villabromsgrove

I'm a patient optimist, so I'm sat back enjoying the warm glow of being a Villa fan at this moment in time, and dreaming about quiet approaches being made for players such as Jonathan David and Pedro Goncalves, while adding up the goals that those two and Ollie Watkins would score for us next season. I can dream!

1 minute ago, nick76 said:

As somebody who has worked overseas and seen my expat friends struggle with homesickness it’s not something you know.  Some of them were fine for a year or two or longer but then something happens or even sometimes nothing happens and the homesickness comes.  Nothing to do with commitment, and unless you’ve done it before you don’t know how you will react on your first time away like Nico would be.

Nick, the point I was trying to make was that if Nico has any doubts at all about moving from Bilbao at his young age, he should probably stay where he is for now.

When I lived in Bromsgrove my next door neighbour was a Veterinarian from Leon in the Basque country  He was a single man and in over a decade he never adjusted to living here. He often told me that he missed the community life that he grew up in, and was only here as he had a well paid job and could send money home to his large family.

I would love us to sign Nico. Not for what he's achieved so far, but for what I believe he could become under Emery's coaching.

However, I would only want him to join us if he was honestly and openly 100% committed to joining us. My concern would be that he may become homesick, fail to settle and want to return to Bilbao in the next couple of seasons for a much reduced fee.

3 minutes ago, CVByrne said:

Well we're in motion on our targets. We can't just add in targets randomly over a conversation. If you watch how Monchi operates with is Monchi 13 series. He can't have impact other than simply advising.

Also would be illegal for him to do that until July 

The Spanish transfer window opens on July 3rd. Other European windows open on July 1st. So there's no "rule breaking" if we're targeting foreign players.

I bet Monchi and Unai are working away in virtual meetings even before he's got his work permit. It's going to be such an exciting summer!

I think that NSWE have been waiting patiently for the club to reach the point we're at. Villa have now arrived at the "lift off" stage where our owners are able to implement big structural changes they have been planning to facilitate considerable growth over the next "five years".

What I find hugely exciting is their intention to be available to the 'operations team' on a day to day basis. With a lot of owners this might be a worrying thing, but Nassef and Wes are very accomplished and powerful businessmen who will sit effectively at the top of our new operations structure.

We now have seven top professionals driving Villa onwards and upwards.  

I'm just going to bed after celebrating Monchi's appointment. This is a huge statement  for Villa going forward and it surprises me that on a day when NSWE reunited two guys who are at the top of world football, I have to search back to page two to find this thread. NSWE are the two people who have made this happen. Let's give them the full appreciation they deserve. I'm putting it at the top of page one where it should be!

It was going to be a quiet night in, but now we're heading out to Malvern town for a mini pub tour celebration, then returning to sample some serious 18 year old Whisky. 

Welcome to the Villa Señor 'Monchi'.

Pace frightens the opposition. I noticed a few managers last season say in their pre match press conferences that they were wary of Bailey's pace. Signing Williams would potentially give us a 90 minute pace threat on one or both wings depending on how Emery chooses to use Bailey and Williams.

I haven't got a clue about seedings, but I do have a good idea about the strength of the Villa team that will play the qualifying matches in August.

Why are we worried about seedings? Our very talented squad will have had a full pre-seasons coaching with Emery and his staff, (plus some outstanding additional players that we don't yet know about). We will be big favourites to win a qualifying round against any other team,  

2 hours ago, zab6359 said:

Why the excitment? Genuine question as isn't he our third choice for this position. I'm not saying it's a bad appointment because in all honesty I don't follow the career of these type of people (and if you are all honest you don't either  )

I guess because I'm an old guy and I've been retired so long, I forget that most of you don't have the unlimited spare time that I have to browse and read the huge amount of often meaningless info (on the net) related to European football. I assumed that a lot of us had heard about Monchi, because he's reached an almost iconic status over the recent decade. The guy has a huge network of scouts and contacts world wide and is totally obsessive about what he does. He is highly regarded as a director of football.

15 minutes ago, AntrimBlack said:

Should we not be doing the same for Mrs. Ramsey?

Top post!

2 minutes ago, KMitch said:

Genuinely excited about this one.  I've seen Bilbao play a few times this season and Nico was their best player each game.  Rapid, lots of tricks, but very very raw.  That said, with the right coaching he could turn into an elite talent.  At 20, he already has 8 caps for Spain and has two full seasons of La Liga football under his belt.  Can't think of the last time we were in the running for such a talented young player.  

He looks brilliant (I know it's only YouTube). He's lightning quick, genuinely two footed and is developing a good physique. He has very little end product in goals or assists to show for all his dominance and that would normally be a red flag, but he's still not quite 21and with Emery to coach him I think he has all the tools to be a real contributor to our goal tally.

One thing's for sure, if we sign him opposition defenders are going to hate playing against Nico as they will have to double up on him all the time which will create space for others. I have this mental image of Williams on the right and a fully fit Bailey on the left setting fire to both touchlines in some games!

I read that Monchi speaks Spanish (obviously), French, and English fluently, and is now also proficient in Italian. That's very important in his job.

Monchi will be our most important "signing" this summer.

Emery is brilliant as a coach, manager, motivator and whatever else he turns his hand to. Not only is he extremely hard working and superbly talented, he is obsessive to the point of compulsion when it comes down to even the finest of details. That's why Monchi is going to be such a huge addition, because Unai needs someone alongside him to share the massive work load so that he doesn't burn out. Monchi is so experienced and equally obsessive and driven as well as being supremely capable and knowledgeable, he will be invaluable to Emery. The two of them are a perfect fit for each other. 

I get the impression that the only players who leave Villa will be those that we want to leave from now on.

Monchi has quite an imposing persona. He looks like he won't be dicked about.

3 minutes ago, villaglint said:

You clearly havent been keeping up with your Monchi masterclasses. Emery says I want this "profile" of player and Monchi wheels out his up to date list with everyone they've been scouting who fits that bill. 

If anyone hasn't watched Monchi's YouTube "master classes" yet you really should. It's one of the reasons I'm buzzing about having him here at Villa.

2 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said:

Given Purslow has now gone and Emery seems to have almost total control. I guess Emery just says 'I want this player' and Monchi makes it happen if Nas signs it off?

I wouldn't mind betting that as Emery and Monchi are good friends Unai has already been discussing his main targets and asking Monchi to check out best alternatives (strictly off the record between mates just chatting as mates do of course) if top targets can't or don't want to join the Villa Project.

1 minute ago, Mazrim said:

Emery and Monchi
Work together in perfect harmony...

I might have known that you would go for the musical statement Mazrim. It's not the heavy rock that I associate you with though.

I'm buzzing with excitement at this proposed appointment. Let's get it over the line!

We're upgrading.

I've used an expression "Tier One" recently that I don't particularly like but it sums up our current transition.

Our owners have decided that the time is right for a move from Tier Two up to Tier One. To do this we have to have Tier One management and staff who are at the top of football in terms of respect and reputation. Emery and Monchi both fit that description and Heck is a much respected sports marketing man with a top reputation, whereas Christian is a decent administrator who represented us professionally and with a fair bit of gravitas, but was neither a footballing brain or a real sports administrator.

Purslow did a decent job for us (apart from the obvious), and is now being replaced by more talented people with a higher ceiling. Thanks Christian, and good luck for the future.

We may finally have identified the right man to get rid of our unwanted players.