Emiliano Martinez can’t stay at Aston Villa after source’s dressing room reveal – pundit
Frank McAvennie has claimed Emiliano Martinez can’t stay at Aston Villa if he has fallen out with Unai Emery.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former West Ham striker is hopeful there is no friction between the pair.
On 18 February, Emery publicly criticised Martinez’s “embarrassing” decision to go up for a last-minute Villa corner that allowed Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli to score on the counter-attack in the 4-2 defeat to the league leaders.
On 22 February, Football Insider revealed that there is a genuine clash of personalities between the manager and his goalkeeper.
It is understood that the pair had a “fall-out” during Emery’s 18-month spell as Arsenal boss and that friction is still present.
Martinez’s heroics for Argentina in the World Cup did nothing to dissipate the tension between the two.
When asked how hard it is for a player to work with a manager when there is tension, McAvennie told Football Insider: “You can’t do it.
“I think it is very hard. You could tell the other week he was not happy with him when he went up for the corner. He is annoyed with the player and he will have a go at him.
“He was raging with him going up but I would rather get beat 4-2 but try and get an equaliser than get beat 3-2. It does not make any difference.
“We have seen some of the best goals from keepers in the last minute and it could have happened. I wonder if he would have said anything if he scored.
“Are you going to get another keeper as good as him? No. He loves the club because of what they have done for him as well. You can tell when he speaks that he loves the club.
“I hope there is not friction there because he is enjoying it at Villa and you have a good manager so you want them to co-exist.“
In other news, according to sources, Aston Villa and Brentford plot moves for Newcastle United star Martin Dubravka.