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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

🇵🇹

Nuno Espírito Santo

West Ham United

Portugal flag Portugal · 52

GafferScore 76

Counter AttackDefensive OrganisationFast Transition

Counter Attack / Defensive Organisation

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

Nuno Espírito Santo sets up as compact • counter • efficient from a 5-3-2, pressing at medium intensity behind a medium 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

  • Tempo — both around 62
  • Attacking Transition — both around 79
  • Central Overloads — both around 70
  • Defensive Transition — both around 87

Key differences

  • Line Height — Unai Emery higher by 34
  • Verticality — Unai Emery higher by 28
  • Pressing Intensity — Unai Emery higher by 22
  • High Press — Unai Emery higher by 17

Tactical similarity52%

🇵🇹

GafferScore

76/100

Nuno Espírito Santo

West Ham United

EFL Championship

🇪🇸

GafferScore

88/100

Unai Emery

Aston Villa

Premier League

Comparative shape

Assessment profile

AttackDefencePressingPossessionBuild-UpTransitionPlayerTactical
Nuno Espírito SantoUnai Emery
0–100 index

Overall

76

GafferScore

88

Advantage Unai Emery

72

Current Form

80

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Tactical identity

72

Possession

82

Advantage Unai Emery

62

Tempo

62

Similar

62

Width

78

Advantage Unai Emery

66

Verticality

94

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Build-up

75

Short Build-Up

83

Advantage Unai Emery

68

Goalkeeper Involvement

74

Advantage Unai Emery

75

Central Progression

83

Advantage Unai Emery

74

Press Resistance

82

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Attack

76

Chance Creation

84

Advantage Unai Emery

75

Final Third Structure

83

Advantage Unai Emery

68

Width

80

Advantage Unai Emery

68

Central Overloads

71

Similar

0–100 index

Pressing

58

Pressing Intensity

80

Advantage Unai Emery

70

Counter-Press

83

Advantage Unai Emery

65

High Press

82

Advantage Unai Emery

77

Pressing Triggers

88

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Defence

84

Defensive Organisation

88

Advantage Unai Emery

58

Line Height

92

Advantage Unai Emery

71

Compactness

64

Advantage Nuno Espírito Santo

84

Rest Defence

89

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Transitions

78

Attacking Transition

80

Similar

85

Defensive Transition

88

Similar

0–100 index

Development

77

Youth Development

82

Advantage Unai Emery

78

Player Improvement

84

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Flexibility

80

Formation Flexibility

94

Advantage Unai Emery

81

In-Game Adaptability

93

Advantage Unai Emery

GafferLens index

Category assessment

76Attack84
84Defence88
75Pressing84
72Possession82
76Build-Up83
85Transition88
77Player Development82
80Tactical Flexibility94
Verified canonical record

Current Club — League

35Matches140
25.7%Win %52.1%
Career-wide profile data

Career profile record

—Points / game1.83
—Goals / game1.86
—Conceded / game1.11
—Clean sheet %38%
5-3-2Current base shape4-4-2
52Age54
27 SEP 2025Appointed1 NOV 2022
1 yearTenure3 years, 11 months
Expiry not publicly disclosedContractUntil Jun 2029
1 yearYrs in senior management21 years
West Ham UnitedClubAston Villa
EFL ChampionshipLeaguePremier League
Projected

Head-to-head tactical matchup

Provisional

  • Press vs build-up

    Advantage: Unai Emery

    Nuno Espírito Santo's press (75) 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; Nuno Espírito Santo builds at 76.

  • Attack vs defence

    Advantage: Unai Emery

    Nuno Espírito Santo's attacking model (76) against Unai Emery's defensive organisation (88).

  • Transition duel

    Advantage: Unai Emery

    Both sides live in the seconds after a turnover — 85 vs 88.

  • In-game flexibility

    Advantage: Unai Emery

    Who changes the game from the touchline: 80 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

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Possession + High Press + Under 45 + Elite Experience

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Advanced Similarity

Build-UpAttackPressingDefenceTransitionsFlexibilityPlayer Development

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Season: 2026/27