Aston Villa

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We asked for your views on Monchi stepping down as Aston Villa's president of football operations after two years at the club.

Here are some of your comments:

Prit: Surprised at the departure, given it has only been six games into the season. Going forward, Villa just need to box clever in the transfer market, give the kids a chance and stop picking players on reputation. Unai Emery is potentially the best manager since Ron Saunders. Keep the faith.

Ray: Monchi's recruitment has been poor overall. Villa have paid over the odds for a number of mediocre players. Other clubs have far better scouting and negotiating teams. Very disappointing.

David: Recruitment under Monchi has been mixed at best. Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans were standouts but too many big signings are warming the bench, having been funded by the sales of youth team players. The apparent offering of key players such as Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez for sale over the summer has damaged morale and trust in players and fans alike.

Dave: Time to leave spending money on players that are not first-team players, with too high wages. We're not Manchester City.

Paul: Good riddance Monchi. This is a difficult blip and that's all. When that happens you need to stand together. In Unai we trust!

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

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Aston Villa should have got more value for money from their transfer dealings under Monchi, according to Supporters' Trust chairman Mo Razzaq.

Villa are expected to replace president of football operations Monchi with Roberto Olabe, with a deal for former Real Sociedad sporting director Olabe close.

It comes with Villa 18th in the Premier League having failed to win their opening five league matches. They were also knocked out of the EFL Cup by Brentford on penalties last week.

Sunday's 1-1 draw at Sunderland saw just two players - Morgan Rogers and Evann Guessand - start who were signed by Unai Emery and Monchi.

Villa broke their transfer record to sign Amadou Onana from Everton for £50m last year but injury has meant he made just 22 starts in the league last season and the midfielder is currently out with a hamstring problem.

Left-back Ian Maatsen joined from Chelsea for £37.5m but has struggled to hold down a regular role while Donyell Malen has made just five starts since moving from Borussia Dortmund for an initial £21m in January.

"Considering the outlay and in terms of signing on fees and wages we pay, we'd probably expect a better return," said Razzaq.

"So if we look at our successes: Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers, Pau Torres.

"But last season, we signed Onana from Everton, when he plays his form is good but he spends a lot of time out injured.

"Then last January we spent a lot on (Axel) Disasi, (Marcus) Rashford and (Marco) Asensio in terms of their wages. So if that gamble pays off, then you're into the Champions League.

"Because we didn't you look at the issues around player wages and the ratio to revenue and things then look a bit tougher.

"If we want to be competing at the top, then we need to have a better success rate. We've taken a few gambles and they've not paid off."

What do you think about Monchi's exit? Tell us

David Michael
Fan writer

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Nine of Unai Emery's starting XI against Sunderland were players he inherited when he walked through the door at Aston Villa almost three years ago. Only Morgan Rogers and Evann Guessand have been added since - and had Youri Tielemans been fit (an Emery transfer), even Guessand would likely have been on the bench.

It raises an awkward question: why, after six transfer windows, does Villa still look so much like the team Emery found waiting for him?

Back in late 2021, when Newcastle United came calling, Emery turned them down and instead accepted the Villa job. Some suggested he preferred the more "oven-ready" squad he would inherit at Villa Park. Perhaps he really did like what he saw. But the lack of turnover since then remains curious despite PSR. In fact, according to The Athletic, Villa have fielded the joint-oldest squad in the Premier League this season, level with Newcastle, when measured by minutes played.

Managers are usually judged leniently in their first season. The logic goes: wait until they've had one or two windows to bring in their own players before making a proper assessment. By that measure, Villa's predominantly Spanish football department has been strangely quiet. The early promise of using their La Liga connections - think Alex Moreno, Pau Torres - has seemingly dried up quickly.

Instead, 'wow factor' high wage loanees like Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio and Jadon Sancho have provided short-term placebos for supporters to invest their hopes in.

While there is no room to unpack the lack of genuine squad evolution here, in light of a poor start to the season the bigger question lingers: has the lack of cohesive succession plan in building Emery's team simply left Villa stale and predictable?

Find more from David Michael at My Old Man Said, external

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

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Monchi and Unai Emery have tried to reshape Aston Villa, spending big on defensive midfielder Amadou Onana, signed for £50m in 2024, and attacker Moussa Diaby, who arrived in 2023 for £43m.

But Diaby was sold to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad after just one season, while Onana has struggled with injury.

