Here at BoyleSports, we recently sat down with Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman who had high-praise for Gary O’Neil and UnaI Emery.
Wolves and Aston Villa have both had impressive starts to their league campaigns with the former a few contentious decisions away from the European Places and Villa picking up where they let off last season under Emery.
Don Goodman had a Football League career with 550+ games and 160+ goals, including a spell with Wolves between 1994-1998 where he scored 33 goals in 125 games.
We recently sat down with the Sky Sports pundit where he praised the work done by Gary O’Neil and Unai Emery, Villa post Grealish and whether Watkins could be next in line for a big move!
WOLVES CHALLENGING FOR EUROPE?
The job Gary has done hasn’t gone under the radar because the light’s been shone on the fact that they should have seven or eight more points, in which case they’d be cemented in the top half and actually, maybe on the edge of a European push.
He’s doing an amazing job and whenever I talk about him, I have to remind people that he came into the club four or five days before the start of the season, with a group of players that he didn’t know and he’s moulded them into different units and he’s made them a very competitive team, even with the top, top teams.
They’ve already beaten Man City and they could’ve been out of sight before Liverpool recovered.
His appearance on Monday Night Football really shone a light on his tactical and coaching ability, but when it comes to being on the radar of ‘bigger’ clubs, you have to remind yourself that Wolves are a big club. There aren’t too many bigger clubs.
The only way a powerhouse comes knocking is if Wolves continue to move up the table. At the very least, that means getting them into the top half and pushing for Europe.
HIGH CALIBRE UNAI EMERY
Unai Emery was unlucky having to follow Arsene Wenger at Arsenal. He’s a high-calibre manager in his own right and has won a lot of trophies. The turnaround he’s masterminded during his time at Aston Villa has been astonishing. They look set for at least a top-six challenge with the possibility of a run at the top four.
For me, Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola are two of the best managers ever so for that, I couldn’t yet put Emery in that category. He may be at the top of the bracket below at the moment.
If he can cement Aston Villa as a top-four side and nick a trophy on the way, then he’d be inching ever closer to the likes of Pep and Klopp.
ARE VILLA BETTER OFF WITHOUT GREALISH?
I understand the question, but it’s not fair. This is a completely different team, with much better quality players than the squad that Jack Grealish left behind.
If you put Jack into this Villa team, he’d make them even better than they already are and they’d have a better chance of reaching the top four if he was still there.
COULD ARSENAL MOVE FOR “FAN” WATKINS?
I don’t think Ollie Watkins would go to either Man City or Liverpool. I think Darwin Nunez will be sensational. It’s only a matter of time before the chances he’s missing start flying in the back of the net and we’ll be saying it was worth the wait.
I’m not sure if Watkins is an Arsenal type. There’s one club I think he’d elevate instantly and that’s Man United. But for me, take away the name and history of Man United and they’re a mid-table team. Aston Villa are a better team. I haven’t seen anything this season that suggests Man United aren’t a mid-table team.
Watkins would definitely improve Man United, but I’d argue he’s best off staying at Aston Villa for the next couple of years.
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