Revealed: Unai Emery has had ‘fall-outs’ with two Aston Villa stars
Unai Emery has had bust-ups with a number of Aston Villa stars who have struggled with his management methods during his sensational first year at the club, sources have told Football Insider.
Speaking to Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, editor Wayne Veysey revealed Emiliano Martinez and Youri Tielemans are among those who have had “fallouts” with the Spaniard, who is seen as a strict disciplinarian on match day as well as on the training ground.
Sources have told Football Insider that Emery and the Argentine shot-stopper have had a strained relationship at times, which dates back to their Arsenal days, and the manager was even previously willing to listen to offers for him in the previous two windows.
Sources also told Football Insider that Emery and Tielemans had a difficult relationship at the start of the season, when the player was struggling to adapt to the manager’s methods and consequently get in the team.
At that stage, both player and club were even willing for the Belgian to find a new club, and remarkably as early as January.
Tielemans and Emery have subsequently patched things up and he has started four of the last five games for the Villans including important victories at home to Arsenal and Man City in their last two fixtures. But those are his only four league starts among his 1160 minutes in all competitions this season.
The summer signing from Leicester City has previously voiced his opinion on his lack of opportunities in the Villa side.
Speaking before the last international break and quoted by Birmingham Live (8 September), the Belgian told reporters that his situation is “not pleasant” at Aston Villa.
The midfielder revealed he told manager Emery that “I came to Villa to play” – and insisted the Spaniard’s response to the situation “doesn’t help me move forward”.
Martinez, despite the tension between the two, has started all but one Premier League game this season and missed their early clash against Burnley through injury.
Emery treats all players the same and has high demands of them all, with sessions rigorously rehearsed and tailored to what he expects from them on match days.
Since his arrival at Villa Park in October last year, he has transformed the club from relegation battlers into European chasers in little over a year.
Villa progressed to the knockout stages of the Europa Conference League as Group E champions and currently sit third in the league table.
The next travel to west London to face Brentford in the Premier League on Sunday (17 December).
In other news, Sources: Aston Villa owners to fund big January signing blitz.