The imposing Belgium international made just 22 league starts last season after his club record move from Everton, and he is currently out with a hamstring injury having played just twice this term.

In the past 18 months Villa's spending has been restricted because of Profit and Sustainability restrictions imposed by both the Premier League and Uefa.

In July, Villa were fined £9.5m by European football's governing body for breaching financial rules.

They needed to sell Douglas Luiz in 2024 to balance the books, with the midfielder joining Juventus for £42m. He made just three Serie A starts last season and joined Nottingham Forest on loan last month.

The sales of Omari Kellyman to Chelsea for £19m and Tim Iroegbunam to Everton for £9m last year also generated important profit, while Jacob Ramsey was sold to Newcastle for £40m last month, with all three having come through the club's academy.

Just two of the starting XI in Sunday's 1-1 draw at Sunderland - Morgan Rogers and striker Evann Guessand - were signed by Emery and Monchi.

This summer, Villa signed goalkeeper Marco Bizot from Brest and Guessand from Nice for £30m, before the deadline day arrivals of Harvey Elliott, Jadon Sancho and Victor Lindelof.

England Under-21 international Elliott joined on loan from Liverpool with a £35m obligation to buy, while Sancho moved on loan from Manchester United and his former Old Trafford team-mate Lindelof joined on a free transfer.

Rogers, signed from Middlesbrough for an initial £8m in 2024, and free transfer Youri Tielemans have been successes, with Rogers becoming an England international.

Meanwhile, before the news that Monchi is set to leave the club, Villa's financial management was a topic of discussion between former Premier League striker Chris Sutton and The Observer's Rory Smith on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, with Smith arguing that they "have spent really badly"...

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We asked for your views on Unai Emery calling the players "lazy" after the draw against Sunderland on Sunday.

Here are some of your comments:

Brian: I would say more than lazy. They seem to have lost the will to win. To concede a goal and draw against 10 men is unacceptable. But it's not just the defence. The midfield lacks imagination and when attacking down the wing crosses go in hopefully rather than actually looking for a team-mate.

Paul: It's hard to disagree, but I also think the coach's job is to motivate as much as strategise so it doesn't reflect well on Emery either. I would have thought a long overdue shake-up of our starting 11 would be a useful motivator to some of the (many) under-performers, and I don't understand why Donyell Malen is still being used off the bench.

Rob: The players are still playing under the same tactics but oppositions have worked out when we press and how, so they can snuff out our presses and nullify Ollie Watkins. The tactics are stale now and I can't see us getting out of the bottom three of the league unless Emery saves his job or we change managers.

Patrick: I think it's about time to be honest, I would have called them out earlier. He's absolutely right, but lazy is generous, we can't string a pass and players that were team leading are now liabilities letting us down. His job is also to be honest with the fans.

Match of the Day pundit Shay Given believes it was a "risk" for Aston Villa boss Unai Emery to call his players "lazy" after their 1-1 draw with Sunderland on Sunday.

"We were lazy sometimes in defence," Emery said in his post-match interview. "When we conceded, we were lazy."

"You can say that behind closed doors but when you say it in the press, players can take it the wrong way," Given said on Match of the Day.

Was it the right decision for Emery to call out his players?

Will it lead to a change in form?

Get in touch with your views here

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Former Premier League striker Clinton Morrison says Ollie Watkins is "short on confidence" and his team-mates not creating as many chances for him this season is one of the reasons he is yet to get off the mark.

"I did not think he had been getting many chances, but against Sunderland he had a golden opportunity to win the game with a header and he completely missed it," said Morrison on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast. "He is short on confidence and that happens with a striker.

"He hasn't been getting many chances because they haven't been creating many.

"That is probably because they have lost Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford, who were two players who did particularly well for them last season.

"Villa brought in Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott but they haven't started many games. They are the two players that need to get themselves into the team to create chances.

"The lack of confidence can be said for Morgan Rogers as well. They are both really struggling, even though we know they have the quality.

"I don't worry about Villa, though, because I still think they will climb the table and finish in the top half."

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We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Sunderland and Aston Villa.

Here are some of your comments:

Sunderland fans

Arnold: After a soul-destroying red card, Sunderland showed their true strengths. Playing as a team and securing a remarkable point. Unbeaten in three games. This team is building into one to be reckoned with.

Fred: This fightback, with 10 men totally convinced me we are a Premier League team and we are here to stay.

