Unai Emery does the same thing as Pep Guardiola and it is called poor management.
Earlier this season Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola allowed his players to choose the club captain. No problem there, it is a shrewd move from the former Barcelona coach apparently.
Unai Emery follows suit and he is called weak for it.
Here is Rio Ferdinand jumping on the bandwagon attacking the Arsenal manager for that decision.
The former Man Utd defender is just echoing what has been said in comments on this site and elsewhere.
Now, watch this video of Guardiola confirming that the players have to choose the captain. He literally says they have to, he will not.
No doubt some will argue that City won the treble last season and therefore Guardiola can do this and so on. I call bull, it is either right or wrong. It is either acceptable for players to choose a captain or it is not.
But of course, it is so easy to attack Emery and to ignore other managers doing the exact same thing.
There is a word for that.
It’s simple, one manager is leading a winning team that plays attractive attacking football and the other can’t even win at home and plays boring football. Who is made captain, who is benched etc doesn’t matter if your team is winning. If you’re team is not winning though expect everyone and their grandmother having an opinion.
It’s not simple. Guardiola had more time and more Money.
Ah yes, Emery only got a pittance in transfer funds; only £200 million in 18 months.
He is blessed with Auba, one of top 5 strikers in the world also. Poor Emery, his cubbard has nothing in it.
Pep turns a DM into a CB and gets results, Emery turns a DM into an AM and it’s everyone else’s fault.
Please, let’s not mention Emery and Pep in same sentence, unless the topic is “managers who are Spanish.” Emery not in same galaxy as Pep.
People mention his past Europa league trophies because he has nothing worth mentioning in the present. Europa has been easy so far, yet he finds a way to struggle.
The only attacking football Emery brought he has gifted to our opponents. FFS all their shots on goal. Emery is an albatross to Arsenal, he needs to go.
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Xhaka might have played last match for Arsenal, now let’s hope Emery might have coached last game for Arsenal. No more excuse please.
Because most decisions Guardiola makes work and he knows what he is doing. Emery cannot even communicate with his players…literaly. I haven’t got the faintest idea what he is talking about when he does press conferences or interviews. He might as well be talking Sanskrit or Hieroglyphics . The players do not know what he wants or what he is talking about. What is the point of waiting to sack him, because it is coming whatever.
Bit harsh that Sean, I understand him clearly, his English is improving. There is enough there to attack him with than going after how he speaks English. Also, it is easy to make the right decisions when you get a billion to spend. Well, right decisions if we are not talking about winning the Champions League with a team built with that billion.
Exactly ArsenalWhy, you speak a lot of sense.
Innit your comment is irrelevant to the argument.
Great article and obsdrvation adminmaftin and it’s those who lauded his announcement axcoach, who afe now deserting UE like rats from a sinking ship!!!
There’s a word for that.
Ken, I agree. Your analogy is not fully correct, in that the rats are leaving a ship that has lost a bit of sail, has too much useless ballast and is in danger of listing. It is nowhere near sinking yet. One would think Arsenal is heading towards relegation.
The lack of loyalty, lack of intestinal fortitude to fight to win and gross hypocrisy has been evident from some so called “supporters” for a number of years. Yet these same people expect players to go above and beyond for “their team”.
Long term supporters of other clubs, who have seen lower lows and none of the highs of the Arsenal, must shake their heads in disbelief at the behaviour they see.
Behave now Ozzie, you are talking sense, that is unacceptable as an Arsenal fan these days. Well, unless you can go on AFTV abuse the players and management and accuse the media of being the cause. They are the only ones that talk sense according to them. The rest of us, myself included, are delusional.
Yes Ken, there IS a word for that and it is NOT being superior or smug either. That is reserved for those who were right from the very beginning about Emery being unsuitable and there were many of those. I was among those who looked at his pedigree when he came, assumed he would learn intelligible English within a short spell of months and also assumed , from what the club stated when he was appointed , that he would have a good idea of what he wanted and could properly communicate those instructions. Thus, I made my opinion of him based upon false “facts”. From halfway through last season I began to have serious doubts about his suitability but just as you did so faithfully with Wenger through those later years, I decided to swallow my doubts, stay faithful and give him a fair chance to show he could run things properly. This season from the very start the regression even on last season was evident and the confusion among virtually all our players is clear, weekly. Being the pragmatist I am and believing, as I always do, in being PRO-ACTIVE, instead of REACTIVE, I now state loud and clear that he was a rank BAD choice and the “vast majority of us”( disagree with that phrase if you wish- I chose it mainly for YOUR benefit anyway) NOW CRAVE HIS EARLY EXIT. WE ARE ALLOWED TO CHANGE OUR MINDS IN THE LIGHT OF EVENTS I SUGGEST. I ASK YOU TO TELL ME WHETHER YOU AGREE WITH THAT LAST SENTENCE OR WHETHER YOU BELIEVE, AS YOU IMPLIED, THAT MAKES ME AND THOSE LIKE ME HYPOCRITES. WHICH IS IT KEN? Perhaps if Wenger had changed HIS mind, many years earlier, about realising the defence is a vital core of any team, he would still be here!
