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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

🇵🇹

Rui Borges

Sporting CP

Portugal flag Portugal

GafferScore 77

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

Rui Borges 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
  • Final Third Structure — both around 84
  • Central Overloads — both around 72

Key differences

  • Tempo — Rui Borges higher by 18
  • Formation Flexibility — Unai Emery higher by 18
  • In-Game Adaptability — Unai Emery higher by 16
  • Defensive Organisation — Unai Emery higher by 15

Tactical similarity46%

🇵🇹

GafferScore

77/100

Rui Borges

Sporting CP

Liga Portugal

🇪🇸

GafferScore

88/100

Unai Emery

Aston Villa

Premier League

Comparative shape

Assessment profile

AttackDefencePressingPossessionBuild-UpTransitionPlayerTactical
Rui BorgesUnai Emery
0–100 index

Overall

77

GafferScore

88

Advantage Unai Emery

73

Current Form

80

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Tactical identity

77

Possession

82

Advantage Unai Emery

80

Tempo

62

Advantage Rui Borges

78

Width

78

Similar

100

Verticality

94

Advantage Rui Borges

0–100 index

Build-up

78

Short Build-Up

83

Advantage Unai Emery

70

Goalkeeper Involvement

74

Advantage Unai Emery

80

Central Progression

83

Similar

77

Press Resistance

82

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Attack

87

Chance Creation

84

Similar

84

Final Third Structure

83

Similar

82

Width

80

Similar

72

Central Overloads

71

Similar

0–100 index

Pressing

80

Pressing Intensity

80

Similar

79

Counter-Press

83

Advantage Unai Emery

79

High Press

82

Similar

77

Pressing Triggers

88

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Defence

73

Defensive Organisation

88

Advantage Unai Emery

80

Line Height

92

Advantage Unai Emery

57

Compactness

64

Advantage Unai Emery

76

Rest Defence

89

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Transitions

81

Attacking Transition

80

Similar

78

Defensive Transition

88

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Development

78

Youth Development

82

Advantage Unai Emery

78

Player Improvement

84

Advantage Unai Emery

0–100 index

Flexibility

76

Formation Flexibility

94

Advantage Unai Emery

77

In-Game Adaptability

93

Advantage Unai Emery

GafferLens index

Category assessment

87Attack84
73Defence88
78Pressing84
77Possession82
78Build-Up83
82Transition88
78Player Development82
76Tactical 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
Sporting CPClubAston Villa
Liga PortugalLeaguePremier League
Projected

Head-to-head tactical matchup

Provisional

  • Press vs build-up

    Advantage: Unai Emery

    Rui Borges's press (78) 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; Rui Borges builds at 78.

  • Attack vs defence

    Similar

    Rui Borges's attacking model (87) against Unai Emery's defensive organisation (88).

  • Transition duel

    Advantage: Unai Emery

    Both sides live in the seconds after a turnover — 82 vs 88.

  • In-game flexibility

    Advantage: Unai Emery

    Who changes the game from the touchline: 76 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