So it’s welcome to the club then Unai.
Villa confirmed a few minutes ago that Aston Villa have signed Villareal manager, Unai Emery.
And I have to say I think that’s a brilliant piece of business.
I really can’t see any Villa fans having a problem with his being brought in, so it should mean that the fans will get fully behind him in a united fashion, which can only be good for the club.
This is just the sort of filip I felt we needed to get us away from those doom ridden Gerrard days and I have a very good feeling about this because we’ve spent a bit in compensation (about £6 million apparently) but not a stupid amount, which would have looked like we were going down the oil city type road.
This is also a massive poke in the eye to all those pundits who were probably chomping at the bit to say no decent manager will want to go to the Villa now.
Up yours, Gerrard lovers!
Saying I’m chuffed is an understatememt and the thought of having a top tier manager who knows what he’s doing has me practically salivating.
It’s a three year contract with a one year optin, I believe. Let’s hope he sees it out and more.
UTV and happy days are here again, for a while at least.
Get in!
Oh, credit due to young Alfie for giving me the nod.
Thanks!
Can’t believe how quick we’ve worked there.
Purslow or the owners, I wonder?
I’d lay a bet NSWE haven’t let Purslow anywhere near this although no doubt we’ll have to listen to him claiming credit!
Perhaps he was in Unai’s lounge getting the contract signed 🙂
Clearly NSWE have had enough of messing around and are about to really flex their financial muscle.
Probably the best signing of 2022.
What does this say about Wolves?
Chinese owners & a weird relationship with one agent…
Probably says a lot about their owners and their strong association with that Jorge Mendes. Good club otherwise, imo.
I really believe that this appointment should be welcomed by all Villa fans.
It does show that the owners are prepared to go out and get the best that will come to the club (the coaches & players who think that they’re too good for us can go do one-).
Can’t accuse the owners of a lack of ambition or trying to do things on the cheap.
On paper, this should be a great move forward.
Off topic – watching West Spam / Bournemouth.
West Ham score a goal where there is a clear hand ball from one of their players which directly leads to the goal – not disallowed because of some aspect of the law I just don’t understand – like it was too early in the build up which is complete bollocks – he literally passed it off his hands!
Yet Fulham get awarded a penalty for hand ball by Cash that was neither deliberate nor avoidable.
VAR is an issue but the completely ridiculous laws in football are an even bigger problem. What ever happened to the application of some common sense?
Some of the law changes are utter madness and have only confused things further.
And to rub it in West Ham get a penalty when the ball is kicked from a yard range into the arm of a sliding blocker who never moved his arm towards the ball. The VAR rule is “The home team get all handball decisions.”
Welcome Unai Emery. Let’s hope he can bring an end to the revolving door of managers at VP. He has the experience that we have been craving for and hopefully he will get a good transfer window.
From the Guardian, tonight:
“…but he is recognised as one of the game’s elite coaches and Newcastle were close to appointing him last year before Emery had second thoughts over the switch.”
Put a few quid on us winning the Europa League (-:
A tremendous signing. I was wrong (again) in thinking the board didn’t have a plan. Clearly, they did. This man’s record obliterates Pochettino’s and arguably Tuchel’s. A winner by all accounts. What he did at Villareal was near miraculous. A proper tactician who can go toe to toe with the Klopps and Contes of this world. Let’s get behind him! Massive respect for taking the Villa on despite the club’s current status. Now his players need to show the same big cohones!
UTV
Lots of boneheads on face ache running him down from the start and quoting “he failed with ARSEnal “……will be getting a red card soon by telling them what to do with their quotes.
Also told them they had better get behind Mr Emery as its probably the last throw of the dice from the owners as enough will be enough….and they could pull the plug.
Villa away, show them this;
Emery’s reality at Arsenal
17/18 Wenger: 63pts, 6th +23
18/19 EMERY: 70pts, 5th +EL final +22
19/20 Arteta: 56pts, 8th +8
20/21 Arteta: 61pts, 8th +16
21/22 Arteta: 69pts, 5th +13
22/23 Arteta: ?? Magic😉
(+£400m..)
Arteta, 4th season to try to do better than Emery,
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1584548898768814080
This is a decent read and reinforces the fact that he didn’t fail at Arsenal, nor did he get the backing Arteta is now getting and which he’ll certainly get at Villa.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63381575
Superb piece by Guillem Balague.
I noted that he mentions that the infamous Jorge Mendes was involved in setting-up this move…
It does explain a lot about Emery’s time at Arsenal; if he can get us unbeaten in 22 games, he’ll be a hero at VP, never mind taking us to a Europa League final!
I read that too. Very respectful to the Villa.
Well happy with this hope he keeps Aaron Dan’s though need local forward thinking people like that
Good luck Unai
Still idiots like Danny Murphy defending Gerrard and saying Unai was a failure blah blah blah.
It’s a great appointment. I wonder how Sunday’s game influenced his decision to come. He would have to have watched it and gone “Wow”! This is a squad he can work with, and just think of the lovely monkeys to come back from injury!!!! With a couple of new additions in January, and considering how we played I wonder what positions need strengthening, we could have a killer squad!
On a other note that was very well documented at the time, he turned down Newcastle because at the time he was on a roll with Villareal both in the Spanish League and the Champions League. Nobody would have walked out on a situation like that. It wasn’t a snub to Newcastle, it just wasn’t the right time. Does nobody do any research anymore????
God, this is exciting!!! Sexy Villa!!!!! Sort of reminds me of the good times with Big Ron and John Gregory (and his bloody guitar 🤣🤣🤣).
With the Twiterati and social media to the fore truth has become a reality that os of no interest if it doesn’t fit with their own beliefs, perceptions or version of events.
On that basis it’s unnecessary for anyone to do research!
Yup. Meghan Markle style “This is my truth so it must be true”!
Roll on the Manure game!!!
Bum Bum – Balague in his piece also says that Emery stayed because of his son with whom he wanted to spend more time. According to Balague, his son has encouraged him to take the Villa job.
I am so pleased we Emri has signed for us. His record is outstanding.
Even better is that he has no connection to Liverpool. Eventually the scouse brigade will move on and they will have no connection to pass comment on our appointment.
I am really looking forward to the next few weeks. The players know with a new boss they have to perform. With the few matches between now and the word cup, Emri will have a chance to suss out the wheat from the chaff. During the World Cup break a chunk of the squad will be at Villa Park allowing him to get his ideas across.
And then the transfer window opens. I expect him to bring in a couple of players at this point. Instantly helps him get a stamp on the team. Can’t wait for the rest of the season. No longer feel like we will be in a relegation scrap. This is a springboard to move on up.
Yes Sid, this is the turning point of our return to greater things to come, it would never have happened with Gerrard he was so far up himself we was heading to disaster. Now I’d like to know who’s arse Will be kicked for putting the club in danger. Purslow? Who ever it is should be dismissed now because Villa will suffer over the fact someone’s not good enough for Aston Villa and not found out. On wards and upwards from now …
I don’t see much need for arse-kicking at this stage. As I’ve said before, I believe that Purslow will be very busy over the next few months with commercial stuff and the Witton End re-development,
Much of the stuff I’ve read over the last 24 hours seems to stress that this appointment was very much down to Sawiris (as was also said about the sacking of SG). Purslow is just a bag-carrier!