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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

🇪🇸

José Alberto López

Racing Santander

Spain flag Spain

GafferScore 71

VerticalFast TransitionAttacking Overloads

Vertical / Fast Transition

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

José Alberto López sets up as vertical • direct • attacking from a 4-2-3-1, pressing at 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

  • Width — both around 78
  • Pressing Intensity — both around 80
  • Width — both around 80
  • Attacking Transition — both around 79

Key differences

  • Formation Flexibility — Unai Emery higher by 25
  • In-Game Adaptability — Unai Emery higher by 22
  • Defensive Organisation — Unai Emery higher by 21
  • Rest Defence — Unai Emery higher by 19

Tactical similarity26%

🇪🇸

GafferScore

71/100

José Alberto López

Racing Santander

LaLiga

🇪🇸

GafferScore

88/100

Unai Emery

Aston Villa

Premier League

Comparative shape

Assessment profile

AttackDefencePressingPossessionBuild-UpTransitionPlayerTactical
José Alberto LópezUnai Emery
0–100 index

Overall

71

GafferScore

88

Advantage Unai Emery

67

Current Form

80

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Tactical identity

71

Possession

82

Advantage Unai Emery

80

Tempo

62

Advantage José Alberto López

78

Width

78

Similar

100

Verticality

94

Advantage José Alberto López

0–100 index

Build-up

73

Short Build-Up

83

Advantage Unai Emery

67

Goalkeeper Involvement

74

Advantage Unai Emery

74

Central Progression

83

Advantage Unai Emery

72

Press Resistance

82

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Attack

80

Chance Creation

84

Advantage Unai Emery

77

Final Third Structure

83

Advantage Unai Emery

79

Width

80

Similar

67

Central Overloads

71

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Pressing

80

Pressing Intensity

80

Similar

74

Counter-Press

83

Advantage Unai Emery

77

High Press

82

Advantage Unai Emery

71

Pressing Triggers

88

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Defence

67

Defensive Organisation

88

Advantage Unai Emery

80

Line Height

92

Advantage Unai Emery

53

Compactness

64

Advantage Unai Emery

70

Rest Defence

89

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Transitions

78

Attacking Transition

80

Similar

72

Defensive Transition

88

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Development

70

Youth Development

82

Advantage Unai Emery

70

Player Improvement

84

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Flexibility

69

Formation Flexibility

94

Advantage Unai Emery

71

In-Game Adaptability

93

Advantage Unai Emery

GafferLens index

Category assessment

80Attack84
67Defence88
72Pressing84
71Possession82
74Build-Up83
77Transition88
70Player Development82
69Tactical Flexibility94
Verified canonical record

Current Club — League

—Matches140
—Win %52.1%
Career-wide profile data

Career profile record

—Points / game1.83
—Goals / game1.86
—Conceded / game1.11
—Clean sheet %38%
4-2-3-1Current base shape4-4-2
—Age54
—Appointed1 NOV 2022
—Tenure3 years, 11 months
—ContractUntil Jun 2029
—Yrs in senior management21 years
Racing SantanderClubAston Villa
LaLigaLeaguePremier League
Projected

Head-to-head tactical matchup

Provisional

  • Press vs build-up

    Advantage: Unai Emery

    José Alberto López's press (72) 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; José Alberto López builds at 74.

  • Attack vs defence

    Advantage: Unai Emery

    José Alberto López's attacking model (80) against Unai Emery's defensive organisation (88).

  • Transition duel

    Advantage: Unai Emery

    Both sides live in the seconds after a turnover — 77 vs 88.

  • In-game flexibility

    Advantage: Unai Emery

    Who changes the game from the touchline: 69 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