Emi Martinez

[KevinGage]

Will be a sad day when Emi leaves the club.

But it's also sad to witness a once great player losing his reflexes and looking mortal.

I personally don't think we're at that stage yet. But if the brains trust with their head on the chopping block do - and the player himself wants to move - I'd be less bothered about it this summer than 12 months ago.

[Dave]

Surely you’d be looking to Libor Kozak?

Who is somehow still playing.

[RamboandBruno]

For what it's worth I'd keep Pau and Emi and replace Watkins with a younger more technically gifted finisher (like Duran) - runs for cover

Except keeping Duran seems never to have been an option. He wanted out. That's why he left a CL club in the highest-profile league in the world to join a retirement community in the middle of a desert.

Duran was never going to contribute to our club the way Ollie has. He had no intention of even giving it a go, and the manager knew it. Fuck Duran.

Agree Rory. Duran was a really exciting talent and could arguably of made a difference to the cup semi final last week and the end of season. However, the minute he left, in particular because of where he went, he went out of my mind remarkably quickly. This may of been helped by Rashford and Asensio coming in to be fair, but the Duran show would of just rumbled on if he had stayed.
Watkins has been a great player for us and a brilliant professional. But with his age now, it wouldn’t be a huge shock for him to move on in the summer, where though Im not sure. I really don’t the teams ahead of us, paying huge money to a rival for a 29 year old. Arsenals January interest seemed like Ellisesques appeasement of their fans.

As for Emi, my son said after the Newcastle game, he thought  his instincts might be going. Im not sure, but my feeling is he saves the Eze shot last year. He’s the best keeper Ive ever seen in over 40 years down the Villa, and I think some mistakes mixed in with brilliance this season rather than just the usual brilliance, doesn’t warrant us to get rid prematurely in my view. Then again if there are financial pressures and the player is open to moving, that maybe that. I cannot see a player as competitive as Emi playing at 32 in Saudi though, Spain maybe. Anyway whenever it is, it will be a sad day when he goes.

[PeterWithe]

Agree with every word of that.

Unfortunately the lack of financial wriggle room will see us trading players we have a lot of affection for, for the foreseeable future. The great managers have always sold players at exactly the right time, and the amount of data now available will help them a lot in making these decisions.

I'd like to keep Emi and I dont think the transfer fee we'd get for him would make that much difference, but at 96% wages to turnover, if the stats and coaches suggest he's on the way down, his wages might catch the eye of the recruitment team.

[Meanwood Villa]

Surely you’d be looking to Libor Kozak?

Who is somehow still playing.

Wow. TIL.

[eamonn]

Kozak missed a lot of football with injuries so hopefully he lasts as long as Jools Joachim did.

[chrisw1]

Buying PL quality goalkeepers is hard.  Even if you go for internationals from decent teams, you often end up with an Olsen, Nyland, Kalinic or - God forbid - Onana.

I've got mixed feelings about Martinez's form this season and feel he's far from the best in the world at the moment, but unless we're getting £40m + from Saudi, I don't think it's something we should even contemplate.  I also think there's every chance his form picks back up next season and we'll be laughing that the discussion was even had.

[Keeno]

Yeah I don't think he moves this summer - he has said himself he's had a poor year and I'd back him to pick it back up next year. He's not old for a goalkeeper by any means, and given the slow start to his career in England it's not like he's played an extraordinary amount of games.

The change in our style of play and the abandonment of the high line has not helped him, IMO. Last season he was forced to be much more proactive playing as a sweeper behind the defence, and he's not done that anywhere near as much this year.

I do think we are reaching the point where signing a young talented keeper to start succession planning for two years' time makes sense - which is probably why Monchi has been watching the lad at Espanyol.

[Randy Gurner]

For what it's worth I'd keep Pau and Emi and replace Watkins with a younger more technically gifted finisher (like Duran) - runs for cover

Except keeping Duran seems never to have been an option. He wanted out. That's why he left a CL club in the highest-profile league in the world to join a retirement community in the middle of a desert.

Duran was never going to contribute to our club the way Ollie has. He had no intention of even giving it a go, and the manager knew it. Fuck Duran.

I meant more 'like' Duran than actually Duran himself - who clearly was always on the way out of the club like you said.

