Emi Martinez

[Mellin]

No player is indispensable! Unai and the owners have earned our trust and if Emi is going it’s a shame but we will progress.

No players are indispensable, but some players are more indispensable than others.

Nice. Apt too. Plenty of little Napoleon's in football's executive community.

I'm not 12. This wouldn't be Yorke or Bozzie, but it'd be as close as I can get. Love a character. Especially one who has excelled here like Emi.

[Tom_Mc9?]

It just stings more than any other for me since Yorke. Here we are among the top clubs again and then this.

I thought we might be looking at a top 2 finish next season. We are so, so close. Not if we lose Emi imho.

I mean we could sign some good players and still succeed.

[frank black]

Normally I’d be confident that we can use the cash to improve the team .

This time I’m confident we won’t

[Villan82]

It just stings more than any other for me since Yorke. Here we are among the top clubs again and then this.

I thought we might be looking at a top 2 finish next season. We are so, so close. Not if we lose Emi imho.

I mean we could sign some good players and still succeed.

He's not only a world class goalkeeper, he is an enormous character whose very presence on the pitch in the Villa side must be worth points because of what it does for our outfield players and what it does to the opposition. Emi Martinez is more than just a world class 'keeper imho.

[Clampy]

Normally I’d be confident that we can use the cash to improve the team .

This time I’m confident we won’t

What makes you say that?

[AV82EC]

If he goes, he goes. I’ve long since stopped worrying about individual players and what they or the management team choose to do. He’s a big player for us, a massive personality and I’d be sad if he goes but at the elite end of football this is the reality currently, players can pick and choose what they want to do with their careers. I’m confident the mgmt group have a plan if that’s the case.

[Tom_Mc9?]

It just stings more than any other for me since Yorke. Here we are among the top clubs again and then this.

I thought we might be looking at a top 2 finish next season. We are so, so close. Not if we lose Emi imho.

I mean we could sign some good players and still succeed.

He's not only a world class goalkeeper, he is an enormous character whose very presence on the pitch in the Villa side must be worth points because of what it does for our outfield players and what it does to the opposition. Emi Martinez is more than just a world class 'keeper imho.

I agree with this, but (I know under very different circumstances and time scales were different) we’ve sold world class players in the past. I love Emi and will be devastated off/when he goes, but I trust the club at the moment. When Jack left and Yorkie left, it was harder for us to continue to  progress than it is now.

[shipscat]

It just stings more than any other for me since Yorke. Here we are among the top clubs again and then this.

I thought we might be looking at a top 2 finish next season. We are so, so close. Not if we lose Emi imho.

That's where I am. Genuinely think we're possibly a player away from being in a title race next season with the momentum on the back end of this one.

If he's off, there's some extremely big boots to full, and I suspect we'll inevitably struggle to find someone straight off to replace his presence, leadership and the way he's integral to Emery-Ball, with the ball at his feet! He's the best keeper I have seen down there in nearly 50 years.

If it's purely due to the wage issue ratio, surely there's going to be a couple of others out too, especially if are busy in the transfer market.

[olaftab]

Because they have to leave us - because an accountant decided it

Accountancy is a noble profession. There's no need to cast aspersions on it with unfounded allegations.

I am at a loss to see why people always make unbalanced comments about accountants. Let’s profit from what they bring to the table and stop bracketing them by mistake.

[Dave]

Normally I’d be confident that we can use the cash to improve the team .

This time I’m confident we won’t

What makes you say that?

I assume because we'd almost certainly be downgrading our goalkeeper whoever we bring in, rather than any aspersions cast at our recruitment people.

[Steve67]

A bit of perspective is required. If we miss out on Champions League, it is likely to be because of our defence and our poor goal difference. A big if. Emi is a brilliant goalkeeper but if we don’t sell now, he may decline. It cannot be argued that that he Has made mistakes this season.  Now is the ultimate time to sell and move on, I trust Unai Emery.

[ozzjim]

Personality, leadership, presence. None of that can be replaced or replicated. Crosses and organisation, ability with the ball at his feet. Sensational. Let's face it he's been immense and last 3-4 games we've seen how commanding and simply brilliant he can be taking the pressure off.

On the flip side, we've conceded from the first shot 20 plus times this season. His shot stopping for me isn't what it was 2 years ago and his mistakes have been more frequent than we are used to from him.

Can we get a better keeper... Highly unlikely. Can we get one who can grow into our next Emi, for sure.

My instinct is he's going somewhere big, and maybe it's not just a Villa decision to sell but an opportunity for him, time will tell on that, but if say Barcelona who need a keeper has come knocking, at 33 it's hard to say no.

[LeeB]

Normally I’d be confident that we can use the cash to improve the team .

This time I’m confident we won’t

What makes you say that?

I assume because we'd almost certainly be downgrading our goalkeeper whoever we bring in, rather than any aspersions cast at our recruitment people.

5 years ago we bought a keeper most people had hardly heard of and he turned out to be the best in the world.

Not an easy trick to repeat, but the next line of great keepers are all out there somewhere.

[Smirker]

Imagine the fire and rage on here when it's announced he's going to MU. They need a new keeper.

[dave shelley]

Irish there were no accountants the arsehole would fall out of the red pencil market.