Jon, I belive everyone has the right to change their minds, although I have to say you was still rooting for UE at the beginning of this season…publicly anyway.
I also agree that, as human beings, we all make mistakes and that inludes you, me, UE and Arsene Wenger wouldn’t you say?
Now, I would think it a little absurd if, in eighteen months time, I was still talking about your mistake regarding UE, not only because it wasn’t relevant, but because I would, hopefully, be discussing a current situation.
Perhaps, in your world of realism, the fact that you make mistakes can be recognised as a similar case for all of us dullards who occupy the world?
You final sentence sums it all up Jon, whatever else is wrong in the world, don’t forget AW made mistakes, lest we all forget…meanwhile the ship is a wreck, floundering but not quite sunk (thats for you ozziegunner) and Ozil is still with us post July 2019.
Ken, I have never tried to deny that all humans make mistakes. That means all of us on here, all players, all managers too, clearly. But my post was in answer to you who heavily implied we who initially liked Emery are now “deserting a sinking ship”. Wrong, because Emery is sinking and we are therefore correct to now desert him. It would be a far more serious mistake to keep him here now and obstinately insist he is doing well, when almost all are sure he is not and virtually all have turned against him, many players included it seems. I believe he will very soon be given notice by the club. WHAT ANNOYED ME AND NO WONDER, WAS YOUR ASSERTION THAT ALL WHO NOW WANT HIM OUT ARE DESEETING A SINKING SHIP. Those who escaped the Titanic lived to tell the awful tale of those who could not desert it, though they would have tried presumably. Only a fool or an unfortunate goes down with a sinking ship and therefore it is never wrong to desert it, say I. You did not say whether you think it wrong, right, or hypocritical to change ones mind in the light of events not working out. I would still like to know which of these you think most represents your OWN view. Presumably though , since you referred to”rats”(hardly the most attractive of rodents) you think it wrong to escape or desert a sinking ship? I do not so think!
Looking forward though, I am fairly hopeful that once Emery is out, things can quickly look up and majorly too. We have a good yet incomplete squad but it is easily good enough to be fourth with the right man in charge. This season will be extremely difficult though, esp if we go 9 points behind the fourth placed team today, as I expect(Chelsea havejust won as I write). To my mind it is now about firstly sacking Emery, then probably putting Freddie in charge til MAY, or just possibly January, and judge things as they stand then.
Jon, I thought I had made my position clear – everyine is entitled to change their minds and everyone makes mistakes.
My inference to a sinking ship was in response to those who, originally derided those of us who tried to point out the errors he was making from the very beginning.
That included tactics, defensive issues, man management and individual players such as Ozil.
Of course, I used the incessant harpering back to AW and mentioned how it seems he was not allowed to make mistakes and how they are continually brought up, even when discussing the current UE situation, let’s hope that is a thing of the past, as we have a current situation that has nothing to do with him.
So Jon, lets accept that we all make mistakes, can all change our minds/views and look to the future.
The squad is good enough, with players from both UE and AW’s reign…it just needs the right coach to manage them.
I don’t think he means it like that, I think he means if they don’t agree with him ..like he said ..then he’ll take another look at it, they will show him who the captain is by watching them and himself seeing who it is that demands the most respect from the players. You could say it’s a bit metaphorical. That’s how I heard it, but it’s football ..so others will see it another couple ways.
“as coach who are now deserting him”
Exactly what I’ve been saying admin Martin – it can’t be a good move by one yet a poor bit of management by the other 🤷♂️
Of course the state of the two different squads may have made it a safer bet for Pep than it was for Emery, but the act of letting the players pick their manager in itself is not necessarily a bad choice, and certainly doesn’t prove that Emery is incapable of making the tough decisions like some believe it does.
Anyway Leicester away, us playing shite and them in the form of their lives (believe it’s actually a better start than their title winning season) and I may be worried but still I’m optimistic we are going to get some points out of this match – COYG 🔴⚪
First of all trust is earned not given
Pepe has earned that trust by winning and playing attractive football
I rest my case
If that is your case rested I would love to oppose you in the courtroom.
