The brutal verdict Aston Villa players have delivered that could have led to Monchi’s shock exit

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Aston Villa have made a big change in the boardroom, with Monchi departing and Roberto Olabe taking his place as President of Football Operations.

On Tuesday afternoon, TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey confirmed that Olabe was Villa-bound, and the club confirmed it later in the day.

Aston Villa said in a statement that Monchi had stepped down as President of Football Operations and will continue in an advisory role at V Sports, with Olabe taking over.

A report has now emerged which discusses what happened behind the scenes, including what the players were saying to family and friends which likely contributed to Monchi’s exit.

Aston Villa players told their family and friends that the team ‘desperately needed a boost’

Not only was Monchi’s departure a bit of a shock, but the fact Villa had already lined up a replacement suggests the writing was on the wall for the club’s former PFO.

According to The Athletic, some Villa insiders were “startled” when they were told of Monchi’s departure on Monday afternoon.

Likewise, wider staff not directly involved in Monchi’s departments, including senior figures, were “equally surprised”.

While they felt Villa’s recruitment had been poor and “tensions were developing”, they didn’t think he would be leaving just over a month into the new season.

Staff acknowledged that the transfer window was chaotic, with Villa failing to land numerous key targets.

And apparently, there was a “sense of stagnation” around the squad, with players telling close friends and family that the team desperately needed a boost through high-quality signings.

Emery shared that sentiment, while other staff felt the summer could have been a good occasion to usher in a new era.

All this led to more focus and pressure on Monchi, the man ultimately responsible for the club’s signings – until this week, that is.

In addition, the sale of Jacob Ramsey was said to have been a blow to the dressing room atmosphere.

READ MORE: Bologna boss Vincenzo Italiano names three things about Aston Villa that have ‘hugely impressed him’

What Aston Villa insiders are saying about Unai Emery’s future

Bailey told TBR Football that Villa are fully committed to Emery, and that Olabe’s appointment is a clear sign of the Villans’ faith in the manager.

When asked whether Villa have any doubts over Emery, Bailey replied: “No, they’re fully committed to Emery. They know they’ve got a world-class manager there.

“And I think the Olabe appointment is a clear sign that they brought him in to help Emery, to be part of the Emery project.

“It’s a clear sign the Emery project is still green-lit, full steam ahead.”

Indeed, The Athletic claimed – in one of their article photo captions – that “Unai Emery holds the real power at Villa.”