I love Ollie, I think we got the best of him on our way back up the footballing ladder, but if we want to push on we need a technically superior centre forward who can take the umpteen chances we create.

[chrisw1]

I think if Arsenal had stumped up the money keeping Duran is exactly what we would have done.  Whether he would have stayed long-term is a different matter.

[Abbeyfealeavfc]

For what it's worth I'd keep Pau and Emi and replace Watkins with a younger more technically gifted finisher (like Duran) - runs for cover

Except keeping Duran seems never to have been an option. He wanted out. That's why he left a CL club in the highest-profile league in the world to join a retirement community in the middle of a desert.

Duran was never going to contribute to our club the way Ollie has. He had no intention of even giving it a go, and the manager knew it. Fuck Duran.

I meant more 'like' Duran than actually Duran himself - who clearly was always on the way out of the club like you said.

I love Ollie, I think we got the best of him on our way back up the footballing ladder, but if we want to push on we need a technically superior centre forward who can take the umpteen chances we create.

I can't wait for this prolific striker who's going to come in, "who can take the umpteen chances we create".
Who is he? Don't keep us guessing! 😉

[Drummond]

He's been busy for years, and this summer he's finally getting a breather. A chance to reset, revitalise and recuperate.

He'll be immense again next season, I just hope it's with us.

[Sexual Ealing]

For what it's worth I'd keep Pau and Emi and replace Watkins with a younger more technically gifted finisher (like Duran) - runs for cover

Except keeping Duran seems never to have been an option. He wanted out. That's why he left a CL club in the highest-profile league in the world to join a retirement community in the middle of a desert.

Duran was never going to contribute to our club the way Ollie has. He had no intention of even giving it a go, and the manager knew it. Fuck Duran.

I meant more 'like' Duran than actually Duran himself - who clearly was always on the way out of the club like you said.

I love Ollie, I think we got the best of him on our way back up the footballing ladder, but if we want to push on we need a technically superior centre forward who can take the umpteen chances we create.

I can't wait for this prolific striker who's going to come in, "who can take the umpteen chances we create".
Who is he? Don't keep us guessing! 😉

Did anyone call for or predict the signing of Duran (£15m from MLS)? He turned out to be quite good. That some fans on an internet message board can't highlight a potential improvement doesn't mean no improvement is possible.

I want to replace Watkins. I can't tell you who is out there that fits the profile, is affordable and gettable. I still want to replace Watkins.

This is because I don't believe Watkins could possibly be the only available player in world football capable of scoring goals at the requisite level for us. In fact, I'm sure there are several. I see better strikers many times a season and I only watch Villa games.

"Name one then" really isn't a gotcha.

[chrisw1]

Name the several then?

Much as I dislike Arteta, the fact that Arsenal is considered the most likely destination for Watkins speaks volumes really - good, PL quality strikers are few and far between.  Watkins is behind Haaland & Isak.  After that it's a moot point.  Some will argue Delap (who I do rate), until this season some would have claimed Solanke.  Cuhna is very good, but different style.  Some wanted Archer to replace him. Before they can to the PL Dawin and Højlund looked good.  I think most of us would have taken Jackson in a heartbeat.  But these players still can't consistently outperform Watkins.

Of course strikers are available in world football, but the fact there are so few who are clearly better than Watkins in the PL shows how hard it is to find them.

[Abbeyfealeavfc]

 

For what it's worth I'd keep Pau and Emi and replace Watkins with a younger more technically gifted finisher (like Duran) - runs for cover

Except keeping Duran seems never to have been an option. He wanted out. That's why he left a CL club in the highest-profile league in the world to join a retirement community in the middle of a desert.

Duran was never going to contribute to our club the way Ollie has. He had no intention of even giving it a go, and the manager knew it. Fuck Duran.

I meant more 'like' Duran than actually Duran himself - who clearly was always on the way out of the club like you said.

I love Ollie, I think we got the best of him on our way back up the footballing ladder, but if we want to push on we need a technically superior centre forward who can take the umpteen chances we create.

I can't wait for this prolific striker who's going to come in, "who can take the umpteen chances we create".
Who is he? Don't keep us guessing! 😉

"Name one then" really isn't a gotcha.


Wtaf?