Ian: Sunderland have shown in the first five games what you need to survive. Threat, controlling games, resilience and a great team spirit. They react to the superb fans, home and away. A great point today, although had it been 11 v 11 they would have won easily against a surprisingly very poor Villa team. Hats off to Regis le Bris- he's such a good manager at this level.

Craig: The fans are absolutely loving the way Sunderland are playing. Ten men with an hour left and we fight and fight. If we do stay up, it will be because of this attitude. Long may it continue.

Villa fans

Clive: Villa still haven't put in a performance to actually win a game. The manager disappearing down the tunnel before the whistle was blown is not a good sign and I feel the lid of the pressure cooker is about to be blown.

Robbie: A terrible performance. They seemed clueless. They are easily read and do not have final penetration. They are going to struggle and will not be in the top 10.

Mick: These performances are no better than those under Steven Gerrard three years ago. None of Unai Emery's signings have added quality. And the league decline started last season. Relegation fodder unless someone gets a grip.

Christian: It has been the same every game this season, and towards the back end of the last too. Slow, ponderous, dull football. Maybe teams have worked us out and we're not adapting. Maybe some players wished they were elsewhere, maybe both. Emery consistently talks about our identify. What is it? I don't know what he's trying to achieve anymore.

Pundits Shay Given and Theo Walcott join host Mark Chapman to bring you the action and talking points from Sunday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Bournemouth 0-0 Newcastle

• Sunderland 1-1 Aston Villa

• Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Neil Johnston
BBC Sport journalist

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Aston Villa, who were without injured midfielder Youri Tielemans, will wonder how they allowed two points to slip away after Matty Cash's goal had ended their long wait for a first league goal.

Striker Ollie Watkins had a glorious chance to win it in stoppage time, but was unable to connect with Jadon Sancho's cross in what was another disappointing overall performance.

There is little doubt Unai Emery's spell in charge at Villa has been impressive.

Before the start of the season, the Spaniard averaged 1.81 points per game, while they have finished the last two seasons fourth and sixth in the table.

However, this latest campaign has started poorly. Not only are Villa struggling to kick-start their Premier League season, they are also out of Carabao Cup before the end of September.

Villa lack confidence and have been unable so far to show the quality of the previous two campaigns.

The pressure is likely to mount on Emery if they still remain winless after their next two league games at home to Fulham and Burnley.

Unai Emery spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Aston Villa's draw against Sunderland: "Frustrated and disappointed a little bit, but not with the result. It should have been easier to take advantage [against 10 players] but we were not playing with our identity, with the ideas we have been building in the last three years.

"With some new players we have to adapt with the players we have, and we know we want to control the game, to dominate but I am disappointed and frustrated more for how we were not achieving our identity.

"There is still work to do with the point we achieved, it's not enough, of course, after playing with one more player for 60 minutes, we should be happier, we have to work and be demanding, to get our consistency through our demands."

Did you know?

Matty Cash's strike in the 67th minute was Aston Villa's first goal of the Premier League season, coming 427 minutes into the season; only Crystal Palace in 2017-18 (641) and Newcastle United in 2005-06 (438) have ever waited longer from the start of a campaign for their first goal than the Villans.

Hear more from Emery on BBC Sounds

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Sunderland's performance

What did you make of Aston Villa's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Sunderland make two changes to the side that started the goalless draw at Crystal Palace last weekend.

Chris Rigg makes his first league start of the season, while summer signing Enzo Le Fee also returns to the starting XI. Habib Diarra is injured and not involved, while Simon Adingra drops to the bench.

Sunderland XI: Roefs, Hume, Ballard, Alderete, Mandava, Rigg, Xhaka, Sadiki, Talbi, Isidor, Le Fee.

Youri Tielemans is not involved at all for Aston Villa.

Summer signing Evann Guessand returns to the starting XI, while Boubacar Kamara is also back in the starting XI.

Lamare Bogarde drops to the bench,

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne, Guessand, Kamara, McGinn, Rogers, Buendia, Watkins.

There are three games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

Bournemouth v Newcastle (14:00) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Sunderland v Aston Villa (14:00) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Arsenal v Manchester City (16:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times BST

Follow all of the action and reaction here to the 14:00 games here

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I haven't backed Sunderland to win yet this season and a few of their fans have been hammering me on social media because they have made a really good start.

