Unai Emery

[PeterWithesShin]

That they looked at Dortmund and thought, Sancho is the one to buy, not Haaland or Bellingham is splendid.


*I know it almost certainly wasn't that straightforward but thinking it's what they did is very funny.

[paul_e]

That they looked at Dortmund and thought, Sancho is the one to buy, not Haaland or Bellingham is splendid.


*I know it almost certainly wasn't that straightforward but thinking it's what they did is very funny.

To be fair he had 50 goals and 64 assists in 137 appearances as mostly a teenager in one of the top leagues in the world. I can absolutely see why teams were interested. The problem is Man Utd are such a mess that they had no idea how they planned to use him or integrate him into the team, he plays primarily in the same position as their best player and in the same window that they brought back a circus act to play as their main centre forward.

He's failed badly for them but but I think he could still go on to have a very decent career, he just needs to get away from them asap.

[LeeB]

So does Rashford.

[Risso]

The other probem is that the German league is miles easier than the EPL, and so expecting players to come in and immediately replicate their form rarely works. (Haaland the obvious exception, but he's a freak playing for the most expensively assembled team in the world). Even we're now only really starting to see the player that we thought we were getting with Bailey.

[LeeB]

We'll just forget about Diaby for now mate

[paul_e]

The other probem is that the German league is miles easier than the EPL, and so expecting players to come in and immediately replicate their form rarely works. (Haaland the obvious exception, but he's a freak playing for the most expensively assembled team in the world). Even we're now only really starting to see the player that we thought we were getting with Bailey.

I nearly put that but last time I dared to suggest the German league was easier for players like Sancho and Bailey I had a load of sulky replies about how it's one of the best leagues in the world and I couldn't be arsed with repeating that.

[Risso]

Happy to take one for the team Paul!

[Toronto Villa]

The other probem is that the German league is miles easier than the EPL, and so expecting players to come in and immediately replicate their form rarely works. (Haaland the obvious exception, but he's a freak playing for the most expensively assembled team in the world). Even we're now only really starting to see the player that we thought we were getting with Bailey.

What are you on about? Did you forget the roaring sucess of the likes of Havertz, Pulisic and Werner?

[OCD]

Pulisic might not be the best example. He looked decent in patches, the problem was more that he was at a basketcase club. Of those 3, he would be the one I would have been happy to have Emery manage.

[Martyn Smith]

Ten Hag is 'vowing to fight on', a sure sign that it's coming to an end...

[brontebilly]

I would imagine that if they do sack Ten Hag, they'd go for somebody relatively cheap to get hold of like Potter or *prays to the gods* Gareth Southgate.

That's the best bit. Ten Hag is IMO a really good manager and they'll struggle to improve on him. Like it or not, they're such a shambles right now that I think they've slipped down the pecking order, which now probably looks like:

Manc City
Liverpool
--
Arsenal
--
Manc Utd
The Villa
Newcastle
Spurs
--
Chelsea
--
Everyone else

Both Chelsea and them are on a downwards trajectory as far as that goes. Absolutely wouldn't surprise me if one or both end up in a similar situation to the one Everton are in now.

I really don't know on what basis EtH is an elite manager. Yes he did very well at Ajax but his recruitment this year and last has been Steve Bruce esque. Like where's the logic of signing Mount when you have a better version of him in Fernandez? He can't deny he was overruled on new players as most of them he worked with before. Many now seem more Alfonso Alves level than RvN. Where he deserves a pass I guess is the inability of the club to move on the likes of Maguire, Sancho, McTominay, Martial and they hang around like a bad smell afterwards. Casemiro was a farce of a signing too on that contract.

In comparison after that Stevenage debacle, Emery, with the support of the club, moved on five starters that day rapidly.

[Somniloquism]

And why not Eddie Howe at Newcastle Won Fuck All United? Why are the media not linking him more strongly? How about Arteta? Man U is a bigger club than Arsenal. Maybe Ange-ball would walk out of Spurs yet I don’t see those lazy links. Surely Thomas Frank would punt Brentford?

It's because there's a media conspiracy against Villa. You'd think they'd be too busy covering more successful clubs, but no. They're all part of a plot to do us down, starting with a comment piece on a local website, ending with the hiring of a big blimp to hover above parliament with "SOTV" written on this side. It's the only explanation.

I realise you are taking the piss, however the local "paper" / website have been like this for years. They published the "Exclusive: Villa players DID salute Hitler" piece one year and usuallyt some other hit piece the same weekend we would be going to a cup final. More recently it has been "X Club should buy Y from Villa" type stories. We also had the "Send us the bill" comment piece another year as well, when the club complained about opposition fans ripping up seats to throw at home supporters, written by the same person who complained about the "dark days of football" when we jubilantly invaded the pitch to celebrate a win a few years earlier.

It is not just because it is MGN or Reach or who-ever currently owns it as they have similar websites/ newpapers in most other major cities and I don't see stories in the Chronicle for example as mentioned by Toronto. It seems the spirt of Skidmark will always invade that organisation no matter who runs it. 

[Somniloquism]

That they looked at Dortmund and thought, Sancho is the one to buy, not Haaland or Bellingham is splendid.


*I know it almost certainly wasn't that straightforward but thinking it's what they did is very funny.

Solskjær was manager at Molde when he had Haaland there and I suspect would have told Manure about his availability. However at the time they were stuck with Moanihio who doesn't build for future success and doesn't rate kids so they missed out there as well. Remember Ferguson saved them a shitload by getting in Ronaldo, Scholes, Giggs, Beckham because he knew to get them in early and work with them. He even knew 23 year old Ole Gunnar would work well in the Prem at the time when most other people were "who?".

[OCD]

I saw Sir Alex come in for some praise the other day for his comments about how he liked the way we played (having just lost 5-1 at Newcastle).

[Hookeysmith]

The arrogance of thier "fans" on the radio is staggering. The irony is lost on them. Complaining constantly about the Glaziers when they have let Ten Hag spend £400m on utter shit. Complaints about the oil money spent at Man Cite£ yet are begging a Qatari group to buy them. I fucking hate everything about that redfilth. Schadenfreude was invented for them 😉