Unai Emery

[Rudy Can't Fail]

3 pages of people wetting themselves over bullshit.

This once proud site etc.

Yes, it used it be at least 10 pages.

And 6 of those pages were your posts, Chris.

[Brend'Watkins]

3 pages of people wetting themselves over bullshit.

This once proud site etc.

Can't believe people are so excercised about rather vague rumours over Emery's future on this Islamic political history site.

The same people who are instrumental in giving Football Insider the oxygen for them to perpetrate the rumour.

[Stu]

If he did go, and that’s a massive if in my book, it’s all in on Iraola for me.

However this feels like a journo pulling together several threads at the moment and fishing for a story.

Villas poor form
Financial restrictions on the club
Emery saying when he arrived he’s not here to waste time
Emery on record as saying we’re not in the top 6 several times this season.

And hey presto you’ve got a story. It could be true it could be bullshit but enough ifs buts and maybes to generate some clicks.

You know as well as any of us here that if there’s a rumour about Villa it’s true.

[stevo_st]

Weird how these rumours surface with our next league game being against Man U

[Beard82]

On the brightside - Im sure they would pick a bais ref

[kippaxvilla2]

Thomas Bramall.

[Dante Lavelli]

I’d be a touch annoyed if Emery left because of the financial restrictions. They’ve always been there - he signed up to it - and more so will be at 99% of other clubs too. The 1% that aren’t impacted don’t feel like a good fit for him either.

Trophies are a big factor but we have the league cup and a European campaign that are winnable targets most seasons (excl CL but that provides the cash injection etc).

[Smithy]

I’d be a touch annoyed if Emery left because of the financial restrictions. They’ve always been there - he signed up to it - and more so will be at 99% of other clubs too. The 1% that aren’t impacted don’t feel like a good fit for him either.

Trophies are a big factor but we have the league cup and a European campaign that are winnable targets most seasons (excl CL but that provides the cash injection etc).

I could see him being frustrated if the club aren't keeping to whatever promises he was made about overcoming these problems, or if they misled him about the scale of them - but honestly, nothing about these rumours rings true.  They're only emerging because we're in a run of bad form, and our once "nailed-on" Champions League place is now under serious threat.

He knows this is a long-term project.  He knows the structural problems aren't solved overnight, and he's seen with his own eyes (to a much greater extent than we have), what progress has been made off the pitch since he joined us.  We're a club transformed, and with the owners we have, we're going to keep going. 

I think he knows there is a legacy he can build here.  Now, that's not to say he won't have his head turned at some point, but I think he knows what he's got here (the good, and the bad), and it's the perfect professional challenge for someone like him.  He's in the best league in the world, with some of the best owners, and is with a team primed to challenge the orthodox top 6.

Win a trophy or two, and I could see him being here for a VERY long time...

[Rigadon]

One thing I do know, is that if he leaves and we moan, even just a bit, we will be castigated and called ungrateful etc. 

Aside from him being a fantastic coach, the thing I’ve always loved about him is his humble nature and the firm belief he wouldn’t ditch us at the first batting of eyelashes.  As far as we know, that’s still the case so he has my full support. 

[Dave]

I’d be a touch annoyed if Emery left because of the financial restrictions. They’ve always been there - he signed up to it - and more so will be at 99% of other clubs too. The 1% that aren’t impacted don’t feel like a good fit for him either.

Trophies are a big factor but we have the league cup and a European campaign that are winnable targets most seasons (excl CL but that provides the cash injection etc).

I could see him being frustrated if the club aren't keeping to whatever promises he was made about overcoming these problems, or if they misled him about the scale of them - but honestly, nothing about these rumours rings true.  They're only emerging because we're in a run of bad form, and our once "nailed-on" Champions League place is now under serious threat.

He knows this is a long-term project.  He knows the structural problems aren't solved overnight, and he's seen with his own eyes (to a much greater extent than we have), what progress has been made off the pitch since he joined us.  We're a club transformed, and with the owners we have, we're going to keep going. 

I think he knows there is a legacy he can build here.  Now, that's not to say he won't have his head turned at some point, but I think he knows what he's got here (the good, and the bad), and it's the perfect professional challenge for someone like him.  He's in the best league in the world, with some of the best owners, and is with a team primed to challenge the orthodox top 6.

Win a trophy or two, and I could see him being here for a VERY long time...

Also, which club is he off to that doesn't have our problems? While there are mitigating factors at both, I think the massive clubs will see his time at PSG and Arsenal as Reasons Not To Hire Him, and his time with us will just cement the idea that he's a Sevilla / Villa level manager, not a Real Madrid / Bayern Munich level manager.

