After the loss to Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday, many pointed to the difference in level between Aston Villa and Barcelona. A difference that would have been much bigger without one of the world’s best managers, Unai Emery.
Due to financial constraints at Villa Park, as soon as Unai has cultivated them, many of the club’s stars have been sold to improve the balance of the club. – Frustratingly and truth be told, the Spanish manager has been close to accepting assignments elsewhere, including crisis club Manchester United. But not this time…
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Fabrizio Romano has revealed “the real reason” as to why Unai Emery chooses to sign a new contract with Aston Villa rather than make the jump to Manchester United. says everything about what Manchester United are today – and even more so what Aston Villa are becoming.
The difficult years are over, Aston Villa are in the Champions League with the income that follows and they have a coaching staff that is second to none.
The 55-year-old Emery was Manchester United’s big dream target if they were to get rid of Michael Carrick during the upcoming international break.
But despite the obvious appeal of being the manager of perhaps the world’s biggest club, Emery not only chose to remain loyal to Aston Villa – he also signed a contract extension.
The news came on Wednesday night, and on Thursday morning, Fabrizio Romano shed light on why Emery chose Villa over United.
“Villa wanted to stop all possibilities for United”
In a lengthy update on his YouTube channel, Romano explained:
“Aston Villa wanted to show their trust in Unai Emery, their love for Emery. And Aston Villa – this is a very important point – wanted to stop all possibilities for Manchester United.
“So Aston Villa met on the Wednesday after the Barcelona game – and when I say Aston Villa, the chairman of the board, directors Damian Vidagany and Roberto Olabe, along with Unai – is involved to move on to a new contract. An important deal, longer than the current one, with better pay, and with the same power: equally involved in transfer decisions, exits, incoming goals, ideas – sharing everything.
“The model at Aston Villa works very well because Unai is involved, the chairman is involved. Roberto Olabe and Damian Vidagany are doing an excellent job. So they are all together.
A model Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wanted and did not get at Manchester United. – No manager after Sir Alex Ferguson has been trusted to “do the job” at Old Trafford.
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Romano also explained why the deal came right now:
“Why this time? Why now, and maybe not two weeks ago?” For one reason: Because Manchester United were really keeping a close eye on Unai’s situation.
“I’ve been here on the channel several times and told you that Emery is considered one of the ideal coaches – probably the ideal coach – by some very important and influential people at Manchester United. It was not just to say that, but because United really considered, and still believe, Emery as probably the ideal man to lead the project in the future.
“But I’ve always said that Emery is not available, because Aston Villa rely on Unai. Villa want to keep Unai. Villa have no intention of losing Emery – especially not in the middle of the season, but also not at the end of the season.
“Villa want to continue with Emery, and that they are doing this now is because the interest from Manchester United was much more concrete than it might seem in the media. United really considered Unai Emery as an option – but Aston Villa’s wall around Unai was very high from the very first minute.
“Emery is in love with Villa”
“And now Villa are offering him a new contract to stop all possibilities, all roads to other clubs, and to continue with Emery as a crucial part of the project. Because Villa knows that Emery is very happy at the club.
“Villa know that Emery is in love with Aston Villa and with the commitment he has there – which is very difficult to find at other clubs. There are other top clubs around the world, in England and not only there, but to find this kind of structure where he is involved in absolutely everything… it’s not easy at all. So the new contract is now very advanced. Aston Villa want to close everything as quickly as possible.
The balance of power that explains everything
As mentioned, Emery has extensive power at Villa Park – something he would not enjoy if he moved to Old Trafford.
Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox are the decision-makers at Manchester United’s level of football. The days of Sir Alex Ferguson, where the Scotsman had almost total control, are long gone.
Thus, Carrick and any subsequent managers at United will forever be hampered by the incompetence of Wilcox, who is under intense scrutiny for his haphazard approach to team building.
United are missing both a left-back and a striker, while the club’s long-awaited midfield rebuild so far can only be described as a failure.
In short: Emery didn’t opt out of United because he’s afraid of the challenge. He opted out of United because he already has something better – a project where he actually gets to decide.
