Will Emery reach point of ‘too much structure’?

Andy West, European football writer

Unai Emery’s time at Villarreal felt for a while like it had run its course. Won the Europa League, reached the Champions League semis, but hugely underachieved in La Liga last season and, so far, in this. At times, it felt like his excessive caution was holding them back.

For a team with problems that need fixing, Emery is a fantastic coach. But once he’s set up the structure (which he does brilliantly), it often seems like there’s ‘too much’ structure, a tendency to overcoach, not enough freedom for the players. Similar to Julen Lopetegui.