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Comparison

Compare managers

Select two manager dossiers for professional tactical analysis, read against the same scale.

Prototype rating

Select manager A

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Eddie Howe

Available

England flag England · 48

GafferScore 84

High PressVertical FootballFast Transition

High Press / Vertical Football

vs

Select manager B

🇪🇸

Unai Emery

Aston Villa

Spain flag Spain · 54

GafferScore 88

Tactical FlexibilityHigh Defensive LineCounter Attack

Tactical Flexibility / High Defensive Line

Tactical comparison

Comparison summary

Eddie Howe sets up as high intensity • direct • aggressive press from a 4-3-3, pressing at very high intensity behind a high defensive line. Unai Emery is detail-led • offside trap • game management from a 4-4-2, with high press intensity and a very high line.

Key similarities

  • Current Form — both around 80
  • Width — both around 78
  • Chance Creation — both around 84
  • Width — both around 80

Key differences

  • Tempo — Eddie Howe higher by 18
  • Formation Flexibility — Unai Emery higher by 15
  • Pressing Intensity — Eddie Howe higher by 12
  • Line Height — Unai Emery higher by 12

Tactical similarity55%

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

GafferScore

84/100

Eddie Howe

Available

—

🇪🇸

GafferScore

88/100

Unai Emery

Aston Villa

Premier League

Comparative shape

Assessment profile

AttackDefencePressingPossessionBuild-UpTransitionPlayerTactical
Eddie HoweUnai Emery
0–100 index

Overall

84

GafferScore

88

Advantage Unai Emery

80

Current Form

80

Similar

0–100 index

Tactical identity

76

Possession

82

Advantage Unai Emery

80

Tempo

62

Advantage Eddie Howe

78

Width

78

Similar

100

Verticality

94

Advantage Eddie Howe

0–100 index

Build-up

75

Short Build-Up

83

Advantage Unai Emery

68

Goalkeeper Involvement

74

Advantage Unai Emery

77

Central Progression

83

Advantage Unai Emery

76

Press Resistance

82

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Attack

84

Chance Creation

84

Similar

82

Final Third Structure

83

Similar

80

Width

80

Similar

70

Central Overloads

71

Similar

0–100 index

Pressing

92

Pressing Intensity

80

Advantage Eddie Howe

89

Counter-Press

83

Advantage Eddie Howe

90

High Press

82

Advantage Eddie Howe

84

Pressing Triggers

88

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Defence

82

Defensive Organisation

88

Advantage Unai Emery

80

Line Height

92

Advantage Unai Emery

63

Compactness

64

Similar

83

Rest Defence

89

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Transitions

85

Attacking Transition

80

Advantage Eddie Howe

85

Defensive Transition

88

Similar

0–100 index

Development

85

Youth Development

82

Similar

84

Player Improvement

84

Similar

0–100 index

Flexibility

79

Formation Flexibility

94

Advantage Unai Emery

81

In-Game Adaptability

93

Advantage Unai Emery

GafferLens index

Category assessment

84Attack84
82Defence88
88Pressing84
76Possession82
75Build-Up83
87Transition88
85Player Development82
79Tactical Flexibility94
Verified canonical record

Current Club — League

214Matches140
50%Win %52.1%
Career-wide profile data

Career profile record

1.72Points / game1.83
1.81Goals / game1.86
1.19Conceded / game1.11
32%Clean sheet %38%
4-3-3Current base shape4-4-2
48Age54
8 NOV 2021Appointed1 NOV 2022
4 years, 11 monthsTenure3 years, 11 months
Expiry not publicly disclosedContractUntil Jun 2029
16 yearsYrs in senior management21 years
AvailableClubAston Villa
—LeaguePremier League
Projected

Head-to-head tactical matchup

Provisional

  • Press vs build-up

    Advantage: Eddie Howe

    Eddie Howe's press (88) against Unai Emery's build-up (83) decides whether the first phase survives.

  • Build-up vs press

    Advantage: Unai Emery

    Unai Emery presses at 84; Eddie Howe builds at 75.

  • Attack vs defence

    Advantage: Unai Emery

    Eddie Howe's attacking model (84) against Unai Emery's defensive organisation (88).

  • Transition duel

    Similar

    Both sides live in the seconds after a turnover — 87 vs 88.

  • In-game flexibility

    Advantage: Unai Emery

    Who changes the game from the touchline: 79 vs 94.

Matchup lines are modelled from tactical descriptors, not from recorded fixtures between these managers.

GafferLens Pro

Advanced manager intelligence

Coming later

Advanced Tactical Style

Possession + High PressFast / Vertical + Counter AttackBuild combinations

Build-Up Style

Short Build-UpStructured Build-UpDirect ProgressionGoalkeeper InvolvementBack Three Build-Up

Pressing Profile

High PressCounter-PressMid-BlockLow BlockMan-Oriented Press

Attacking Profile

Positional AttackHigh-Tempo AttackWide OverloadsCentral OverloadsHalf-Space FocusDirect Attacking

Defensive Profile

High Defensive LineCompact BlockAggressive DefenceDeep DefenceDefensive Organisation

Player Development

Youth DevelopmentAcademy IntegrationPlayer ImprovementYoung Squad Experience

Advanced Experience

Champions League ExperienceEuropean ExperienceInternational ManagementTitle-Winning ExperienceRebuild Experience

Rating Filters

GafferScore ≥ 85Pressing ≥ 80Build-Up ≥ 80Player Development ≥ 75

Multi-Filter Search

Possession + High Press + Under 45 + Elite Experience

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Advanced Similarity

Build-UpAttackPressingDefenceTransitionsFlexibilityPlayer Development

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Season: 2026/27