Every word Unai Emery said about PSG approach, Rashford plan and Watkins' challenge
Unai Emery spoke to the media ahead of Aston Villa's clash with Paris Saint-Germain this evening (8pm kick-off)
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery sat down with the media at Bodymoor Heath on Monday afternoon ahead of facing Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals tonight.
Villa will have a two-goal lead to overturn after losing 3-1 at the Parc des Princes last week. Here is every word Emery said in his pre-match press conference...
Does the result from the first leg influence your tactics?
“It depends on how we are playing and facing them tomorrow. The first leg made one difference. We accepted everything that happened. Of course, 3-1 changes something. A lot? No. Why? Because we have to win 2-1 or 3-1 from the first leg. We have to win with one more goal in our expectation."
How much does the home advantage matter in the second leg?
"They have experience playing with the opponent supporters being in away matches in France and Europe. We have as well. But if we are connecting with our supporters, if we are transmitting energy, getting tactically and individually good things on the field, the supporters will add us energy.
"They will help us a lot and they are going to transmit the energy. Always, for our players playing at home, the energy they can get from the supporters, it adds positively. PSG can manage in different moments as well, focusing the match and not really involving the supporters. For us, it is important for our players, energy and our wishes. It is important how much the supporters can help us."
How do you balance going for goals and defending?
"We competed there like we planned. The result wasn’t the best result, but we were in good balance for the second leg. Now the objective is to win. With one goal is not enough, but if we are winning then we can be close. Our objective is to try to play with one strong plan in our tactical way tomorrow.
"Then, it is to be consistent and see how the match is going in 90 minutes. When we played in Brugge, we were still preparing for extra-time, and this time if we get extra-time and penalties then fantastic."
Is Watkins now injury-free?
"He showed us he was feeling fantastic in Southampton and scoring a goal and he played 30 minutes early, performing very well.
"This is the attitude we have with the players. Try to be focused 100 per cent and try to be using their skills and qualities, helping the team. 90 minutes, 60 minutes, 45 minutes, 30 minutes or even five minutes.
"This is the mentality we will need tomorrow to play the match. Everybody ready and everybody trying to get the best."
Have you decided on the team already?
"We are training this afternoon and it is important to see how they are, the players. We played on Saturday and we trained yesterday. We are going to train today and we will test every player. I have an idea in my mind, not for the starting XI, but a plan overall. When we prepare for a game we prepare with every play. Everyone has to know their task in case they are on the field."
How much does it benefit PSG that they didn’t play at the weekend?
"We have the habit of playing a lot of matches in a row. Three matches in the space of a week. They are ready to play and rested. It is not very relevant."
What will the game plan be?
"We have to set the game plan as best as possible and try to understand how we are facing their idea and how we can get duels on the field. Then, it is for the players to be the protagonist to do their best work and get their best performance. After the first leg, the result is for them.
"They showed why they are favourites for this competition and played us. But we showed our capacity to compete and be close to have the possibility to beat them. Tomorrow, tactically, we are going to try to get our best individual and collective tactical idea to face them.
"We have to believe and show our wishes to get it, respecting them in the same way we did there, but also using Villa Park like our home and our fortress. There are a lot of teams feeling it. To share with our supporters, who are really motivated for tomorrow."
If you progress, would this be the greatest comeback in your career?
"I have experiences coming back results negatively and negatively. We now want to write the history at Aston Villa, last year in the Conference and in the Champions League, hopefully for a long time in Europe. My experiences have been different, more winning than losing, but also negative experiences.
"I am not going to remind the players about them because my idea and my every word with the players is how we are doing this way and how we are getting experiences here at Aston Villa. We are adding experiences this year and last year. Also, with the combination we have with our players mentally, being demanding in our process to get opportunities and believing to beat PSG tomorrow."
Aston Villa face PSG in the Champions League quarter-final on April 15 and fans can watch it free with an Amazon Prime subscription or by signing up for a 30-day free trial.
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How well has Watkins adapted to the challenges he has faced with competition for places?
“We are increasing the level, firstly because we are playing more matches than two years ago when we arrived here. We are playing now 55 to 57 matches last year and this year.
"And as well, a lot of players are going with the national team. When I arrived here they were going less than now. One of them is Watkins.
"When you are playing the highest level, usually it's because you are competing with good teammates in the squad. And this is the process we have. And the players have to understand that when we are increasing our level it's being more competitive with them as well.
"We have to use two players competing in the highest level to get our objective. This is the process we are increasing in two years. And the experience we are adding collectively and individually is being positive.
"For example, it's very very important this year, we started the season playing only Watkins when he was not completely fit.
"We needed Jhon Duran and he helped us to get a lot of points in that moment. West Ham, Leicester. And then sometimes as well, it was Jhon Duran playing in the starting 11 and he was being substituted and he was helping us for 30 minutes.
"Now with Rashford is is something similar. We can identify the same way. We need both players [Rashford and Watkins]. And the next step, if I can have time, is for them to play together. They did it, with Rashford on the left side. But now we are choosing both players playing as a striker but we can't play as well with two strikers like them.
"That is the next step I want to do. I want to try to practice, to test, but we are not now with enough time to do it."
Do you think PSG have a set-piece weakness?
"Maybe tomorrow they will perform in them fantastic. They are being successful defensively in set-pieces. How? They are not conceding many of them. This is the first defence."
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