Aston Villa are playing in the Champions League this season and that is partly down to their recruitment under Monchi and how Unai Emery has used the assets available to him.
Monchi’s track record isn’t spotless and before Aston Villa, his non-Spain experience at AS Roma saw him receive a lot of criticism.
Someone who knows Monchi well from his time at Sevilla is Miguel Ángel Gómez, who was the Spanish club’s chief scout during a period where the club won silverware and elevated their status in the European game as excellent recruiters.
Angel Gomez spoke to Estadio Deportivo about Monchi, after critics dished out blame to him for the current mess at Sevilla, saying he left underperforming players on high wages who have been difficult to shift.
“It bothers me a lot that they blame the situation on a person (Monchi) who is no longer at the club.”
Angel Gomez wasn’t with Monchi during his second stint at Sevilla, and that perhaps saw a change in approach from the transfer guru. Victor Orta has taken on the role after leaving Leeds United, and he’s been the subject of even more criticism.
Sevilla were in a relegation fight at times last season, and after four games of the current campaign they find themselves in the relegation zone.
There’s been a lot of change and strife behind the scenes, and there are some in Spain who feel it all dates back to Monchi. Angel Gomez is not one of those people, and clearly feels it’s unfair to pinpoint the now Aston Villa chief.
