The new Arsenal coach Unai Emery is trying to instill a totally new tactical system to a squad that is only used to playing under Arsene Wenger’s tutelage, and the Armenian star Henryk Mkhitaryan thinks that the new man is going the right way about improving the Gunners style of play.
Mkhitaryan said: “Emery kept the philosophy of Wenger but is building something new on it. He knows he can give something different to this club, like the balance between attack and defence. It’s not easy but I think he’s doing it in the right way.
“We have to keep working because we have a new manager, a new philosophy and want to play in a different way than before under Wenger. It’s not too easy but we are trying to achieve that and do what the coach is asking from us.
“He wants to play football and dominate the game and that’s what we’re doing, we’re not just kicking the ball up front.”
“We are trying to play football, our second goal against Chelsea we had 19 consecutive passes and then Alex finished the attack and we scored,” he said. “It’s a new philosophy, we have to accept that and work hard to achieve our goals.”
Mkhi is also philosophical about Arsenal losing the first two games, but is certain things can only get better. He said: “We’re not happy with the result but we know where we’re going, what we’re doing, what the coach is demanding from us and we’re trying to do that,”
“We can say we had a hard schedule having played Manchester City and Chelsea, but we had to face them now or later so it doesn’t matter.
“We did our best. In one case we can say we were unlucky a bit, but that is football, it can happen. The most important thing is to stay positive, believe in ourselves and to keep working the same way and the result will come.
“We are creating chances. Maybe we are not as good to score at the moment but I think it’s just the first few games.”
There are definitely green shoots of the new system working, especially in the excellent lead up to Iwobi’s goal against the Blues, which was started from the back. We can only see how we fare against Jack Wilshere’s West Ham side next weekend, where hopefully our season will begin in earnest with Emery’s first win as Arsenal boss.
Onwards and upwards!
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Wow what a mature and very precise analysis from miki
On a lighter mood, can one really trust this guys?
I know majority of the players are happy with Emery, but still there will be some would have preferred the soft touch approach and when such are interviewed, they would still wax lyrical about how they love the new set up
some who would have***
What soft touch approach you are talking? Wasn’t that soft touch Arsene was giving and look where it leads up in the last 2 seasons, get real these guys are football players not soft ball players
I think Emery should try benching Ozil to improve him.
Ozil and Mkhitaryan don’t like to defend but I’m okay with that as long as they play well in attack. Ozil’s performance was dismal against Chelsea
By continue starting him, we are making him too comfortable like Wenger did with Bellerin and Bellerin has played poorly too.
Mkhitaryan and Iwobi should be played instead of Ozil. Maybe that will force Ozil to improve. Also maybe his conditioning needs work. I remember the summer right before his 19 assists/6 goals PL season, Ozil gained mass in the weight room. Or maybe he could use more running workouts. Or maybe mental conditioning to improve motivation, although £300-350,000 per week is good motivation already.
True.
emery needs to bech ozil ASAP.
tough decisions have to be made for the good of the team.
As much as I would like to see Ozil dropped I suspect Unai does not want to create negativity in the dressing room especially when dealing with senior players so early in the job.
I suspect he will kick them out gradually as seen with his subs. Players like Ozil, Cech, & Ramsey still have a lot they can offer with there experience to the new guys, especially the young players.
To us the fans Arsenal bought in 4 players in the summer, to Unai he has a whole new squad, individuals employed by the club, & an expectant fan base, last thing he would do is loose the dressing room or become unpopular earlier on. Its his job on the line anyway, I believe in time he will do what’s best for him, & in turn that will benefit the club.
Just my thoughts.
Agree, the internal competition between Ozil and Mkhitaryan (or Ramsey) will be great for Arsenal
Unfortunately Ozil’s performance was atrocious in the Man City match as well. His stats were the most possession lost (lost the ball 19 times) and the most possession gained (retrieved the ball 7 times), which means he could only retrieved the ball one-third of what he lost
In his best season at Arsenal, his assists were mostly created from crosses and set-pieces. I expect more perfect through balls from a no 10 and I believe the other CAM can push him or shift him to a deeper position ala Pirlo
True.
emery needs to bech ozil ASAP.
tough decisions have to be made for the good of the team.
I didnt know Wenger’s philosophy anymore, at least not in the last 4 years of side ways football.
I dare to say even Arteta would have been an improvement on Wenger. Going by his actions on bench, Pep really rates and respect him.
I hope our players learn quickly to make us proud again.
I want to blame alot of players for their poor defensive contribution and showing against chelsea but let’s be blatantly honest, the best finisher on the pitch (Pierre Emerick Aubemayang ) missed TWO guilt edged chances. He was extremely poor and was very quiet (albeit the team was) vs City. If iwobi had missed those chances we would’ve crucified him, the board, Kroenke, Wenger, Arsenal fan Tv, The Emirates and all associated with arsenal but since it was PEA and he’s a fan favourite. Not one word spoken about him in the media. Well the past is the past but I definitely think lacazette should be starting instead or as well. Is that not the reason we have 2 world class strikers?
