'I'm told there are behind-the-scenes Aston Villa issues, Unai Emery's response has been strange'
Unai Emery has been urged to speak out about his views on Aston Villa's miserable summer and start to the new season.
The boss has remained calm and tight-lipped in interviews despite claims of frustrations behind the scenes, with a 0-0 draw against Hull City adding to the concerns.
Emery saw his Aston Villa squad decimated during the summer, with the likes of Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez among the sales, but his complicity is now being flagged as part of the problem.
Former Aston Villa scout Mick Brown, speaking to Football Insider, has questioned why Emery has been putting up with increasing issues behind the scenes.
A difficult transfer window, despite the number of players brought in, and now a slow start to the Premier League season has raised major doubts about the manager's role.
While there is no expectation that Emery would be sacked by Aston Villa, there have been lingering suggestions that his frustrations could see him walk away.
Why is Unai Emery frustrated at Aston Villa?
Brown told Football Insider on 3 September that Emery has become increasingly frustrated at Villa Park over the course of the summer and into the new season.
Villa are currently winless and goalless in their opening three Premier League games, with the draw against Hull last time out raising further question marks.
As a result, Emery has been urged to speak out and air his frustrations, despite suggestions that may have already happened behind the scenes.
"There are some very clear problems behind the scenes at Aston Villa," Brown told Football Insider.
"Whatever the reasons for it are, whether you want to blame financial restrictions, players' ambitions, or the hierarchy at the club, it's clear that there are some problems.
"Nobody should be surprised about how the season has started, because when you lose so many important players, it's always going to be difficult.
"It does, though, mean frustrations are going to grow and that's why it surprises me that Unai Emery has been quiet and allowed all of these changes to be made.
"I would've expected him to speak out, to be clear about his response to his players leaving and how that has impacted his plans because it's been a nightmare.
"Because my next question would be, what is his role in it? Has he given the green light for all of these players to leave? Is he happy with the way his squad has been torn apart?
"And I expect the answer to that would be no, so why haven't we heard it? These things are often done behind the scenes, of course, so maybe he has spoken to the higher-ups.
"But I just find it strange how calm he seems to be when I'm told there are obvious frustrations behind the scenes, and those are only going to get worse if something doesn't change."
Could Unai Emery leave Aston Villa?
This is not the first time there have been suggestions that Emery may be frustrated at Villa Park, with ongoing financial concerns limiting the club's clear potential.
Despite Emery's achievements, notably winning last season's Europa League and qualifying for the Champions League, there is a feeling he has been limited by the club.
Former Aston Villa scout Bryan King told Football Insider on 2 September that Emery could be the next top manager to leave his club if their recent run of results continues.
Meanwhile, he has overseen the overhaul of his squad this summer, with six of the players to have started May's Europa League final no longer at the club.
Should the new signings fail to hit the ground running, the boss' frustrations are likely to grow, with a major overhaul leading to further concerns about consistency.