After Arsenal’s defeat to Man City on Sunday, Unai Emery was heavily criticized for trying to play Pep-style pressing game and playing out from the back to try and retain more possession against the Champions of England. In fact Sam Allardyce even called him ‘stupid’ to try it.
But surely no-one can expect the Gunners new team to be playing his style to perfection in his first ever Premier League game, especially against City, and according to the Sky Sports pundit Liam Rosenior, Emery should be judged much later in the season when he has had time to get his ideas across. He said: “Emery’s probably spoken to the directors and said this is the way I play.
“This is what I can give you, not just over one year but over three, or four, or five.
“That Arsenal team have been struggling for a few years and it takes time to build something, and if you deviate from that straight away you already give away your power and style of play.
“Emery has come in at Arsenal, and they’re trying to get in the top four, he’s trying to play the same way.
“He’s won titles with Sevilla, he’s won three Europa Leagues in a row, and I find it a bit disrespectful to have a go at him trying to build something in the same way Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola have in the past.
“Sam Allardyce was having a go at a manager who’s just had his first game, playing against the best team in the league, trying to put a stamp on his philosophy into this club.
“Let’s see how Arsenal do in six months in six months’ time, because I saw a lot of good in their play.
“Yes they lost, yes Cech made mistakes playing out, but I saw them being able to press the ball because they were trying to rest in possession.”
I know that so many fans, especially on justarsenal, are always looking for instant success and get irate when they don’t get it, but life is simply not like that. Rome wasn’t built in a day and practise makes perfect. Let us all try to show a bit of decorum and patience and let Emery do his job without any judgements for the next six months please?
Sam P