's match, we can speak again.

13:15But to speak more than the next round, I don't want to.

13:19Why? Because football changes in a few seconds.

13:25And we have to try to be strong in our mentality,

13:30but looking at only short time.

13:35And the short time is tomorrow.

13:37And tomorrow, of course, I am very motivated.

13:39I am trying to send a message for the players as well

13:43to be demanding how we are more or less

13:49facing the last matches.

13:52Away Everton, away Arsenal, at home.

13:57But keep being consistent, keep being demanding.

14:02It's really the greatest challenge we have.

14:05And tomorrow, if we are showing it, I will be happy.

14:19Do you still keep a close eye on Ligue 1?

14:22You know well this championship.

14:24And what do you think about Monaco?

14:26Monaco is a team with very good experiences in Europe.

14:33A historic club in Europe.

14:36In France, of course, they have been successful last year.

14:39They finished second, this year they are fourth.

14:41Always they have very young players with a huge potential.

14:47And they have always been very clinical signing players

14:53with this potential and then selling them to Europe.

14:57But always being competitive.

14:59And I respect them a lot.

15:02I played here two times with PSG.

15:07And they won the league in front of us.

15:11And I know how the capacity they have to be competitive

15:17and to play being successful.

15:21And tomorrow in 90 minutes we are going to respect them

15:23in this direction.

15:25And as well I played with Monaco four titles here in France.

15:30In Super Cup or for the league.

15:33And they have these habits.

15:36They have the habits to play in this level.

15:40And of course for us tomorrow is a challenge as well

15:45to show how we can be as well taking good balance

15:50or getting good balance in Europe.

15:52Feeling comfortable playing against Monaco

15:58in the level they have.

16:00Thank you so much.

16:02See you tomorrow.

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