Emi Martinez

[algy]

I've at no point disliked Emi Martinez.  I think he's great, and I'm absolutely chuffed that he looks like he's getting back to his old self again.  Because Emi with his head in the right place is the best goalkeeper in the world bar none.

[simon ward 50]

I've at no point disliked Emi Martinez.  I think he's great, and I'm absolutely chuffed that he looks like he's getting back to his old self again.  Because Emi with his head in the right place is the best goalkeeper in the world bar none.

With you algy on this!

[Ian.]

I've at no point disliked Emi Martinez.  I think he's great, and I'm absolutely chuffed that he looks like he's getting back to his old self again.  Because Emi with his head in the right place is the best goalkeeper in the world bar none.

With you algy on this!

Yeah me too. I have the feeling we messed him around at some point last season before the end and he thought he was going to be used as a pawn for raising funds.

He’s an incredible keeper, probably the best I’ve ever seen and a great player to have around.

[Dave]

I've at no point disliked Emi Martinez.  I think he's great, and I'm absolutely chuffed that he looks like he's getting back to his old self again.  Because Emi with his head in the right place is the best goalkeeper in the world bar none.

With you algy on this!

Yeah me too. I have the feeling we messed him around at some point last season before the end and he thought he was going to be used as a pawn for raising funds.

Obviously we're not going to know the complete version for a few years yet, but the version that I choose to believe goes something like:

Autumn 2024 - Emi is very happy and signs new Villa contract

Early 2025 - Emi, along with Watkins, Bailey and Ramsey, is told that we are going to need to raise some big money and one of them will have to be sold to keep the lights on.

Spring 2025 - Emi instructs his agent to find him a new club, as if Villa are going to sell him, he's going to make sure it's on his terms

Summer 2025 - Emi is happy enough to go to Man Utd or similar and expects the move to happen due to a mixture of lack of interest in Bailey / Watkins and Ramsey not wanting to leave.

September 2025 - Emi is pissed off at having been messed around for the last nine months and is surprised to still be at the club.

Now - Emi is pretty happy to stay, but the first sign of "you're our next PSR sacrifice" talk and he is going to be off like a shot.
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Maybe that's wrong and the whole episode was just Emi being a whiny twat. But it's the version I'm going with until someone comes up with a more convincing one.

[AV82EC]

I've at no point disliked Emi Martinez.  I think he's great, and I'm absolutely chuffed that he looks like he's getting back to his old self again.  Because Emi with his head in the right place is the best goalkeeper in the world bar none.

With you algy on this!

Yeah me too. I have the feeling we messed him around at some point last season before the end and he thought he was going to be used as a pawn for raising funds.

Obviously we're not going to know the complete version for a few years yet, but the version that I choose to believe goes something like:

Autumn 2024 - Emi is very happy and signs new Villa contract

Early 2025 - Emi (along with Watkins, Bailey and Ramsey) are told that we are going to need to raise some big money and one of them will have to be sold to keep the lights on.

Spring 2025 - Emi instructs his agent to find him a new club, as if Villa are going to sell him, he's going to make sure it's on his terms

Summer 2025 - Emi is happy enough to go to Man Utd or similar and expects the move to happen due to a mixture of lack of interest in Bailey / Watkins and Ramsey not wanting to leave.

September 2025 - Emi is pissed off at having been messed around for the last nine months and is surprised to still be at the club.

Now - Emi is pretty happy to stay, but the first sign of "you're our next PSR sacrifice" talk and he is going to be off like a shot.
-------------

Maybe that's wrong and the whole episode was just Emi being a whiny twat. But it's the version I'm going with until someone comes up with a more convincing one.

Seconded.

[john e]

I've at no point disliked Emi Martinez.  I think he's great, and I'm absolutely chuffed that he looks like he's getting back to his old self again.  Because Emi with his head in the right place is the best goalkeeper in the world bar none.

With you algy on this!

Yeah me too. I have the feeling we messed him around at some point last season before the end and he thought he was going to be used as a pawn for raising funds.

Obviously we're not going to know the complete version for a few years yet, but the version that I choose to believe goes something like:

Autumn 2024 - Emi is very happy and signs new Villa contract

Early 2025 - Emi, along with Watkins, Bailey and Ramsey, is told that we are going to need to raise some big money and one of them will have to be sold to keep the lights on.

