As the 2nd round of the Champions League is about to be played, Aston Villa manager Emery attended the pre-match conference and answered reporters' questions on the team line-up, Champions League experience, and preparations for the match against Bayern.
Speaking about squad depth, Emery said, "We tried to follow the (financial) rules in the summer, but I'm happy with the current squad. Kamara and Mings are coming back soon and hopefully we can play a few more games. Players' playing time depends on the opposition and how we balance that with players who may be tired. We are working with the existing players and they are gradually getting comfortable and understanding our ideas and requirements, every player has a chance to play and play time."
Emery is not worried about the lack of Champions League experience in the squad: "We have players who have played in the Champions League, such as Matsen, who played in the Champions League final with Borussia Dortmund last season. And Paul Torres, who met Liverpool in the Champions League semi-final. We can add experience and try to learn quickly in Europe. Tomorrow, some of these players will make their Champions League debuts, which is good news for them and for me."
Speaking about the home game against Bayern, Emery was full of motivation: "It would be very bad news if Aston Villa hadn't played Bayern Munich again since 1982. But we are now back in the Champions League and that is very exciting. Bayern are favorites to win tomorrow, but we have the support of our home fans and I want to play against them."
Emery also spoke about the attention Diego Carlos has received: "Making mistakes in soccer is something that can happen and we have to accept it. It's my responsibility to correct those mistakes after the game, to try to correct them as soon as possible and not to have them happen again. I try to identify the mistakes we make in every game as a whole, and I am acutely aware when some of them come from individual players, but I never punish the players who have made them in the following game."
On the team's defense, Emery said, "We don't defend like we did last year. It's not just the defenders' and goalkeepers' job, it's everyone's responsibility. We have to work hard to improve because we can't concede goals every game. I'm optimistic and believe in the work we're doing, but if we want to maintain the top level, we have to score goals and concede no more than we did in the past."
Speaking about how to stop key players like Bayern's Kane, Emery said, "We analyze tactics collectively, but you have to stop some players. Kane knows us and we know him. Bayern also have two strong center backs, good midfielders and great wingers and we have to defend them as a whole or individually."
Finally, Emery commented on Bayern's performance against Leverkusen: "Bayern played well. I watched the game, we have different players, different styles and we want to try to adapt. I asked the players to watch the video of Bayern's recent matches, one of which was against Leverkusen. We will be ready to take on Bayern at full strength."
