There have been enough pundits and fans criticizing Arsenal’s new manager Unai Emery after two defeats in his first two games, but, as I have said before, the Spaniard didn’t arrive with a Magic Wand that can instantly change the way Arsenal play. It simply isn’t that easy to turn a frog into a Prince!
On the Sky Debate, Liam Rosenior (who incidentally is assistant coach for the Brighton U23s, who played a draw against Freddie’s U23s last night) said that Emery must be given time to get his philosophy stamped on the team. “For me, success for Arsenal is having a clear plan moving forward,” Rosenior said. “I think this is a season of transition and I’m tired of the overall media pressure on managers when they come into a job.
“I look at Sir Alex Ferguson. It took him five years to get his club to where he wanted them to be and then they had 20 years of consistent success. I’m tired of the turnover of managers.
“If you want managers to be able to do the job to the best of their ability you need to give them time to implement their philosophy.
“What I’ve seen from Arsenal in the first two games under Emery for me is really encouraging. Forget the results, he’s laying down a foundation and a process of the way he wants to play.
“I think given time he could be a success at Arsenal but only if he’s given time and given respect from the powers above him.
“When you follow a manager that’s been there over 20 years, it takes so much time not just to change a style of play but to change a whole culture of a football club.
“You see the problems that United are still having now numerous years after Ferguson left the club.
“It’s a huge job for Emery but I really like the way he’s gone about it because he’s gone in there and said ‘This is the way I want to play, I’m going to put my stamp on the football team’.
“And in two games I see a clear difference between Arsenal of last year and Arsenal of this year.
“Take the results out of it, I see a difference in intensity out of possession, a difference in their intensity in transitions and being willing to press the ball.
“I see a lot of things that given time and long term, they will be a much better team than they have been over the last three or four years.
“But there has to be an understanding that if you want things long term, you need to have a plan in place and a process and I think he’s going to give them that.”
He is right of course, and logically if every manager in the Premier League was judged on two games of the season against Man City and Chelsea, then they would probably all be sacked!
Let’s give the man some time and a bit less criticism shall we?
Admin
I agree with Rosenior, because I also saw some attacking improvements in Iwobi, Mkhitaryan and Bellerin in the Chelsea match
Unfortunately they are still suckers in defending. I did not see any improvement in Ozil’s and Xhaka’s attacking abilities as well
If they can produce similar perfect crosses against West Ham, I think Arsenal are heading towards the right direction with Emery, at least in attacking. They just need to drop attackers and midfielders that often defend half-heartedly, because their apathy and immobility will put all the pressure on the defenders
Harry Potter and the Goblets of fire… Unai Emery
Loss to City was expected honestly, best team in premier league. We fought hard against Chelsea, almost got a point, maybe should have won except for missed sitters.
Arsenal should handle midtable teams easily, and our away form should improve with Emery’s tactics.
I think most fans see the fighting spirit, the ruthlessness over favoritism, and something different being built. That’s what most expect, and this year is Emery’s time to figure out who stays, who goes, and what he needs.
Cannot agree more Durand.There has been a marked improvement and performances will become more consistent but Emery will need time for his ideas to get through.We have a run of games now where we can really make an impact.An early goal on Saturday will relieve the pressure all round.
Well said, “I think most fans see the fighting spirit, the ruthlessness over favoritism, and something different being built. That’s what most expect, and this year is Emery’s time to figure out who stays, who goes, and what he needs.”
Just give the coach the respect and opportunity, even half of what Arsene got to implement his philosophy and ideas on this football club. Time for ruthlessness
I agree also to a certain extent,but i still see consistantly bad performances from the same players that just do not seem to want to put in the effort , I hope that everyone can get behind emery and give him the time he needs but I have lost faith in these players and I think it wont be long before Unai does as well.
well said khitb77, what has Allerdyce ever won anyway apart from the odd promotion from a lower division,now hes out of work again I suppose he needs to get his face in somewhere.
It drives me up the wall reading comments from know-nothing fans, ex-players and even ex-managers… Sam (Walrus face disgraced ex-England manager) Allardyce have been quoted as criticising Emery’s tactics.
Rosenior is spot on. It’s going to take this first season for Emery to get his players used to his philosophy.
The trouble appears to be that thanks to the internet we are used to getting instant gratification. Which also means we expect instant results.
Personally I’d be more than happy if we finished 5th this season and by the end of the season Emery knows which of our players he wants to keep next season and which ones will be sold in the summer.
Superb article.
totally agree.
I would not be happy if we finished outside top 4 tbh. In today’s era, I don’t think we can afford giving a coach five years to get his team together like the case of Sir. Alex. So, Unai should do all he can to get us back to champions league this season. From next season, we should all be aiming for the title, simple! Conte won the title in his first season so I am not talking of something that is not possible
I recently read an article about
how half the premier league clubs
would make a profit with
out any paying fans.
Clubs like Bournemouth Watford Crystal Palace+ Fulham
apparently don’t need any paying fans because the TV deals cover all their costs.
No wonder Stan is not concerned about the fans as Arsenal too
could probably play in a 20k stadium and still run a tidy profit.
How long till all games in London are played in one roofed stadium
with artificial turf watched by rent a crowd who watch 3 games on a Saturday
and return to watch two more on a Sunday just changing their shirts
in the hour break between games.
All the games like pro wrestling would be choreographed to provide
a dramatic story line and fixed results to keep the competition close all season.
Sound like a plan?
Oh, it certainly sounds like a plan! But one proposed by a lunatic! Why not ban all football fans and only let in middle aged ladies interested only in flower arranging. That too is a plan; albeit a plan equally lunatic to the one you propose. How about actually engaging your brain before writing such nonsense? Now, THAT is a sensble plan.
