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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

🇪🇸

Martí Cifuentes

Portland Timbers

Spain flag Spain

GafferScore 76

High PressVerticalHigh Defensive Line

High Press / Vertical

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

Martí Cifuentes sets up as high press • vertical • intense from a 4-2-2-2, pressing at very high intensity behind a very 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

  • Line Height — both around 92
  • Central Overloads — both around 71
  • Chance Creation — both around 83

Key differences

  • Tempo — Martí Cifuentes higher by 30
  • Formation Flexibility — Unai Emery higher by 20
  • In-Game Adaptability — Unai Emery higher by 17
  • Width — Unai Emery higher by 16

Tactical similarity49%

🇪🇸

GafferScore

76/100

Martí Cifuentes

Portland Timbers

Major League Soccer

🇪🇸

GafferScore

88/100

Unai Emery

Aston Villa

Premier League

Comparative shape

Assessment profile

AttackDefencePressingPossessionBuild-UpTransitionPlayerTactical
Martí CifuentesUnai Emery
0–100 index

Overall

76

GafferScore

88

Advantage Unai Emery

72

Current Form

80

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Tactical identity

70

Possession

82

Advantage Unai Emery

92

Tempo

62

Advantage Martí Cifuentes

62

Width

78

Advantage Unai Emery

100

Verticality

94

Advantage Martí Cifuentes

0–100 index

Build-up

74

Short Build-Up

83

Advantage Unai Emery

68

Goalkeeper Involvement

74

Advantage Unai Emery

75

Central Progression

83

Advantage Unai Emery

72

Press Resistance

82

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Attack

81

Chance Creation

84

Similar

78

Final Third Structure

83

Advantage Unai Emery

70

Width

80

Advantage Unai Emery

70

Central Overloads

71

Similar

0–100 index

Pressing

92

Pressing Intensity

80

Advantage Martí Cifuentes

88

Counter-Press

83

Advantage Martí Cifuentes

90

High Press

82

Advantage Martí Cifuentes

81

Pressing Triggers

88

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Defence

74

Defensive Organisation

88

Advantage Unai Emery

92

Line Height

92

Similar

54

Compactness

64

Advantage Unai Emery

77

Rest Defence

89

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Transitions

86

Attacking Transition

80

Advantage Martí Cifuentes

79

Defensive Transition

88

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Development

78

Youth Development

82

Advantage Unai Emery

77

Player Improvement

84

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Flexibility

74

Formation Flexibility

94

Advantage Unai Emery

76

In-Game Adaptability

93

Advantage Unai Emery

GafferLens index

Category assessment

81Attack84
74Defence88
86Pressing84
70Possession82
76Build-Up83
84Transition88
78Player Development82
74Tactical 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%
4-2-2-2Current base shape4-4-2
—Age54
—Appointed1 NOV 2022
—Tenure3 years, 11 months
—ContractUntil Jun 2029
—Yrs in senior management21 years
Portland TimbersClubAston Villa
Major League SoccerLeaguePremier League
Projected

Head-to-head tactical matchup

Provisional

  • Press vs build-up

    Advantage: Martí Cifuentes

    Martí Cifuentes's press (86) 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; Martí Cifuentes builds at 76.

  • Attack vs defence

    Advantage: Unai Emery

    Martí Cifuentes's attacking model (81) against Unai Emery's defensive organisation (88).

  • Transition duel

    Advantage: Unai Emery

    Both sides live in the seconds after a turnover — 84 vs 88.

  • In-game flexibility

    Advantage: Unai Emery

    Who changes the game from the touchline: 74 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