Emi Martinez

[bob]

When we had Laursen a corner was almost as good as a pen

[bob]

I thought Martinez had a poor game - his distribution was way off.  But that doesn't mean he's suddenly a shit keeper and we should sell him.

I've not got a problem with him going up for the corner.  Sometimes it pays off - it's a hail Mary.

Emery was very that he won’t be doing it again.

He's an idiot then. It was the 98th minute, we're 3-2 down, sure Emi's unlikely to score but he can add a bit of chaos in the box and maybe somebody else might score. I'm really struggling to understand why he's making such a big fuss over nothing. The media have picked up on it accusing him of throwing Emi under the bus etc. It's all very Steven Gerrard.

Our goal difference is at LEAST 10 worse than every team above us. And so goal difference could well cost us a place (or more) in the league come May. As others have said, it's SO rare that goalie going up actually results in a goal (not necessarily from them scoring it), that it should only be an option if the goal has huge positive consequences, and also negligible negative consequences if you lose another goal i.e. You're about to go out of a cup, or it's the final couple of games in the season and you need the point(s) to avoid relegation or to get a place in Europe.  A league game in Feb simply doesn't qualify, as losing a goal has consequences.

We lost 2-1 to Arsenal earlier in the season, but I don't remember Emi going up for a set-piece late in that game? If the third goal wasn't an OG I don't think he goes up - it was a rush of blood to the head based on him feeling responsible for us being behind against his old club.

It won't happen again, I'm sure of that.

Left with a choice of potentially getting a point or having no points and one additional goal in the minus column, I know what I'd choose. When you factor in the timing, a pissed off, emotional Emi or not, he made the right decision. Emery had so much to comment on about the game especially their third goal but he decided to be ridiculously petty instead. Each to their own.

Agree it won't happen again, more's the pity.

He didn't make the right decision though. We didn't score, and we immediately conceded. So it was the wrong decision. As I said above, sending the goalie up is an act of desperation, and ONLY makes sense if the rewards for a single goal FAR exceed the costs of conceding another one.  A league game for a mid-table team in Feb simply doesn't qualify.

Games are lost by the odd goal dozens of times every single weekend up and down the county, and do you know how many times the keeper goes up in the last couple of minutes? It's practically zero, because in 95% of cases the potential rewards do not outweigh the potential risks.

If a goal in the 93rd minute would get us into Europe in our last game of the season, then by all means, send in the entire cavalry.  But when you're 1-down in Feb to the league leaders? Nah.

Even if Emi scored it would still have been the wrong decision, because a goal result from the keeper going up is so unlikely compared to conceding one. Unai said he didn't have the exact data but it's still correct not to go up based on all evidence, save for the extreme situations you suggest.

[Beard82]

Hmm - certainly starting to look like hes off

[Drummond]

https://twitter.com/Wrighti1/status/1628048007504490496?t=M9JYkGqpOpgSIMlH3InqHQ&s=19

[aj2k77]

He's going to be off in the Summer I'm pretty sure but lets not look for angles to bash the manager when he does. This manager has got what it takes, he's going to get us back on the path towards being a stable, challenging club rather than the no mark easy 3 points we've been so often the past decade.

[frank black]

Sell our best players and replace with better.

Some challenge that. Let’s see, but IMO he needs to stay.

[Duncan Shaw]

All I hear is him saying he loves the club.

[maidstonevillain]

Good business if we get a reasonable price. He's a 30 year old goalkeeper who has had one good year, and recently been very shaky, and even disruptive. In my opinion.

[PaulWinch again]

Had one good year? Give me a break.

[algy]

Can't believe some of the talk on this forum sometimes.  We've got literally the best goalkeeper in the world, who's repeatedly said how much he loves the Villa, and people can't be rid of him quickly enough.

[Drummond]

Can't believe some of the talk on this forum sometimes.  We've got literally the best goalkeeper in the world, who's repeatedly said how much he loves the Villa, and people can't be rid of him quickly enough.

It's the defence mechanism I think. If ratboy can do it then I guess the view is anyone can.

[Duncan Shaw]

Can't believe some of the talk on this forum sometimes.  We've got literally the best goalkeeper in the world, who's repeatedly said how much he loves the Villa, and people can't be rid of him quickly enough.

THIS!!!!

[ChicagoLion]

 the best goalkeeper in the world?
No

[LeeB]

the best goalkeeper in the world?
No

Did you see the other two contenders last night?

[Bully2345]

He's a great keeper but people are just observing that he doesn't appear to be the best fit for the manager's football and his value is probably at its highest right now. Making that observation isn't the same as being desperate to get rid of him.