But I'm not just going to back them to win for the sake of it, even against an Aston Villa side who are short of form and confidence and cannot even score a goal at the minute either.

Instead, I'm going to say that Villa will come good and Ollie Watkins will not just get his first goal of the season but he will also secure their first win too.

Apologies again to Sunderland fans for that, they can hammer me again this week if I'm wrong.

Sutton's prediction: 0-2

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Sunderland look to continue their impressive start to life back in the top-flight against goal-shy Aston Villa. BBC Sport takes a look at the key talking points going into this fixture.

Sunderland's tally of seven points from four matches is their joint best after four games of a Premier League season, while it has been 70 years since they last accrued more points at this stage of a top-flight campaign (assuming three points for a win).

Another victory would see them start a top-flight season with three straight home victories for the first time since 1965-66. Remarkably, it would also match their tally of victories at the Stadium of Light across the whole of their last Premier League campaign in 2016-17.

Although they failed to have a shot on target in their creditable goalless draw at Crystal Palace, they have scored five goals from just nine shots on target in league matches this season with only Arsenal (64%) converting a higher share than the Black Cats' 56%.

Matters at the other end of the pitch have been equally as encouraging, with two clean sheets in four games matching their tally in their previous 14 Premier League matches combined.

Crucial to that has been new signing Robin Roefs. The 22-year-old Dutch keeper has taken to the English top flight superbly and he prevented an expected 1.59 goals at Selhurst Park.

The dark clouds continue to form over Aston Villa after their EFL Cup exit on penalties at Brentford on Tuesday. They did at least find the back of the net for the first time this season, but their drought in the league stretches to 466 minutes and 49 shots.

For the first time in their history, they have failed to score in their opening four league games to a season. Failing to do so once again at the Stadium of Light would see them become just the third team in top-flight history to begin a campaign goalless in their first five league games, after Ipswich Town in 1970-71 and Crystal Palace in 2017-18.

Unai Emery's side have actually had more shots after four games than Sunderland, as well as Burnley, Nottingham Forest, Fulham, Brentford and Crystal Palace. Some of their attacking metrics are also up on their excellent 2024-25 campaign, but despite getting the ball into the box more often, things are just not clicking. Their xG of 2.97 is the second worst in the top flight.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Sunderland (kick-off 14:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• When asked about whether Boubacar Kamara is in a position to start games, he said: "We are so happy when players come back after they were injured. But as well we have players who are playing well. Lamare Bogarde is progressing and he played a fantastic two matches. With Kamara, we are adding one possibility to play as well with his experience and his qualities. But of course, when there are some players that are performing like Lamare, I am feeling as well comfortable and confident. For Sunday, he's [Kamara] coming back after he played 20 minutes against Brentford. Of course, it's good news for the team to have him available for us."

• Sunday will be the first of five matches in 14 days for Villa and when asked how he's going to utilise his squad and manage minutes, Emery said: "We are going to focus on Sunday 100%. We are preparing and players have to do their best. We need the points. We need on Sunday to continue performing and to continue competing and doing something better than what we did in the last two matches because we didn't achieve the results we wanted."

• Morgan Rogers has said he feels targeted by other teams because of his influence at Villa and Emery commented: "Every player has to work and to feel important in the squad and of course Morgan Rogers how he's progressing, he was fantastic and still he has the same challenge to continue improving and keeping the level he had last year."

• On what to expect from Sunderland: "It will be difficult. They are excited and motivated. I watched their documentary on Netflix about their recent history. They are so, so motivated."

• Emery pointed to the need for specific improvement, adding: "Now we have to do one thing, we have to try be more clinical with the ball in attack, better than we did. Of course, we scored the first goal against Brentford on Tuesday but it wasn't enough because we didn't win but it's the way we are working and focusing."

Follow all of Aston Villa's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

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Some of you have been using our Ask Me Anything service to query the strength coming through the Aston Villa youth system.

Keep sending your questions to our Villa form. What I can tell you is striker Rory Wilson signed a new contract in April as he stayed at Villa Park despite interest from across Europe.

The Scotland Under-21 international scored Villa's first-ever goal in the Uefa Youth League against Young Boys last September.

He suffered an injury in pre-season but is back in training and there remains high expectation around the 19-year-old.

One who did go out on loan is defender Triston Rowe after he joined Ligue 2 side Annecy in France - with little fanfare.