So if he's not going somewhere that he can spend all the money all the time...then where else is he going to end up that won't have the same issue as us, but more so?

The only bit of that Venn diagram I think, is Man Utd. He feels like the sort of sensible choice that they are bound to stumble over eventually and if they were back in the Champions League, that feels like the first part of that rebuild could be complete ahead of schedule.

But they're hardly a club without their own structural issues.

[Brazilian Villain]

On the brightside - Im sure they would pick a bias ref

Nonsense, the ref for the game is Chris Kavanagh from Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester.

[Smithy]

I’d be a touch annoyed if Emery left because of the financial restrictions. They’ve always been there - he signed up to it - and more so will be at 99% of other clubs too. The 1% that aren’t impacted don’t feel like a good fit for him either.

Trophies are a big factor but we have the league cup and a European campaign that are winnable targets most seasons (excl CL but that provides the cash injection etc).

I could see him being frustrated if the club aren't keeping to whatever promises he was made about overcoming these problems, or if they misled him about the scale of them - but honestly, nothing about these rumours rings true.  They're only emerging because we're in a run of bad form, and our once "nailed-on" Champions League place is now under serious threat.

He knows this is a long-term project.  He knows the structural problems aren't solved overnight, and he's seen with his own eyes (to a much greater extent than we have), what progress has been made off the pitch since he joined us.  We're a club transformed, and with the owners we have, we're going to keep going. 

I think he knows there is a legacy he can build here.  Now, that's not to say he won't have his head turned at some point, but I think he knows what he's got here (the good, and the bad), and it's the perfect professional challenge for someone like him.  He's in the best league in the world, with some of the best owners, and is with a team primed to challenge the orthodox top 6.

Win a trophy or two, and I could see him being here for a VERY long time...

Also, which club is he off to that doesn't have our problems? While there are mitigating factors at both, I think the massive clubs will see his time at PSG and Arsenal as Reasons Not To Hire Him, and his time with us will just cement the idea that he's a Sevilla / Villa level manager, not a Real Madrid / Bayern Munich level manager.

So if he's not going somewhere that he can spend all the money all the time...then where else is he going to end up that won't have the same issue as us, but more so?

The only bit of that Venn diagram I think, is Man Utd. He feels like the sort of sensible choice that they are bound to stumble over eventually and if they were back in the Champions League, that feels like the first part of that rebuild could be complete ahead of schedule.

But they're hardly a club without their own structural issues.

There was a bit in the Gareth Bale interview on The Overlap podcast that I thought was really interesting.  Bale comes across as a very humble, down to earth guy, but he's talking about Real Madrid as a club, and the managers - and basically said the best ones are man managers first and foremost, and don't do much tactically, as the global-star players they have don't like to be micro-managed. He speculated that's why Alonso didn't last - a brilliant manager, but not right for Real because he came in and wanted to coach and manage the players tactically to a high degree - and they didn't like it.

I think it's the same with Unai.  Can you imagine the egos at Madrid sitting through two hours of videos for a league game against a mid-table side?  No, neither can I.  I think Unai can manage any team in the world, but I think there are some teams where his style of management won't work that well, and Madrid is one of them. 

Watching that podcast, I silently scratched "Real Madrid" off my list of teams that might poach Unai away...

[DB]

I’d be a touch annoyed if Emery left because of the financial restrictions. They’ve always been there - he signed up to it - and more so will be at 99% of other clubs too. The 1% that aren’t impacted don’t feel like a good fit for him either.

Trophies are a big factor but we have the league cup and a European campaign that are winnable targets most seasons (excl CL but that provides the cash injection etc).

I could see him being frustrated if the club aren't keeping to whatever promises he was made about overcoming these problems, or if they misled him about the scale of them - but honestly, nothing about these rumours rings true.  They're only emerging because we're in a run of bad form, and our once "nailed-on" Champions League place is now under serious threat.

He knows this is a long-term project.  He knows the structural problems aren't solved overnight, and he's seen with his own eyes (to a much greater extent than we have), what progress has been made off the pitch since he joined us.  We're a club transformed, and with the owners we have, we're going to keep going. 

I think he knows there is a legacy he can build here.  Now, that's not to say he won't have his head turned at some point, but I think he knows what he's got here (the good, and the bad), and it's the perfect professional challenge for someone like him.  He's in the best league in the world, with some of the best owners, and is with a team primed to challenge the orthodox top 6.

Win a trophy or two, and I could see him being here for a VERY long time...

