When Arsenal replaced Arsene Wenger with Unai Emery we were all warned to be ‘careful what you wish for’, but now it seems like a masterstroke as the Spaniard has got everyone motivated and desperate to please the boss, which was obviously not the case under Wenger. Our most impressive performer in current form is Alexander Lacazette, who has got the latest Player of the Month and the Goal of the Month award, and looks as sharp as a button at the moment.
The Frenchman though gives all the credit to the new boss. When asked if he was feeling the best ever under the new regime, Lacazette said: “Yes [is it] because even if I don’t score in every game, in general I feel good and I am happy about my condition and my feeling in the team,”
“Unai Emery has had a big impact. He did a good job even if we lost the first two games, because after we have won nine games in a row and you can see what he wants us to do, how he wants us to play tactically, defensively.
“Effort, he wants 100 per cent every day. He wants us to win, even in training. He wants quality as well, we know we have to play well to win. Sometimes not, but most of the time if we play well, we can win.
“In the dressing room everyone is happy about [our run of form] but we know if we did this it is because we worked a lot so we have to work hard again.”
So if this is worth talking about from Lacazette, it obviously means that previously they were not pushed to work their hardest under the old regime. Every player keeps talking about how Wenger just told them to play their own game and not worry about the opponent’s tactics, whereas now they are required to change systems depending on who we are playing and also to give 100% even in training. I am at a loss as to why Wenger didn’t demand the same thing from our players?
Darren N
Wenger seemed to take the match day as just another day at his office, with his apathy and lack of involvement at the dugout. Whereas Emery was very active with his instructions, as seen at Fulham
I believe he demanded 100% from all players, but the lack of encouragement to do more duels in the field and lack of tactics have made the players play too safe and too complacent
We have to thank Wenger for leaving the club in such a good way, when you looik at the state alex ferguson left mufc. Its clear that AW loved the club and he could have left a few years ago when afc were really struggling bith financially from the new stadium build and on the pitch. He left us in decent standing having notched a few more FA Cups and class signings like Lacazette and Aubyeyang.
I am grateful. Wenger seems to have good personality and he is a legend
But I wish he left sooner, because Arsenal needed a big change at that time, he couldn’t offer more to Arsenal and his tactics have become predictable
Bad idea.
The problem was that Wenger had to also help balance books. When he left the team it was almost all redone in the front. The middle and back were works in progress.
With 3-4-1-2 Arsenal is using Ozil best. This formation and these players would have beaten Chelsea. Emery let Chelsea off the hook.
You must live on a different Arsenal planet to me. Could not disagree more, apart from the two forwards you listed. And that was about it! And furthermore he did not leave us; he was sacked!
Sorry Jon, especially as we seem in tune on my earlier post.
But I guess this is what the author was hoping for…. further disagreement within the fanbase….however:
Wenger was not sacked, he resigned.
This FACT was confirmed by none other than the club captain, following a meeting with the players to announce just that.
If, of course, you have actual FACTS that Mertesaker was not speaking the truth, please share this with everyone on here.
Not that it matters one iota anyway, the record of this revolutionary manager will be in our club’s DNA for ever more.
Didn’t Wenger himself say in various interviews after he left that he was not ready to quit Arsenal? Not the words of a man who resigned but rather of one who was forced out against his will.
Now you mention it…
Wenger still had a year left on his contract…. (and he NEVER breaks a contract!)
Except when you love something/somebody you let them free.
(It does not matter if he fired or left, the fact is the fans were disgraceful. Wenger’s team now wins well and with Koz back soon, we should stay with the 3-4-1-2 and win more.)
Thank you Fo Sulli for your well considered presentation. Actually you have pinpointed something which I had never cared to think about. The fact that Wenger left the Club at the level where it was financially self sustaining is very commendable. It is also worth noting that Wenger gave the Club ample time to pick a new manager and didn’t attempt to influence the appointment of his successor. Thus Arsenal has avoided the chaos that has reigned at Man U since Alex Ferguson’s departure.
David Russ, once again I have to pay respect for your clear, unbiased, factual and diligent comments.
I cannot see ANY rationale, clear thinking Arsenal supporter disagreeing with anything that you have said.
I would like to add two other points if I may?
1. The wealth of young players destined for greatness that Wenger identified and Emery will coach to bring success to the club.
2. Despite the chaos of the last two seasons, Emery inherited a team that finished sixth, enabling him to bring in just five more players who see us just three points away from a top three position.
I hope these points do not deflect in any way from your brilliant summing up of the club’s situation post Wenger.
Fans miss the changes that were coming with Wenger. The replacement for Per was going to be expensive. Emery’s selections are not good enough. Lichsteiner is only a defender. Not much creativity.
Emery will change and stop playing from the back so much that it leads to exposure and mistakes.
Didn’t SAF leave Man U as PL champions?
We have been getting so much luck in most games so far apart from may be the Fulham game.
I am still waiting to see if we can replicate the Fulham performance against the so other so called Top 6 teams.
But I cannot complain with our effort and results so far. As they say, we winning games without being that convincing is something to be proud of.
Come On You The Arsenal.
I’m going to take a leaf out of someone else’s book, quite a few others actually, unless it was a case of some people going a bit mad with their VPN usage. No, I do not agree. Wenger was a great manager and is a great man. He demanded excellence from the people around him but unfortunately for us, the higher powers that be could not keep up with the man. The leaf that I spoke about is in contrast to my thoughts here.