Spring 2025 - Emi instructs his agent to find him a new club, as if Villa are going to sell him, he's going to make sure it's on his terms

Summer 2025 - Emi is happy enough to go to Man Utd or similar and expects the move to happen due to a mixture of lack of interest in Bailey / Watkins and Ramsey not wanting to leave.

September 2025 - Emi is pissed off at having been messed around for the last nine months and is surprised to still be at the club.

Now - Emi is pretty happy to stay, but the first sign of "you're our next PSR sacrifice" talk and he is going to be off like a shot.
-------------

Maybe that's wrong and the whole episode was just Emi being a whiny twat. But it's the version I'm going with until someone comes up with a more convincing one.

Seems reasonable to me

[PeterWithesShin]

I really don't see why we'd tell players in Feb that we'll be looking at selling one of them. I can see the scenario playing out after we missed out on CL but not before.

[danno]

Would we strip him of the vice captaincy etc, if it was us that had messed him around?

I suppose we might have told him that he was staying after all and he still agitated for a move.

I just think we’d have been more strongly linked with other goalkeepers if we had been open to him leaving. Bizot was clearly the Olsen replacement.

[PeterWithesShin]

"Hey lads, we know you're in the hunt to win the CL, FAC and qualify for Europe but we'll be flogging one of you. Now go and win things and stay motivated to give everything for the club."

Can anyone really see that kind of convo with a number of key players. And if we were stupid enough to do that then no wonder we ballsed it up on 3 fronts

[Somniloquism]

Would we strip him of the vice captaincy etc, if it was us that had messed him around?

I suppose we might have told him that he was staying after all and he still agitated for a move.

I just think we’d have been more strongly linked with other goalkeepers if we had been open to him leaving. Bizot was clearly the Olsen replacement.

I think your second line is correct on that aspect. We had sold enough to ensure we were compliant but he decided to still try to force the Manure move through. On the day of the Palace match (and several days beforehand), he was telling complete strangers at his kids football matches that he was leaving, which then got out into SM etc. However their was also plenty of stories from credible sources that Monchi/Vidagney had told players they could move on as well.

[Percy McCarthy]

I've at no point disliked Emi Martinez.  I think he's great, and I'm absolutely chuffed that he looks like he's getting back to his old self again.  Because Emi with his head in the right place is the best goalkeeper in the world bar none.

With you algy on this!

Yeah me too. I have the feeling we messed him around at some point last season before the end and he thought he was going to be used as a pawn for raising funds.

Obviously we're not going to know the complete version for a few years yet, but the version that I choose to believe goes something like:

Autumn 2024 - Emi is very happy and signs new Villa contract

Early 2025 - Emi, along with Watkins, Bailey and Ramsey, is told that we are going to need to raise some big money and one of them will have to be sold to keep the lights on.

Spring 2025 - Emi instructs his agent to find him a new club, as if Villa are going to sell him, he's going to make sure it's on his terms

Summer 2025 - Emi is happy enough to go to Man Utd or similar and expects the move to happen due to a mixture of lack of interest in Bailey / Watkins and Ramsey not wanting to leave.

September 2025 - Emi is pissed off at having been messed around for the last nine months and is surprised to still be at the club.

Now - Emi is pretty happy to stay, but the first sign of "you're our next PSR sacrifice" talk and he is going to be off like a shot.
-------------

Maybe that's wrong and the whole episode was just Emi being a whiny twat. But it's the version I'm going with until someone comes up with a more convincing one.

I agree with this version, although I think Tanswell said they were all (Villa, Emi’s agent) looking for a club to take him since January.

[LeeB]

"Hey lads, we know you're in the hunt to win the CL, FAC and qualify for Europe but we'll be flogging one of you. Now go and win things and stay motivated to give everything for the club."

Can anyone really see that kind of convo with a number of key players. And if we were stupid enough to do that then no wonder we ballsed it up on 3 fronts

It seems far fetched but I wonder if the exploratory conversations around this are what we're the beginning of the end for Monchi, and maybe there was a bit of a rift with the manager over it.

The way we turned up at Old Trafford like it was our own funeral was mystifying.

[Chap]

I thought Bosnich was better than Spink.

Agreed

[PeterWithesShin]

I was just thinking, maybe Monchi was stupid enough to do it, Then fucked up selling them leaving us with a bunch of unhappy players so he gets binned and we have a shit start to the season.

[Drummond]

Monchi being binned helped Emery restore faith in his methods I think.