Unai Emery led Aston Villa into the Champions League but has lost key players this summer(Image: 2026 Getty Images)
Aston Villa's dangerous swing
Aston Villa are about to swing violently from the sublime to the ridiculous. With a decision so bizarre, it feels akin to parking a Robin Reliant where a Ferrari has just been.
Perhaps Unai Emery thinks he can be the manager to release the handbreak belonging to Alejandro Garnacho. What other reason could there be for the Villa manager to think there is some logic to replacing Morgan Rogers with Garnacho?
But the real mistake Emery has made is convincing himself Garnacho is a good footballer in the first place.
There were several reasons Garnacho failed to make the Argentina squad for this summer's World Cup. These included his attitude in training, approach to the game in general and an unhealthy obsession with social media. But the one which stuck out like a sore thumb, was also the one which saw Lionel Messi raise concerns about how disruptive Garnacho is capable of being in a squad and its dressing room.
In short, Emery has invited a nightmare to his own doorstep.
Emery has earned a reputation for reviving lost causes in the past. The likes of Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio spring to mind.
But the Spaniard has bitten off more than he can chew, this time.
When Chelsea agreed to hand over £40m to Manchester United for Garnacho last summer, Sir Jim Ratcliffe was said to be doing a dance of delight around the swimming pool of his mansion on the outskirts of Monaco. The United co-owner must have felt like popping an expensive bottle of the finest French champagne.
He had rid his club of a footballer who had helped inject poison into the Old Trafford dressing room. Someone who personified United's previous indulgences with spoiled brats. A footballer with the ego of Eric Cantona, but the footballing talent of Eric Morecambe.
Villa supporters won't be laughing though. In fact, no-one associated with the club should be.
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Alejandro Garnacho has no future at Chelsea under Xabi Alonso(Image: John Walton/PA Wire)
Garnacho is someone who tries to write cheques his abilities cannot cash. The bright lights of London came calling, but Garnacho remained glued to the dimmer switch.
In a combined 117 league appearances for both United and Chelsea, Garnacho has scored the sum total of 17 goals.
When Chelsea made the mind-boggling decision to sign Garnacho, United's gain was their loss. It summed up the London club's obsession with disfunction and arrogance.
And now, it seems, Emery is about to fall into the same trap.
He cannot seem to see what the rest of football can. The game is about the company you keep, and Emery is about to invite a troublemaker into his ranks. Because the only thing Garnacho is good at is getting managers the sack.
And if this trend continues in Birmingham, then Emery will only have himself to blame.
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