Bang 5 goals against Leicester and we will go third!!
Also… Happy birthday arsene.
I would have thought it was obvious that the players were not giving 100% over the last two seasons.
Per Mertesacker actually said that the players were too blame for not supporting him.
However it’s my opinion the job just got too much for him after the Chelsea cup final and he lost, not only the dressing room, but the club as a whole.
The club needed a complete change and that has happened.
Emery has proven to be a master stroke of an appointment, along with the three musketeers.
It is so obvious, I wonder just what the author is hoping to achieve?
Unless of course, he’s just wanting to cause more division amongst the fanbase?
Total agreement Ken. I also could not see the point in stating the blindingly obvious and posing it as a question. Is grass green I wider, is rain wet? Similar tosh !.
I think Wenger may have been ambitious and demanding in his first few years.
But then complacency set in, and as he wasn’t held accountable for the lack of championships or at least a decent challenge for championships, it just got worse and worse.
There is no surprise in Laccazette’s words. We have heard from several players, and I think most fans could see it as well.
Wenger was a great manager overall for our club. He should just have been sacked much earlier or at least severely warned, that he would be sacked if he couldn’t produce better results in the most important tournaments (PL and ECL). Maybe he would have followed with the times, if it had been demanded of him.
Just guesswork. Happy that we are improving now.
Its good quesswork as I see it. Fair, like the comments coming from Ken1945. Emery is the future and Wenger is the past. It wouldn’t be fair to compare Emery’s first seasons to that of Arsene’s. Hopefully I am wrong and we will be deliberating over these two managers early achievements, though allot would not expect that to be the case at this early juncture.
@AndersS
I think Mourinho stole Wenger’s mojo… his abrasive character and constant verbal attacks permanently damaged AW. Despite that I do recall 2 or 3 really strong finishes before AW finally declared 4th place as a trophy (which is generally accepted now)
Then came the rise of Man City which was the fatal blow to any hope AW might have of a fourth title. I’m sure AW will look back at how we threw away the opportunity that Vardy et al grabbed with relish……the year the powerhouses had a collective meltdown.
It was inevitable we would finally leave the CL dinner table. On the whole AW had a memorable run and our fall from grace is such that the high table is still within touching distance.
Cheers
The constant disrespect for Wenger here is ridiculous. Let me state it clearly: Wenger constantly went on over 10 game unbeaten runs with several wins in it. So Arsenal’s current run is nothing new. two seasons ago, Arsenal went 19 games unbeaten between from Sep – Dec 2016 in all competitions (a season we finished 6th).
Emery has acheived nothing yet and I don’t understand all the noise about how he has transformed Arsenal. Going by the performances so far, bar Fulham, all the games we won could have swung either way. People keep saying how we would have lost games like Watford and Everton but truth is that we always won both games at home, which is where we have played both teams this year. Difference is that in previous years, Arsenal dominated those games at home but this year, both Watford and Everton dominated us at home but failed to take their chances.
I am still of the view that Arsenal will finish between 7th and 5th.
*Arsenal finished 5th in said year and not 6th.
Interesting comments.
My view is fourth, fifth or sixth. Most probably sixth, but then I have ALWAYS been a realist!
WENGER IS A LEGEND!
Moving on….
Tonight’s game is against a counter attacking team, remember Spain v England.
Just how did a high quality Spain came unstuck against England… ?
Leicester is very much like that on the counter!!!
Former PL Champions, still alive and kicking despite losing three pivotal men from their successfull title run. It may be a different team but still lethal and still fast still hungry.
Yes. This game could be a defining moment that will further solidify Arsenal’s new style and boost our confidence or test our resolve and character should the result be less pleasing!
Its too early to have such articles!
I’m a bit worried about this game.
1. In recent past, our games against Leicester have always been tough. Except for that 5.2 thrashing at the king power stadium.
2. A certain Jamie Vardy always scores against us.
3. Leicester have a good conversion rate. This means that we cannot allow them get many chances like Everton and Watford. If we do, they may likely punish us.
On the flip side, we usually score 2 or more goals against them and apart from the Mancity game, we’ve been doing just that in every single game this season.
We can outscore them, but we cannot play a “lazy” first half tonight.
COYG. Let’s Make it 10wins on the bounce….
Luck plays a role..
Clearly some of you are missing the point everyone knows Wenger’s last years sucked even people like mourinho saw it…I personally hate mourinho but when he called wenger a specialist in failure he was justified jus as now we can now also call him a specialist in failure….Players especially last season were no longer motivated i thought they felt like it was a routine to jus play and get into top 4 then thats it…players only became slighty motivated when wenger announced his retirement to show him some respect but under new leadership some are feeling a sense of excitement, a feel of wanting to put in the work, a sense of something great is to come which is why i feel some of the players comments are justified like when bellerin said ’emery has bought a winning mentality’ which is why such comments sound like wenger wasnt motivating.
I think the problem was there was little consequences for performing bad. Too little competition in the squad, and Arsenal got used to being also-ran’s. Already we have heard Cech and Cazorla talk about how the squad never truly believed they could win the league. Arsenal got comfortable as a 4th place team and it’s not surprising standards slipped
Win it with whom? Which Arsenal players are world class?
Only Ozil would get into a top top side. Money can only buy one Ozil. No other players of quality until Auba and Laca arrived. See how they work now.