Midlands Q&A: Can Aston Villa extend Man City's winless run? Are Steve Cooper's days numbered at Nottingham Forest? Have Wolves found their new No 1?

TOM COLLOMOSSE: Marinakis likes to have a close working relationship with his manager but few managers are happy to have players simply imposed upon them, as has been the case with Cooper in the last three transfer windows.

Nobody can question Marinakis' ambition or the scale of his investment - nearly £300million on transfers alone plus significant outlay to improve facilities at the stadium and training ground.

Perhaps the ownership group could be a little more targeted and a little less scattergun with their recruitment, though.

TOM COLLOMOSSE: It now feels like a question of when, not if.

Unless Forest lose heavily at Fulham, owner Evangelos Marinakis may not act immediately, with the match at Wolves on Saturday just around the corner.

But we are rapidly approaching the point of no return, if we have not reached it already.

Marinakis has long admired Julen Lopetegui, the former Spain and Real Madrid coach who kept Wolves up last season.

TOM COLLOMOSSE: Villa fans know how good a job Emery is doing and it would be natural to have a few nerves about the future, especially when jobs at European giants become available.

Yet Emery has a level of control at Villa that he would be unlikely to have at a top club.

He has been given the keys to the castle at Villa and is shaping the football side of the club exactly how he wishes. That sort of freedom is not easy to find.

We had a comment on X from John Smith about Luiz (below) and here’s Tom with the latest.

TOM COLLOMOSSE: Villa will reason that if Enzo Fernandez, Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo are worth more than £100m, so is Douglas Luiz.

They face a tricky January because if there are bids for Luiz - and Arsenal are strongly interested in the Brazil international having bid in the past - then he may grow unsettled.

Yet as far as I am aware, there is not a specific release clause in the new contract Luiz signed October 2022.

The player is on a long contract and Villa are not under financial pressure to sell. Expect things to happen next month though.

TOM COLLOMOSSE: They probably have a little way to go to achieve that. Ron Atkinson's team ran Manchester United mighty close in the first season of the Premier League, as well as picking up silverware - something Brian Little's side also did.

Though Martin O'Neill's teams never lifted a trophy, they fought consistently at the top end of the table and qualified for Europe.

The signs are very promising for Emery's group, though.

TOM COLLOMOSSE: Emery's messaging yesterday was all about Villa believing in themselves. They have not won 13 in a row at home in the league by accident.

Of course City are favourites but Villa nearly always score at Villa Park and they have become a powerful machine under Emery.

If Villa play to their potential, it should be one of City's toughest tests.

We have our Midlands correspondent Tom Collomosse here to discuss the latest from all the Midlands clubs.

It’s another packed midweek of football with Aston Villa hosting Manchester City tonight, after Wolves claimed a win over Burnley last night.

Nottingham Forest are also in action against Fulham later on and we’ll have plenty to discuss besides.

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