Go ahead bring your argument? It clearly hasn’t worked Martin or did you miss that
Put forward your argument for emery doing what he’s done
I will make this as easy as possible. It is either right or it is wrong. I am not sure I can make it any easier than that.
No.
Both are cases of poor leadership.
Who exactly praised Guardiola for this?
You make a claim that it was said it was shrewd, but only provide evidence for the Emery case, admin Martin.
wow, one of those days, everyone is a forensic analyst. I used the word apparently, that in itself is not a statement of fact. But one is absolutely slammed for it, the other is not. Am I wrong on that? Maybe you can find one or two criticisms of Guardiola, I will find you 50 about Emery.
Well Martin, my take is that you are not comparing like with like in comparing Emery and his avail players with Pep and his avail players. Seems to me that Peps team is full of would be captains who play 100% fullout every minute they are on the field and constantly urge teammates to do likewise. Our players, VERY MUCH ON THE OTHER HAND, are slack minded, switch off at vital moments and have not one natural captain except Guendouzi among them. Comparisons that are NOT true comparisons are odorous as the correct saying goes. THE PREMISE OF YOUR ARTICLE NEEDED MUCH DEEPER THOUGHT IMO.
I am happy to stick with my comment, it is either right or it is wrong. Everything else to me is just noise. As for natural captain, Guendouzi has zero experience of that at senior level, whereas Xhaka captains his country, captained his previous club and the players felt he was the best choice for the captain at Arsenal.
FAIR ENOUGH MARTIN! This is a good site and well run too -if I may give you a compliment that may surprise you – true and well held and well thought throughvfan opinions are the lifeblood of any decent site so fair do’s to you for your opinion. I did say in my post that it was “my take” and it was exactly that. Clearly there will be MANY diverse opinions and hurrah for that say I. If I may gently suggest to you, I am not the miserable old git in real life that my strong and forceful opinions on here may lead some to believe. IT IS JUST THAT I CANNOT STAND HALF TRUTHS, SELF DECEPTIONS AND BLIND HOPE BASED ON NO MORE THAN PRECISELY BLIND HOPE ITSELF.I crave and react well to well thought out posts and articles, many of which come from YOU, though you may doubt this when reading some of my criticisms. Bland Iam NOT Martin- there are many others on here who do “bland” far better than I.
I appreciate the kind words. Yes, the site is full of opinions and I welcome them all. What I do not welcome is abuse, nastiness, rudeness, hatred and so on. Now, I will do what you do with capitals for emphasis. I AM NOT ACCUSING YOU OF ANY OF THOSE BY THE WAY. I am just saying that your opinions are welcome and I will respond in my way when I can, my responses are never personal, just purely my opinion and if they seem curt, it is just how I am as you are the way you are. What I do know Jon is we do share one thing, we both love our club and want was is best for them. We just may not agree on how that is achieved.
Jon, admin Martin is not comparing manager and squad – he is comparing two managers both choosing the same option for choosing a Captain and how people are reacting to that decision.
One of those managers is not slated daily for choosing that option, the other has it used as an example of how poor a manager he is and how he doesn’t have the backbone to make the tough decisions 🤷♂️
No one uses the squad we have available as a reason for why they think it was a bad choice by Emery – it’s just stated that he is weak and poor manager as he couldn’t make a decision. So why would Peps squad have any relevance? Surely he is just a weak and poor manager as he couldn’t make a decision either?
(No I don’t think Pep is a weak/poor manager just pointing out the biased reasoning I have seen here and elsewhere)
As for natural captains in our squad – well Guendouzi could well go on to be future captain material but Xhaka and KT have done it at both club and international level, but only Xhaka has been part of the squad long enough to have seriously been considered which is probably why his team mates picked him – if we don’t have a clear cut choice for captain (which we don’t) why shouldn’t it have been who the players were most confident in that role?
I think a whole lots of problem is wrong with Arsenal and Emery. The method of choosing a captain is the smallest. The bigger problem is Emery himself. He lacks man managerial skill. He doesn’t have the ability to make people come together even if there are problems. He came out and said xhaka might not play for Arsenal anymore. How is this statement supposed to keep the whole team happy and together, I thought he is supposed to keep the players happy while they work on themselves, he is supposed to be their representative to the fans, assuring us that things will improve with performances and in the dressing room. Emery is just not up to the task. He made it so open that he doesn’t like Ozil thereby bringing open division between himself, Ozil, the players and fans. Emery is very divisive and his football is completely terrible. A manger that is looking to heal the division will not come out and say xhaka might not play for Arsenal anymore because xhaka cannot leave immediately and instead he should be looking to integrate him back into the team.
