Aston Villa manager Unai Emery’s success with the team may be attributed to his extensive team meetings held each week.

The news of Emery subjecting his players to lengthy 90-minute tactics meetings has received criticism from stars of Newcastle United and West Ham United.

Matty Cash, Villa defender, spoke about Emery’s meticulous attention to detail after their 3-1 victory against Luton Town. With Villa now sitting fifth in the Premier League table, their strong start to the season shows no signs of slowing down.

Cash described Emery’s managerial style by saying, “It’s completely different. When you win games, the manager almost makes it feel like we have lost them when we come in and have meetings the next day… That’s the ambition he’s got. You win the game, and you are on to the next game, and it is like it has been forgotten about. That is why we are doing so well. We come in from a win the next day, and it is done. You put it to bed and move on to the next one.”

On the BBC Sounds’ Footballer’s Football Podcast, Callum Wilson and Michail Antonio from Newcastle United and West Ham United respectively were asked about their thoughts on the lengthy meetings. It is evident that neither player is particularly fond of the idea.

Antonio expressed his preference for shorter meetings, stating, “Definitely shorter! 100%. 30, 45 minutes… max. After that, you’re in a dark room, it’s warm, you’re falling asleep.” He emphasized that longer meetings lead to exhaustion and yawning, with some players even dozing off.

Wilson was more open to the concept of lengthy meetings but acknowledged that he absorbs information better through practical learning on the training ground. He shared his preferred spot in meetings, saying, “In the mixer. In the middle.” He explained that the meetings aren’t usually long, as his attention span wanes, and he is more receptive to learning when engaged in hands-on activities outside of the meeting room.

Ultimately, Emery’s approach of extensive team meetings seems to be yielding positive results for Aston Villa, despite differing opinions among players from other clubs.