Unai Emery

[BC Villain]

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.

Can't believe there is any other region in the UK where its own local media shits on its own doorstep with such relish.

[Clampy]

I remember that 'send us the bill' story. Bill Howell's career went quickly downhill from there I think.

[SamTheMouse]

Fuck off, Jamie Carragher. And when you've done that, fuck off again.

[danno]

Fuck off, Jamie Carragher. And when you've done that, fuck off again.

So that is usually my reaction to him and Gary Neville anyway but is there something in particular he’s said or done?

[Smithy]

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.

The thing with the German league is that the top teams are comparable to the top teams in the top leagues.  Bayern, Dortmund, Leverkeusen wouldn't look out of place in the Premier League (or La Liga, Serie A and so on).  But the drop off behind them is precipitous.  The bottom half of the Bundesliga is Championship standard.  It's easy for a good player to wrack up seriously impressive numbers in that league, because they're playing a pretty poor team every other week.  That doesn't happen here.  It's tough EVERY week.

Edit: To illustrate the point, Kane is a brilliant goalscorer, but he already has 12 goals in 9 games so far over there.  They won their last game 8-0 and he scored 3 (his halfway goal was world class, obviously).  His numbers this year will likely dwarf even his best ever season here.

[Somniloquism]

Fuck off, Jamie Carragher. And when you've done that, fuck off again.

So that is usually my reaction to him and Gary Neville anyway but is there something in particular he’s said or done?

Quick google and he has a Telegraph article discussing us so I assume it is something to do with that.

[Rigadon]

Wanker writes wanky opinion piece in a tory paper alert. The only bit not seemingly behind a paywall says (and I paraphrase): we should enjoy Emery while we can because he will go to a CL club soon.

[ChicagoLion]

Wanker writes wanky opinion piece in a tory paper alert. The only bit not seemingly behind a paywall says (and I paraphrase): we should enjoy Emery while we can because he will go to a CL club soon.

Cant he find another family to gob on?

[LeeB]

Carragher was up our arse when we got promoted, great traditional club back, great stadium etc, but his tone seems to have changed in the last year or so, I wonder why?

[AV84]

"The problem for Villa long-term is I am not sure any ambitious coach covets a reputation for being a prolific Europa League winner. They all want the biggest prize."

Hr basically praises Emery but says ultimately he'll want to be in the Champions League, and winning it, and that Villa will give him the platform for his next opportunity. Although he does finish the article by saying there's every chance he'll be coaching in the CL next season with Villa, but if that doesn't happen we shouldn't be surprised if he leaves.

I'd agree with that to a point. I don't think he'll leave this year if we don't qualify for CL. But we will have to get there next season, if not this season, or he probably will start to look at other offers.

[KNVillan]

Here is the article

https://archive.ph/EdhVf

[Dave P]

Carragher was up our arse when we got promoted, great traditional club back, great stadium etc, but his tone seems to have changed in the last year or so, I wonder why?

Challenging Liverpool while sacking his mate la

[ChicagoLion]

It’s the sort of article you get from a low intellect gob shite.
Oh, bigger clubs try and poach players and managers from perceived smaller clubs. Shit that must have taken some major insight. Twat.

[Monty]

Carragher was up our arse when we got promoted, great traditional club back, great stadium etc, but his tone seems to have changed in the last year or so, I wonder why?

Great traditional clubs add wonderful colour to Liverpool's W column, but as soon as they start to shift across it's time to put us in our place.

Which is funny, as they still fuck us up pretty often and will finish above us. The deepest imaginable insecurity - we're not even a proper threat (yet)!

And yes, I'm sure jettisoning his bezza overboard, forcing him to swim ashore on some benighted shithole while we cruise off on our merry way didn't help.

[Rigadon]

Any opinion pieces of a similar nature on the Brighton or Spurs managers, who must also surely be getting ready to leave their respective clubs?  Will James Maddison be batting his eyelids at Arsenal in January?  Eddie Howe must be 'eyeing' the Man Utd job?