Mkhitaryan is trying to win favour of Unai Emery and or suffering or engaging in selective amnesia or inept as he has Not done his home work and has no comprehension of Wenger’s own brand of football.
Kindly dig in to the archive of Arsenal library of past games and specifically view through the first 20 mins of the game “Arsenal Vs Man. Utd. 4th October 2015” Wengers Philosophy and the quick one touch accurat passing forward to feet and high press was admirably portrayed by Sanchez, Oxlade Chamberlain and Ozil, with Ozil scoring twicw and Sanchez his customary goal.
This was an exhibition of football that could have been Barcelona at the Nuu camp !
Yes Emery dictates similar to Wenger but more refined and ruthless; fundamentally protagonists with possession of ball at feet and passing from the back to high press moving in cohesion and synchronous association of movement to requisite positions to counter the movement of the opposition at all times be mindful and anticipate what is likely when your front lines lose the ball and then for the defensive line to anticipate a ball over the top or through a channel by opposition to their wingers running behind your back 4 who are at high press.
This was hi lighted in the Chelsea Vs Arsenal 3-2, 18th August 2018. Emery requires his players to have vision, anticipate thus become pacier than the opponents speedsters as then you will always be 2 yds ahead of the opponents run ! Irans defence exhibited this process well in Russia World Cup 2018. Emery wants the players to increase their stamina – Sport Science and all the facilities including specific diets and exercise to each individual player according to his genetical make up available 24/7.
The players must take this on board and be consistent and diligent and tenacious and the results of high achievement will blossom1
Whatever Emery’s philosophy is, a defeat against will mean the third one in a row, which should not be acceptable for a club as big as Arsenal
We have suffered two defeats already, hence three more in ten games would make Emery sits on a hot seat
I predict Emery would still use Ozil, Mkhitaryan and Xhaka against West Ham, to avoid media attacks if Arsenal get a disappointed result. I guess that game would be the last chance for the regular starters
At this stage, I wouldn’t start screaming about Emery being an improvement on Wenger, at least not yet. So far, all the good things are being said but the results are saying otherwise. Defense is still a mess despite two senior defenders having been added plus two defensive midfielders in Matteo and Torreira. All I can say is let’s just support the new manager and the team as a whole. Let’s leave these pointless comparisons for later, much much later.
The only sensible comment on this article. I don’t know how a manager who’s lost his first two games is already an improvement on a 3 time league winner and 7 time FA Cup winner. No one knows how Emery’s tenure would end. A much more accomplished manager in Mourinho with a much deeper purse hasn’t lit it up yet at Old Trafford and a much more funded and German league double winner in Klop is yet to win anything at Annfield. It’s all nice to support a new manager but the bar has been so lowered for Emery with excuses lined up for him every time things don’t go well.
Two games, two losses after playing the two previous EPL champions and if one player, Aubameyang, had taken the chances he had in both matches, Arsenal would be sitting on at least 4 points.
We’ll need to start doing better immediately. But I do feel Emery is starting to figure some things out and I think we can get where we need to go with him. Kroenke needs to be willing to invest in players though and back the manager.
Best comment, you cant compare a pointless manager with a negative goal difference to the one man to coach a premier league team to a unbeaten season
Emery will in the long run discover why wenger, Never used to take off ozil, because we have a better win ratio with him on the pitch, why wenger kept alex iwobi and sold, chamberlain,walcott, and why he kept xhaka and sold coquelin and why eleneny maybe better than toreiria.
He will also discover that the premier league is unforgiving, if you play 3 strikers or even two at the same time you immediately concede like against chelsea.
You forget Emery also won the Europe league 3 times in a row with a team half the cost of Liverpool & Tottenham. Nearly knocking barca out the CL but Barca were gifted that win somehow. I think it’s only fair he has a season to make changes. You look at City’s squad and tell me how on earth were we to win? Chelsea was very unlucky with us missing our chances but that’s football, on another day we could have slapped Chelsea but hey, our squad is in transition – neither of those teams are.
It’s not an excuse, it’s just weighing up the pros and cons. Wenger lost the dressing room and that’s clear. I love Wenger and I wished he could have been more relentless but what grandparent do you know is harsh? Wenger was a loving man and was a manager who truly cared about his players but it wasn’t enough anymore, football lacks the characters of the past as they are all pampered and need constant instruction. It’s a sign of the times unfortunately. Having leaders from front to back is rare these days hence why we have the type of managers we do.
The problem with the new system they (the players) are not MOVING THE BALLl as fast as they should. OZIL and MIKI are not best athelete they are techincal players .Especially ozil need a time and space. The system need a fast dribbler at the wing to cut inside or cross it precisly to the runner . And also the MOVEMENT OF THE PLAYERS to make themselve available especially for our defenders and deep lying midfielder is equal to none existance