The big difference was the outcome though. The majority (if not all), of the fan base wanted rid of Xhaka, because he is our worst player. Xhaka becoming captain just further cemented his position in the starting XI, and antagonised the fans even more.
I think it was poor leadership from Emery, and Pep.
Worst player? I thought that was Mustaafi or was it Ozil or Mhiki or Iwobi before they departed? I can’t keep up. It’s aa miracle Arsenal ever win a game with such horrendous international players in the squad. I mean, what does Pep Guardiola know calling Xhaka an incredible player?
Don’t listen to me, I think that’s the statistics speaking. Xhaka is even worse than Mustafi! I think you would be hard pressed to find another Arsenal player that has performed worse than Xhaka during the same period, especially when you consider the amount of starts, and minutes he gets.
I don’t know if Pep did call Xhaka an incredible player, but it means literally nothing even if he has! Pep, or any other manager, is hardly going to call Xhaka a poor player, are they. He is just being polite. If Xhaka is an incredible player, and Pep is talking the truth, then I am sure himself, Barca, Real, PSG, Liverpool, Bayern, Juventus, etc, will all be battling it out for him, should Arsenal choose to sell him.
TMJW, thank you for pointing out the truth, so obvious to some but not realised by so many others, that when players/ managers make a statement, they are not under oath in a court of law and like all humans, are prone to say what is expedient or tactful or helpful to their OWN team and is often NOT what they actually think. Most thinking people know them as either lies,white lies, tact or tactics. But SOME always seem to think EVERYTHING EVERYONE EVER SAYS IS THE GOSPEL TRUTH. How naive! Pep as a fine and very much switched on manager knows that calling another teams player the useless ***** that we fans know they actually are, is counter productive.
Statistics were produced showing Mustafi was better than van Dijk, so if you do not mind I will not listen to those and instead judge with my own eyes. Xhaka is a far better player than he is given credit for, Guardiola, Wenger, Emery, his teammates all clearly rate him, but what do they know? It is us, the armchair fan with no access to behind the scenes that know best.
Well my eyes work fine, and Xhaka has been awful. It seems you’re making a case that Xhaka has been playing well for us. Exactly how has his performances been excellent then? Clearly myself, 99.9% of our fans, and every other journalist, and pundit has got it wrong.
As I said, you and I know do not know if Pep is telling the truth, or being polite. Given the evidence, I would say it’s highly likely he’s just being polite. Do you take anything anyone says as the complete truth 100% of time. Pep could say he doesn’t rate Xhaka, but all that will do is cause a huge headache for him. The press would go nuts! As for Emery, and Wenger rating him…well do really think they are the best judges of quality players these days?
Cherry-picking what a manager says to suit your point of view is easily done, I can do that all day. You either believe a manager or you don’t, not sure why that would be controversial. 99.9% of fans? I suspect you are jesting to make a point there. I clearly have stated many times Xhaka is not playing well, but he is no way our worst performer this season and I do believe when on form he is a formidable midfielder. Xhaka is this seasons scapegoat no matter how well he plays, last season it was Mustafi, season before it was Ozil, next season it will be another player if Xhaka is sold. At least us Arsenal fans are consistent.
I would argue that mere stats by themselves PROVE NOTHING. When properly used, which they so often are NOT, THEY MAY WELL BE A GUIDE BUT ONLY A GUIDE. I agree with you AND PROBABLY THE ENTIRE FOOTBALL WORLD THAT VVD is many times the player that mistake ridden Mustafi can ever be. You do not need stats to see that, just working eyes.
I never said he was our worst player since this season. I said, you would be hard pressed to find another Arsenal player that has played worse during Xhaka’s time at the club. On forums, chat shows, speaking with friends, I have never come across anyone wanting to keep Xhaka. Even on this site, I do not think I have ever seen anyone rate him highly.
If I had to choose, I would bet anything that Pep was just being polite. I am sure that will be confirmed once Xhaka leaves, because no top club will sign him.
the sad truth about emery is that lampard with less time and resources and i would argue a weaker squad is doing better than this guy because he has a vision of how too play football and the respect of his players who work their socks of for him … until we get a manager that has those qualities we will be going backwards … dont need more time to work out that emery is not good for the club … if we lose today i suspect he will be gone this week but a draw and he will linger on til xmas very sad state of a club run by a corporate crook
rkw, great statement about Lampard and football…he played at the very top and that’s why I don’t see a problem talking about Vieria, freddie and Dennis regarding the future…of course Henry can be a counter argument.
All three are respected, fighters and know our club and, just as importantly, they know what we want.
I like the idea of Steve Gerrard