Emery’s video analysis sent my team-mate to sleep!

Eight years have passed since Unai Emery signed Dani Parejo for Valencia. Since then, Emery has left, won three Europa Leagues with Sevilla, joined Paris Saint-germain and then Arsenal. Parejo stayed to become club captain and a full Spain international. he’s seen 10 managers hired and fired since Emery — gary Neville and current Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo among them. So is it true what most players say about Emery: very good, but very heavygoing? ‘he’s a very good coach. his stats are there for all to see,’ says Parejo. ‘he is a perfectionist: there’s a lot of work, a lot of videos, a lot of talks, and it’s true that players can get tired of it; that he’s a bit pesado (heavy). Emery has admitted as much over the years. there’s the tale of him regularly giving one player a memory stick containing videos of his next opponent, and suspecting that he was not watching them, giving him a blank video to catch him out. ‘Yes that happened here (with Jeremy Mathieu),’ laughs Parejo. Winger Joaquin famously said Emery’s videos were so long he would ‘run out of popcorn’. Cue more laughter from Parejo (right). ‘Miguel Brito (former Valencia full back) fell asleep one day,’ he says. there is respect for Emery and an admission that their paths crossed when Parejo was only 22, barely a season at Real Madrid and a loan spell at QPR behind him. ‘the first time i got kicked in England, it was a direct red,’ he says of the Loftus Road experience. ‘As i left the ground i said to my dad, “Where have we come to? We have to go back to Spain”.’ he played 18 matches in that 2008-09 season, was happy living in Brentford with his dad and mum, who he says built up an impressive English vocabulary shopping to cook for her son. ‘Onion, carrots, green peppers, all those words she knows perfectly.’ Via a return to Madrid he was signed by Emery and there have been highs and lows since. Parejo’s 11 coaches, including Emery, almost became 12 in January when Marcelino was called to Singapore to meet the owners. But he was kept on and has turned the season round. Parejo is top scorer and ready for his former manager tonight. the first leg has given them one hell of a job to do but all hope is not lost. ‘Arsenal are a great team,’ he says. ‘But if you want to lift the trophy you have to get past some great teams.’