The board took far too long to sack Emery, the Arsenal fans deserved better.
Arsenal have finally done what has been the right thing to do for over a month now after they fired Unai Emery.
The former Sevilla boss has led the team in a disastrous campaign this season and he was never going to get away with not winning their Europa League game against Eintracht Frankfurt at home.
While I do feel sympathy for Emery because he is a good manager, I also believe that Arsenal fans deserve better.
After the final years of Arsene Wenger, there was no way a manager would last long as Arsenal manager if he cannot get the team firing and that is why Emery had to go.
Arsenal fans pay one of the highest season ticket prices, the least the Gunners deserve is a team that plays with an identity that the fans can be proud of.
This season, Emery has tinkered with his team so much you would think that the fans are his advisers. He has put out teams after teams that play horrible football despite having some of the best players in the Premier League.
Their performance against Southampton at the weekend shows just how much mediocrity this current Arsenal board is prepared to take.
How can you explain the decision to publicly back a manager that has got his team on a downward spiral? But that is exactly what the Gunners’ board did when they issued a statement in support of Emery earlier in the month.
This decision took too long to be made, they have to act swiftly now to name a good replacement for Emery so that Arsenal can get their season started.
I think the downfard spiral began at some point last spring. Remember when we were almost guaranteed in the top 4? I think we lost to Palace at home 2-3, and then some other results while we didn’t even play against the top 5 teams.
Now I see why Arsenal left it long… Sacking Unai Emery on Black Friday to get discount off his payout
Despite the lack of progress early on under Emery, I think it would have been extremely harsh if the board had sacked him in the summer. Most people agreed that he deserved a free pass last season, given the difficult task he had on his hands. Worst Arsenal squad in over 30 years, no one knew how to defend at all, players contracts in a mess, lack of discipline, poor mentality, and the club was going through a huge transitional phase. Add to that Emery was our first new manager in 22 years, and the crippling injuries last season.
This season however, Emery had to start well, and even if it was an indifferent start, we needed to see some sort of progress. No progress at all, and we’ve steadily just got worse. I think it’s a bit harsh laying into the board over this, because they never appointed Emery, and they couldn’t sack him only a month or two into the season. I feel at the earliest, maybe 4/6 weeks ago they could have let him go.
I would say that most of what the new board have done so far has been very positive, but their next appointment is crucial to winning over the fans. It has to be a big name! Someone like Simeone, or Allegri. If they are truly ambitious they’ll get a name in. If it’s the likes of Arteta, or Ljungberg on long-term contracts, then it’s the same old story.
Ljunberg apparently can’t be a long term option – he doesn’t hold a UEFA Pro license yet, so can only be our interim manager for 12 weeks maximum 🤷♂️
I didn’t know that. That’s actually a positive thing, unless he could rush through a licence during those 12 weeks?
I didn’t know it until today either lol – it’s apparently a 12 month course so highly doubtful it can be sped up enough, unless he is mid way through it I suppose.