I also saw the Sky Sports TV debate and was pleased to see Rosenior talk a lot of sound sense. I suspect almost everyone of us will totally agree with him. Of course what he did not say and obviously could not, in the position he was in as a debater, was to highlight the levelof awful dross that is still at Arsenal, left behind on ludicrous contracts by WENGER.
Any sensible person will agree with Admin on this one. No realistic person would have expected Unai Emery to hit the ground running. It is not easy. Anyway which manager ever did that? Perhaps Mourinho in his first term at Chelsea but how long did it last? Who doesn’t remember Antonio Conte’s abysmal start at Chelsea which he later turned around and won the EPL that same season? It is theoretically possible for Arsenal to win EPL even though that is not easy given the quality of teams in EPL. All of us Gooners knew exactly the magnitude of the task that a new coach would face. Many on this website expressed their views and said that they were prepared for the consequences of Wenger’s departure. What has now changed? is it that some people can’t be realistic for long? Or had some people somehow begun to believe that Emery was a magician and could defy the general rule. Things don’t work that way. There is always a process of acclimatisation. It may be long or short. Who knows? Emery could go on a roll and win the next 6 or so games then all the fans and pundits would change their tone. That’s how fickle people are! However the realist will always urge for caution as Emery rebuilds the team. Let all true Gooners get behind the team in this critical period.
Very well said David…
David, you are so right. However unfortunately on this site there are a number of people willing Unai Emery to fail.
we all know we have to give him chance and be patient, though a lot of fans were so emotional in d last game, I wouldn’t blame them cause it’s a derby and loosing to d old enemy still hurts.
personally I feel he needs to learn the culture of playing the big boys, there are games u have to conceal the draw and not going for the jugular.
against Chelsea I think bringing in lacca is like a disrespect to Chelsea, I would have brought in leichsteiner to battle Eden and give bellerin a more advanced role, or playing 5defense
Apart from some immature Arsenal fans who cannot sit and think for themselves, blame the media, blame the do or die football mentality,blame the sense of entitlement portrayed among the fans.
Surely, one season pass should be given to a man confident enough to accept the challenge of overseeing this transition, a man determined to bring us forward to a modern way of playing football.
With money to spend, it would be easier, but without much money, i simply pity this man
Thinking outside the square there barryglik, like it!
Yep 🙂
Emery was given a 2 year deal . There could be certain clauses .Failure to mee t the targets could result in the boot. This is expected as the demands of a profile job are such .
I hope he can improve the defence. In a one on one Mustaphi is easily swept aside as indicated when Chelsea scored the 2nd goal.
The word patience is a virtue top teams don’t want to hear.Hopefully he can win against WH.
Then again there no easy matches in the epl and long may it continue.
Yes we know this.
But surely the priority was to organise and train the defence in defending rather than focusing on high press attacking?
Defence comes first. I’m just baffled why he’s decided to focus on attack over defence.
I think he feels like the team needs to defend from the front. Remember we never did that. This will improve the shape of the team and be more compact. Ultimately it should improve the defense of the team.
But i understand your point, why not just improve the 4 four to defend better. Which i agree needs to be done.
Patrick – great point about defending from the front.
But yes, thanks for understanding. Someone didn’t see my point in a previous post and criticised me! The defence needs to learn how to defend and strategise at set pieces properly at the outset. Defence is priority.
At least he’s addressed it in terms of signings and Guendouzi could be a revelation. I just hope he doesn’t get burnt out and overused….
Well if anyone criticises Emery for not being a success in his first season, is delusional, when he’s having to work with the likes of: Mustafi, Bellerin, Ozil, Xhaka, Welbeck, etc…I just hope he soon works out that these players shouldn’t be Arsenal players anymore.
I was just watching a Di Canio doc on Sky Sports, and they were showing that game when pushed the ref, and how I miss the aggression, and fight, we once had in our team. In the lead up to that incident, Vieira basically throws Jonk on the floor, Di Canio then steps in, and takes a deliberate elbow to the face from Keown, coupled with a scuffle, with Winterburn giving Di Canio angry verbals after he was sent off. The good old days! Haha
I do agree with the article and the comments by Leon Rosenior about giving Emery time to implement his philosophy. But this is not only about time but sufficient funds to buy quality players where needed. In our case it’s the dire need to buy quality mobile defenders who are used to playing Emery’s pressing game and I do hope that he will have the funds available in January. But don’t hold your breadth.
Jurgen Klopp is being lauded as a great coach but he has had three years and a lot of money and is yet to win a trophy with Liverpool. This is an extremely difficult league to win even for the ‘great’ Mourinho who used to win it for fun a few years back so let’s give Emery some time to clear out the deadwood and implement his ideas. A minimum of two years I would guess.
Time is the enemy of all football Managers.In the case of Emery, given the lack of quality in the squad he inherited, particularly in defence,it will take him longer to turn the ship around than it would at say Spurs who are a far more balanced side than we are at present.It pains me to say this but not one of our defenders would make the Spurs first team.That is the extent of the task before Emery who I personally feel will be up to it.
sigh, we owe Emery our total support at least this season for his bravery in choosing us, I just can’t see any manager applying to coach the current arsenal
?
I agree with the article, my concern is d way we conceed goals, 2 goals in less than 20mins, a top team doesn’t do that. I can’t still believe arsenal still depend on mustafi going by the errors n d numbers of goals he caused us last season. Check morata goal. I agree , unai should concentrate on defence b4 attack
is is so important that emery is given time to put his stamp on this team. look at it in the way that any coach would be an improvement on the previous dud.it is going to take time to get rid of his smell from the emirates, i sincerely hope people , who backed that madman, for all of those barren years, will now do the same thing with emery.give him a break and the time , the results will come , despite a lot of people on here hoping otherwise. this is a new era, be happy that the winter is long gone now .