Emi Martinez

[Dante Lavelli]

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.

I think there’s truth there.  In an interview either Monchi or Viddy said at the end of each season they tell each player what their sales value is so the agents can look for a club, i.e. if the value is deemed realistic.

Feasible that they notified players they were essentially for sale but there wasn’t enough cash floating about to get the deals done.  There’s 3 or 4 players I can imagine being on that list and then the season starts and they’re expected to be busting their balls for a club that was trying to sell them moment ago.  It explains the slow start, especially if the window is still open.

[paul_e]

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.

I think there’s truth there.  In an interview either Monchi or Viddy said at the end of each season they tell each player what their sales value is so the agents can look for a club, i.e. if the value is deemed realistic.

Feasible that they notified players they were essentially for sale but there wasn’t enough cash floating about to get the deals done.  There’s 3 or 4 players I can imagine being on that list and then the season starts and they’re expected to be busting their balls for a club that was trying to sell them moment ago.  It explains the slow start, especially if the window is still open.

I think we're in danger of over-thinking it a bit. I reckon it was mostly that the squad really liked JJ and Bailey (and Rashford and Asensio) and losing all of them ove rthe window just knocked the morale and it took a few to shake off. We were pretty good in pre-season remember so I don't think it was that the squad were a mess all summer and it carried into the season.

[olaftab]

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.

I have always found your posts to be informative, intelligent and containing substances. As a character I picture you as thinking women's crumpet. You are being far too kind to Emi here and therefore I find this post disappointing.

Here is my version:
Martinez wanted to go to Barcelona and appointed superagent , the chap who owned Wolves for a while, to make it happen. Barca were short of cash and didn't touch him so next he was offered to Atletico Madrid who were also not interested so he shamelessly peddled himself to manu and got another smack.

[Ian.]

But luckily we’re left with the best goalkeeper in the world between the sticks.