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Emery right to call Villa players lazy – Konsa

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Nick Mashiter

Football reporter
  • 24 September 2025, 15:32 BST
Updated 7 minutes ago

Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa says head coach Unai Emery was right to label his players “lazy”.

Emery was furious with his side after Sunday’s 1-1 draw at 10-man Sunderland, saying: “We were lazy sometimes in defence. When we conceded, we were lazy.”

Wilson Isidor levelled with 15 minutes left after Matty Cash’s opener, with the Black Cats playing one short for an hour after Reinildo Mandava’s red card.

“Yeah, it’s a fair comment. I think everyone has seen the picture, seen the goal,” said Konsa.

“Here we pride ourselves in trying to play a high line, it is something the boss has instilled since he first came.

“We didn’t quite get it right. Things have not been good for us so far this season. But there are blips in the season and we are going through that now. Hopefully we can move on.

“When your manager doesn’t speak too well of you, it is not a good thing for you. It does bring a bit of fuel into you and you just want to play the next game as soon as possible, to prove everyone wrong. It starts from tomorrow.”

Asked if Emery had called his players lazy privately, Konsa added: “No. The boss is not a big speaker. Sometimes he keeps himself to himself.

“As players, we have been in the game a long time and we know what we need to do. It is down to us at the end of the day. We are on the pitch, not the manager. We have to figure it out for ourselves as well.”

Speaking before Bologna’s visit to Villa Park in the Europa League on Thursday, Emery said he was “angry” after the match against Sunderland.

“I was frustrated and disappointed but when I analysed it I was getting the balance,” said Emery.

“I am demanding and always trying to understand how we can feel stronger. After the match I told the players we have to be more demanding.”

The draw against Sunderland left Villa 18th in the Premier League and winless in their opening five games, out of the Carabao Cup and having scored just one league goal.

Konsa, though, says the club are not in “crisis”.

“I don’t think we are at the stage where we need to have meetings,” he said. “People will talk about crisis meetings and things like that but we have got a great captain in John McGinn, who really takes the lead in stuff like that.

“After the game, he said a few words to keep us going, to keep encouraging us. Look, we haven’t started the season well. We know that. But I’m sure it’s going to go well soon.

“It shows how far we have come over the last three years [that people have criticised Villa’s start to the season]”.

Business as usual after Monchi departure

President of football operations Monchi’s departure from Villa was announced on Tuesday evening with former Real Sociedad sporting director Roberto Olabe replacing him.

Monchi wanted a break and the decision was mutual between him and the club after two years at Villa.

Emery believes the transition will be smooth with his fellow Basque countryman Olabe as they were able to replace Monchi quickly.

“It was something we were working on, knowing about while speaking with Monchi,” he said.

“After the transfer window had finished we were speaking about our relationship here, working with the club and working together.

“Then, we decided with the club and him, and with Roberto as well, to do a normal transition. Nothing has changed, only changing the man.

“We reacted quickly with one person I know personally, I have a lot of confidence with Roberto. He is coming to help us.”

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Tai wins fourth world Para-swimming gold

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16 minutes ago

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24 September 2025

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Elizabeth Botcherby

BBC Sport journalist
  • 14 minutes ago

Alice Tai won her fourth gold in as many days at the World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore – while Great Britain defended their mixed relay title.

Tai, 26, has won every final she has faced at this year’s Championships to date, finishing first in the women’s S8 100m backstroke, S8 400m freestyle, and S8 100m butterfly before Wednesday’s triumph in the S8 100m freestyle.

She finished ahead of Italy’s Xenia Palazzo and USA’s Jessica Long, winning in a time of one minute 05.49 seconds.

“This week is taking its toll a bit now. I’m definitely a bit tired but there’s still three days to go,” said Tai, who could another two golds to her collection on Thursday.

“I’m really happy with that time, it’s a season’s best and the fastest I’ve done since my amputation [in 2022], so I’m over the moon with it.”

William Ellard, Poppy Maskill, Dylan Broom, and Georgia Sheffield set a championship record as Great Britain won the mixed S14 4x100m freestyle in 3:41.14 – less than one second short of their own world record, set in 2021.

Great Britain have won the event at both world and Paralympic level stretching back to its introduction in 2019.

“The goal is to keep building this to LA [2028 Paralympics]. We’ve got a great team here and a lot of good people coming through, so it could be quite good for the future,” Ellard said.

There was also gold for Ellie Challis, who retained her women’s S3 50m backstroke title in a time of 53.92.

Astrid Carroll, meanwhile, beat China’s Jietong Zheng by three hundredths of a second to win silver in the women’s SB12 100m breaststroke.

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The Big Provincial Preview

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33 minutes ago

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24 September 2025

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This post was originally published on this site.

Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey preview the 2025/26 campaign for Leinster, Ulster, Munster and Connacht.

As Gav mentions near the top, The 42 subscribers can get a 15% discount on a season-long subscription to URC TV. to Head to www.urc.tv and use promo code TFT15URCTV to access the entire season for just €34.

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Lewis, Field and Connor nominated for Man of Steel

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42 minutes ago

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24 September 2025

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Hull KR’s Mikey Lewis, Wigan Warriors’ Jai Field and Leeds Rhinos’ Jake Connor have been nominated for the 2025 Steve Prescott Man of Steel award.

The three have been shortlisted for the award having sealed a play-off spot with their sides, in addition to being named in this season’s Super League Dream Team.

Robins half-back Lewis, 24, won the award in 2024 and could be the first player to retain the crown after Paul Sculthorpe won in 2001 and 2002.

He has helped Hull KR to the Challenge Cup and League Leaders’ Shield this season.

Full-back Field, 28, guided last year’s quadruple winners Wigan to second position in the regular season, while 30-year-old scrum-half Connor is nominated having had an inspired campaign with Leeds, as they sealed a top-four spot for the first time since 2017.

The award, which was named after the late Steve Prescott in 2014, has been running since 1977 when Leeds hooker David Ward received the inaugural trophy.

This year’s trio were shortlisted after a process where a panel of former players award players points per game during the season using a voting system.

The Man of Steel crown, as well as the Woman of Steel and Wheels of Steel prizes, will be presented on Tuesday, 7 October in Manchester.

Lewis’s nomination comes as his career goes from strength to strength, continuing his fine form after a monumental 2024 season which saw him win the Man of Steel award for the first time and become the first KR player to be win the award since Gavin Miller in 1986.

Having made his England debut in 2023 against Tonga, he also looks set to start for his country in the upcoming Ashes Test series against Australia in October and November.

Field is named in the shortlist off the back of a prolific campaign for Wigan, scoring very nearly a try a game with a total of 26 tries from 27 fixtures in 2025 so far.

Connor will kick start his play-off campaign this weekend as his Leeds Rhinos side take on St Helens on Saturday evening in the second play-off eliminator of 2025.

Should Connor win the award, he would become the first Leeds player to be named Man of Steel since Zak Hardaker in 2015.

This year’s Women of Steel award will go to a Wigan player after the Women’s Challenge Cup and League Leaders’ Shield winners enjoyed a clean sweep of nominations.

Jenna Foubister, Eva Hunter and Isabel Rowe were nominated for this year’s award which is also set to be announced at the end-of-season awards in October.

Meanwhile, the shortlist for this season’s Wheels of Steel, awarded to the best player in the Wheelchair Super League, will be announced on Thursday.

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