Emi Martinez

[LeeB]

Further to the comments about Unai never being fully convinced, I bet he was fucking seething at his red card at Old Trafford.

[Beard82]

I have lots of concerns about this. 

He is one of the few players that have played for us that I can say - he is one of the best in the world.   So giving up on him after some mistakes seems crazy.  Selling him to a team that we are comfortably better than - but have the "money" and ambitions to get above us again seems crazy. 

We lack leaders - in the biggest games we freeze, it has cost us CL football, and missed out on 2 cup finals because of this.  Selling one of the few players clearly comfortable at that level seems crazy.

We lack leaders - our best is normally on the bench - so without another one were in a difficult position

It means we need to replace him - good GK, that work within Unai's style of play are few and far between as many clubs (including Man Utd) have seen.  This takes focus and is easy to get wrong.

If you look at last summer - we didnt "nail" it - and it meant we needed an amazing last 10 or so games.  Unai and Monchi are amazing - but they are bound by realtity.  They wont get everything right. 

[LeeB]

I think people are more worried about losing a player they've been calling 'the best in the world', than actually losing the ability of the player.

[Gerrin]

Further to the comments about Unai never being fully convinced, I bet he was fucking seething at his red card at Old Trafford.

Yep, totally stupid sending off. Just like going up for the corner v Arsenal at home, and then conceding.

[andyh]

I'm still p8ssed off about the end of the season - all in our hands and we fcuk it up.

The consequences will begin to hit home in the coming weeks. It's been a long time since I've felt this disillusioned with football and our prospects for the upcoming season.

I’m not quite so disillusioned as you I think , but I agree, that none performance at OT takes some getting over and yes the impact is massive.
The EL is not so much a consolation prize, more a booby prize in comparison to the CL.

The biggest solace we can take is that we have Unai. That is the most important thing right now.

[LeeB]

Further to the comments about Unai never being fully convinced, I bet he was fucking seething at his red card at Old Trafford.

Yep, totally stupid sending off. Just like going up for the corner v Arsenal at home, and then conceding.

Yes, I was thinking back to that, one of the very rare occasions Unai has been explicitly critical of a player post match.

[cdbearsfan]

He was still right to go up for the corner against Arsenal, IMO.

[Le Lapin]

If he does go there it will be sickening, but his performance in OT did a lot to help his potential new team get a win over us and knock us out of the Champs League places. An enormous loss to the club if he goes. Great keeper.

[Somniloquism]

He was still right to go up for the corner against Arsenal, IMO.

Yep, we had lost the game whether he went up and we then conceded or not. Whilst rare a keeper causes a goal for in those circumstances, it is as rare as conceding after so take the risk for the point. If we were drawing and we lost because of it, I can understand the criticism. But for this to be a criticism 3 years later.......

[kippaxvilla2]

He got himself sent off at OT knowing that if we had won that day we would’ve ended up in the CL and he might have stayed when really he wanted to move to them.  It was all deliberate.

[DB]

Where has this ManUre rumour come from?

[kippaxvilla2]

Fabrizio Romano.

[Dante Lavelli]

I'm still p8ssed off about the end of the season - all in our hands and we fcuk it up.

The consequences will begin to hit home in the coming weeks. It's been a long time since I've felt this disillusioned with football and our prospects for the upcoming season.

Zoom out a bit.  I don’t get all the doom and gloom, this is the best Villa team I can remember.

We’re likely to win more than we lose next season so enjoy the journey.

[PeterWithesShin]

There's been 3 goals scored by keepers from set pieces in the PL. I'd fancy there's been a fair chunk more conceded or the keeper got injured due to being up. If Emery doesn't want the keeper up then there's a reason for that considering how meticulous he is.

[aev]

I’m amazed he seems to be so cheap, keepers seem to have a bit more longevity than the others who have to run around a bit more.

How cheap is he?

Isn't 35m eur being talked about?

I dont think that is expensive for a top keeper.