Emi Martinez

[paul_e]

"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

More likely version though is:

"We've just submitted our finances to UEFA and have breeched the thresholds for last year and will be punished in the summer. That's going to make it difficult for us to invest for next season without making sales so if any of you are interested in going elsewhere here is what we'd need to be offered to let you go. If no one wants to love on we might have to make some difficult decisions."

[London Villan]

“We need a volunteer…Jacob, step forward.”

[john e]

"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.

Errr….we always turn up like that

[PeterWithesShin]

Whatever version it would still be dumb as fuck to say it to players during the season. Especially with months still to go.

[Dave]

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.

It's definitely a good argument against it (danno's point about the vice-captaincy, too). You're right, your "hey lads..." conversation would be mental. And I can't imagine that the admin / contract / money guys have the freedom to potentially unsettle people in that way without it coming up in discussion with Emery.

So to adapt the timeline above a bit, as well as the "maybe Monchi was just really bad at all this" theory, I'd chuck in that thing about how apparently the club keeps in contact with players / agents what sort of bid they would be happy to accept, which I'm sure was in one of those Athletic long-reads.

Maybe it's not the club phoning up Emi's agent and explicitly saying "we might kick him out the door in the summer because we need that sweet, sweet transfer money". Maybe it's a more subtle "before, when we said that he was the World's Number One and it would take an £80m bid to get us to sell? Well, actually things have changed a bit and it's now £40m and he goes with our best wishes"

And a capable football agent puts 2+2 together, says to Emi "they want you out" and it goes from there.

[PeterWithesShin]

Obviously my version of the convo was tongue in cheek but I still don't see why it would make sense to say anything during the season. Having an honest conversation with the player/agent a day or so after the ManU game still gives them months to look into other options.  I think Emi wanted to leave, him/agent talked to us and then we did say we were open to it, hence blart boy last VP game. I just don't buy us telling a bunch of key players months earlier, unless we were very very stupid.

[john e]

Nothing makes sense though
we lost a load of games playing really rubbish stuff, something was going on as one or two players alluded to so there’s bound to be speculation
the transfer window was grim, some players looked they were in moods, then the transfer window closed.
Monchi left unexpectedly and things suddenly got a whole lot better

whatever happened it wasnt normal but looks like we’ve come through it now and everyone is glad

[PeterWithesShin]

I think Emi wanted to go, we said ok as it would help the books and he's not getting any yonger. He blarts at VP.

ManU piss around, window keeps going, we need money to bring anyone else in and cover Europe. No one is making decent bids until JJ. So off he goes. Emi still thinks ManU will cough up and wants to go. As JJ has gone players wonder who is next. Window ends. No one is happy with Monchi, he goes. We have a hangover and twitchy players, we play cack. Everyone settles down and we play better.

There was no telling a bunch of players we were open to selling them, apart from Emi as he wanted to go.

The end.

[PeterWithesShin]

That's the abridged version as too lazy to write more.

[Mellin]

Agreed. Comes across as mental gymnastics to justify the actions of a player we all care(d) about. He wanted to go. He's still here and doing a good job. Shades of Gaz Baz and think he'll end up leaving in the summer. I still appreciate him, and Saturday felt like a corner turned, but it still isn't the same, and it's not going to be.

Caveat being that I posted lyrics to Redemption Song in the Match thread when he saved the pen, so might be more likely to forgive when riding high on claret and blue emotion.

[paul_e]

I suspect the players were told about the situation with the UEFA regulations and were at least given hints that it was going to mean a tough summer because we were telling the press as much.

If that meant a few of them started looking before they were pushed then it's no great shock.