Also, which club is he off to that doesn't have our problems? While there are mitigating factors at both, I think the massive clubs will see his time at PSG and Arsenal as Reasons Not To Hire Him, and his time with us will just cement the idea that he's a Sevilla / Villa level manager, not a Real Madrid / Bayern Munich level manager.

So if he's not going somewhere that he can spend all the money all the time...then where else is he going to end up that won't have the same issue as us, but more so?

The only bit of that Venn diagram I think, is Man Utd. He feels like the sort of sensible choice that they are bound to stumble over eventually and if they were back in the Champions League, that feels like the first part of that rebuild could be complete ahead of schedule.

But they're hardly a club without their own structural issues.

There was a bit in the Gareth Bale interview on The Overlap podcast that I thought was really interesting.  Bale comes across as a very humble, down to earth guy, but he's talking about Real Madrid as a club, and the managers - and basically said the best ones are man managers first and foremost, and don't do much tactically, as the global-star players they have don't like to be micro-managed. He speculated that's why Alonso didn't last - a brilliant manager, but not right for Real because he came in and wanted to coach and manage the players tactically to a high degree - and they didn't like it.

I think it's the same with Unai.  Can you imagine the egos at Madrid sitting through two hours of videos for a league game against a mid-table side?  No, neither can I.  I think Unai can manage any team in the world, but I think there are some teams where his style of management won't work that well, and Madrid is one of them. 

Watching that podcast, I silently scratched "Real Madrid" off my list of teams that might poach Unai away...

I still think the biggest threat…if he does decide to go, would be City this summer as Pep May be off.

[Drummond]

I’d be a touch annoyed if Emery left because of the financial restrictions. They’ve always been there - he signed up to it - and more so will be at 99% of other clubs too. The 1% that aren’t impacted don’t feel like a good fit for him either.

Trophies are a big factor but we have the league cup and a European campaign that are winnable targets most seasons (excl CL but that provides the cash injection etc).

I could see him being frustrated if the club aren't keeping to whatever promises he was made about overcoming these problems, or if they misled him about the scale of them - but honestly, nothing about these rumours rings true.  They're only emerging because we're in a run of bad form, and our once "nailed-on" Champions League place is now under serious threat.

He knows this is a long-term project.  He knows the structural problems aren't solved overnight, and he's seen with his own eyes (to a much greater extent than we have), what progress has been made off the pitch since he joined us.  We're a club transformed, and with the owners we have, we're going to keep going. 

I think he knows there is a legacy he can build here.  Now, that's not to say he won't have his head turned at some point, but I think he knows what he's got here (the good, and the bad), and it's the perfect professional challenge for someone like him.  He's in the best league in the world, with some of the best owners, and is with a team primed to challenge the orthodox top 6.

Win a trophy or two, and I could see him being here for a VERY long time...

Also, which club is he off to that doesn't have our problems? While there are mitigating factors at both, I think the massive clubs will see his time at PSG and Arsenal as Reasons Not To Hire Him, and his time with us will just cement the idea that he's a Sevilla / Villa level manager, not a Real Madrid / Bayern Munich level manager.

So if he's not going somewhere that he can spend all the money all the time...then where else is he going to end up that won't have the same issue as us, but more so?

The only bit of that Venn diagram I think, is Man Utd. He feels like the sort of sensible choice that they are bound to stumble over eventually and if they were back in the Champions League, that feels like the first part of that rebuild could be complete ahead of schedule.

But they're hardly a club without their own structural issues.

There was a bit in the Gareth Bale interview on The Overlap podcast that I thought was really interesting.  Bale comes across as a very humble, down to earth guy, but he's talking about Real Madrid as a club, and the managers - and basically said the best ones are man managers first and foremost, and don't do much tactically, as the global-star players they have don't like to be micro-managed. He speculated that's why Alonso didn't last - a brilliant manager, but not right for Real because he came in and wanted to coach and manage the players tactically to a high degree - and they didn't like it.

I think it's the same with Unai.  Can you imagine the egos at Madrid sitting through two hours of videos for a league game against a mid-table side?  No, neither can I.  I think Unai can manage any team in the world, but I think there are some teams where his style of management won't work that well, and Madrid is one of them. 

Watching that podcast, I silently scratched "Real Madrid" off my list of teams that might poach Unai away...

Whereas MON should be top of their list.

[Dave]

I still think the biggest threat…if he does decide to go, would be City this summer as Pep May be off.

I'd be amazed, personally. If it's this summer then I'm pretty sure Maresca is nailed on for the job given his previous track record there, and more-success-than-failure time at Leicester and Chelsea.

If Guardiola stays for another year or two, then at that point they probably go and get Kompany.