The right-back, who can also play in the centre, left on deadline day despite having interest in England while Villa were unsure whether to let him out until late.

He had been training with the first team squad with Unai Emery having been impressed.

Rowe helped Villa win the Under-18 Premier League South title, FA Youth Cup and the Under-18 Premier League final last season.

He has been on the bench for Villa this season against Newcastle and Brentford having also made the squad for cup games against Wycombe and Cardiff last season.

Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions.

We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do.

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Chelsea remain interested in Morgan Rogers, despite being put off by Aston Villa's £80m valuation of the 23-year-old forward over the summer. (Sun), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

Several questions - including one referring to "glacial movement" - sent in via our 'Ask about Aston Villa' form have wondered whether the club made an error in not bringing back cult hero Jack Grealish, given the issues Unai Emery's side have faced this season so far.

When a Grealish comeback was floated on this page and at a BBC Radio WM fans' forum in July, the prospect of the playmaker returning to Villa seemed a nebulous one. It probably still is.

For all the speculation, there is little evidence of any serious attempt to bring him back. And, while the responses from fans to this website and the radio station constitute only a small straw poll, they suggested no great groundswell of public demand for him to return.

Had Villa started the season adequately, the matter would probably have rested there, but the context has changed even if the facts have not. I note the icy – no pun intended – tone of language in the question, referring to Villa's "glacial" movement. The reason for Villa's tentative play in these early weeks of the season has not yet been satisfactorily explained by Emery or anyone else.

However, had we known in July that Villa would start the season playing in such a constricted way, would that have made the case for Grealish more strongly? If you could be sure of getting the old Villa-issue Grealish, perhaps, but after he had faded into the background at Manchester City it was reasonable to have doubts about whether that version of the player was still around.

My view, expressed on this page at that time, was on the side of the romantics, hopeful for a return. But calling for a gamble is easy when it is not your money on the table. Re-hiring Grealish never looked like a budget option for a club squeezed up against the PSR ceiling.

It is often claimed Grealish was restricted by City's rigid methods. While Emery has his systems too, there has always been room within them for players with a freer spirit. Morgan Rogers has taken advantage of that and, on his best days, Leon Bailey sometimes did too.

But Grealish's impressive early form with Everton has not been a solo project. He ran rings around Wolves recently, for example - but only in partnership with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Perhaps he also benefits from being afforded more space than before - not many teams set up as defensively against Everton as they have been doing against Manchester City in recent years.

Did Villa make a mistake in not trying to bring Grealish home? If they did, it was an understandable one given their financial concerns. Perhaps he would have provided a spark, but Villa's loss of form feels like a wider issue than just being one man short.

Listen to full commentary of Sunderland v Aston Villa at 14:00 BST on Sunday on BBC Radio WM (all frequencies except online)

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We asked for your views on Aston Villa's performance after they were beaten on penalties by Brentford in the Carabao Cup third round - a result which left Unai Emery's side still searching for their first win of the season.

Here are some of your comments:

Cyril: Abysmal. One tackle in the opposition half, from which they scored. Brentford sliced through Villa like a hot knife through butter. Four passes and they were on the edge of Villa penalty area time after time.

David: The front four on Tuesday have been extensively recruited by Emery but not one of them looked comfortable in the formation. Ponderous going forward, overrun in midfield at times, and then Pau Torres adding a weakness at the back. Perhaps players still need to adapt but another cup has gone and alarm bells are starting to ring.

Kevin: Is there a player in the history of football who has passed the ball back more than Matty Cash?

Prit: What frustrated me was the slow, pedestrian, endless, 'crab-like' sideways passing Villa do, giving the opposition time to get back and play a low defensive block. We chronically lack a creative, forward-thinking player (a Jack Grealish maybe...) who can break open a defence. Some of the players look unfit, uninterested or have a much higher opinion of themselves than their form is showing. Unai needs to pick a team on fitness and form and not reputation. It's not a crisis yet - but time is running out.

Tony: Pretty lame really. I didn't think Villa were pushing on enough. Too many players seem off the pace. Guessand has got an awful first touch - even I could trap a ball better than him. Bizot was badly positioned for their goal too. All in all, a bad performance - and if this carries on, Emery will be gone.

Nick: Really concerned about the fitness and mental attitude of many of the team. Watkins has lost a yard of pace and looked out of sorts. He wasn't the only one. We are in a lot of trouble.

Matt: At least we scored...