‘There is a lack of RESPECT in this country… you don’t get that in France or Spain!’: Peter Crouch defends ‘top class’ Unai Emery and says Aston Villa boss was treated unfairly at Arsenal after being turned into a ‘figure of pleasure’
- Emery failed to win over the fans and they mocked him during his time at Arsenal
- The 51-year-old Spaniard has since won the Europa League at Villarreal CF
- Former striker Crouch said: ‘I just think there is a lack of respect in this country’
Peter Crouch has defended ‘top tier’ Unai Emery by saying the Aston Villa boss was treated unfairly at Arsenal after he turned into a ‘figure of fun’.
Emery failed to win over the fans and they even mocked him during his time at the Emirates Stadium after he took over from long-serving Arsene Wenger not only because of their fortunes on the pitch but also because of his command of the English language.
The 51-year-old Spaniard has since won the Europa League in Villarreal and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Former striker Crouch said: ‘I just think there is a lack of respect in this country. If you go to Spain or France you will not find that level of disrespect.
“That’s part of the job at Arsenal, it was a difficult position for him, a difficult time and he almost became a figure of fun with some of the interviews and things like that.”
Peter Crouch has defended Unai Emery by saying the Spaniard has been treated unfairly at Arsenal
Former Aston Villa striker Crouch, 42, said: ‘I just think there is a lack of respect in this country’
“Then he goes back to Spain and wins the Europa League and proves what a top manager he is. Frankly, I think Villa is lucky to have him,” continued Crouch, 42.
“He’s a top-class manager, a Champions League manager. A manager of the highest caliber.
“He proves what a top manager he is with the journey with the job he has done.”
Rio Ferdinand added: “They have someone who is very meticulous in his approach. We have seen in Europe that he has a lot of experience.
“He sets up his team in such a way that it is very difficult to play against, but also to be a threat when they get the ball.
‘He has extensive knowledge of the game, a good coach and they see the benefits of that.
“He lets players play who didn’t play before. One of the main pillars of his teams is organization and hard work.’
Emery failed to win over the fans and they even mocked him during his time with the Emirates
“They have a top, top manager on their books. You can see Howe a year ago, he came to Newcastle when they were struggling at the bottom of the league,” said Shay Given.
“It’s a similar situation when he came here at Aston Villa, he builds them up gradually.
“Over the past few weeks, we’ve really been talking about how far they’ve come.
“They also have rich owners here at Villa Park, if he is supported in the summer and brings in some players, we can talk about Villa challenge for Europe.”