It can never be easy for a manager to have to face the press after his team has been stuffed on the pitch but in all fairness to Unai Emery, it is probably getting easier as each game passes.
Another game, another defeat and the realisation of what today’s loss to Leicester City means, has finally hit home.
Emery is of the opinion that we started the game well and controlled the match, though he does concede that our opponents controlled possession and that it was the sending off of Ainsley Maitland-Niles that changed the game.
“Our gameplan was to be strong in our defensive moments and in our attacking moments, to take our chances, attacking their back four,” said Emery.
“We started very well, we controlled the match with good positioning and defensively with not many problems. They controlled the possession but we were good on the pitch and we wanted to grow up in 90 minutes to take our possibility to win today, being competitive in 90 minutes and also being strong in our mentality.
“The second yellow card gave us a lot of problems to continue with our gameplan with more efficiency. Continuing our idea with one player less was going to be difficult. It changed a lot, this red card.
“The players worked very well and I’m proud of them. With one player less, we continued our gameplan, trying to be together, defensively strong, and in the attacking moments to take our moments. The first goal has conditioned the result. When we were better on the pitch with one player less, they had a counter-attack and scored the second one and finished the match.”
Not sure what game the boss was watching as I cannot agree with his assessment, we started off on the backfoot and it never got any better.
Emery further admitted that the best chance of a Champions League place now is probably via the Europa League.
“We are going to think about Valencia in the Europa League,” said Emery. “We have a big ambition in this competition. It’s a semi-final and it’s going to be difficult also. Then we play on Sunday against Brighton, and we need to win this match.
“At the beginning of the season we knew it was going to be very difficult, and today it’s the same.
“Our confidence can go up, can go down. But the most important is to be clear in our minds and our way. Our way is to think of this semi-final and prepare for the match in the best possible way.”
At least with the Europa League, it is in our hands, that is no longer the case domestically and we have to hope that one of Chelsea or Tottenham slips up in their remaining two games.
With regards to the sending off of Maitland-Niles, Emery never said anything controversial, he obviously thought it was harsh and questioned the first yellow card received by the young wing back.
“The first [yellow card] is not [a yellow card], for me,” Emery said. “I don’t agree with this decision for the first yellow card. It conditioned [the game] a lot.
“I think that maybe the first yellow card was not one. It was the seventh minute in the game. This one [the second yellow card], I don’t know but I respect the referee.”
I actually agree with the gaffer on this one, it was a harsh sending off plain and simple and it did alter the dynamics of the game but I doubt it would have made any difference to the end result.
I Watching the game today I knew Arsenal were very POOR but when I watched the highlights Arsenal were PATHETIC can’t defend can’t score it like the players are already gone on the summer break. These players are just Ball watching and getting paid massive money. They have let the Fan’s and the Club down shame on them. No excuse for that display today sell the lot of them their not worth the money they are getting paid.
Enough losers spirit’s laim excuses; his team’s selection sucks. Trying to rest players when 5 games left, losing 3 already! Cet real, that’s coach first duty. Everyone plays their bedt players on the pitch every week… Kos, Auba Ozil startinv would have changed our game and no red card! Unreal, hé keeps doing it..
It doesnt matter who Emery selects, there are always people who want other names on the team sheet. When you lose the manager/coach can’t win.
exactly….alot of fans think they are better managers than the acual qualified manager
So if the manager can’t be held responsible for the team’s performance it must be the players on the pitch no? It has to be either the players on the pitch or the manager and most likely IMO both.
I been telling this but no one give a damn about it. Laca and Auba is not Duo deadly or lethal stiker. They just 2 good friend enjoying London and having fun. They don’t care or have any responsibility. They just try to score, not giving 100% effort. They won’t carry us anywhere. Look at Vardy in this game, the hunger he have. Do i see that in both of them. Na, just try to score. Keep mourning and blame the Manager.
The same can be said for mosf Afsenal players when the pressure is on.
Aubameyang was outpaced by Johnny Evans for heavan sake.
Oliver and the linesmen were one sided in their officiating, particularly favouring the home side in calling fouls, eg Chiswell. Torreira was elbowed in the penalty area not called. Leicester player stamps on Arsenal player and no foul given. Maitland Niles gets a second yellow with Maddison diving after not being touched following a very early soft first yellow and gets a red.
Yes the Arsenal players let down the Club and the away fans with the performance, but the standard of officiating in the EPL is abyssmal. It’s about time the so called pundits stopped giving a free pass to the standard of officiating for the so called top league in the world! If managers comment like Cardiff City they get fined.
For not giving much effort 40 total goals and 31 premier league goals is pretty decent. Especially with no assistance from Ozil
I think replacing Aubameyang and Lacazette should be the least of our priorities. We need a stronger defense, central midfielders and wingers
Whatever how good the strategy, but if the players do not have enough high spirit and motivation, and also appropriate capability/skill, so it will be problem.
Arsenal must have spirit like the Avengers in End Game, say “What ever it takes”! and play well because we have to win!
Arsenal team locks pressing like other big teams. Look at man city, barca, bayern real. all of these teams press hard to win the ball back when they lose it. This problem has existed in for many many years. Messi loses the ball messi it and win it back, the rest of the team. the only play that did that for arsenal Alex Sanchez. We need a coach like Diego Simone who fires his team up. A coach who makes every player work hard defensively. Arsenal players are ball watching players when they don’t have the ball.
Iwobi and Miki are the reason we are toothless. No passion, no drive from either of them thereby giving confidence to the opposition.
can the season end already, enough of this humiliation every weekend.
We only had 27% of the possession up until the Maitland-Niles red card incident. Up until that point Leno was keeping us in the game and we were very much second best.
It sounds to that Emery is confirming how sh*t the team really is. If indeed he really does believe that the performance of his team was something to be proud of then you should quickly realise that they are performing better than he expects?
If a manager was to be brutally honest in assessment, surely Emery would realise he sounds like a right Pillock to cover this sh*t over with Rose’s. Its plain to see this team are the worst since Arsene took over. I can only guess that the Arsenal board make staff sign a contract that stipulates against negative comments against players?
The Arsenal propaganda continues..
The real issues here is that the board is not supportive of our transfer needs. A classic example is when Liverpool was building their team, at some point it was obvious that the needed a dominant center back and a goalkeeper to put the icing on the cake and what did they do ?! they spent 75m for a defender and 63m for a goal keeper. Arsenal is not even guaranteed 75m for its entire transfer budget this summer ( I hear is 45m or 70m if we get CL football) and you expect Emery to build a team capable of challenging pool and city.. with what money if I may ask. I think genuine fans here should be more concern about this rather what team Emery puts out there because he won’t play Van Dyke in the center of our defense because he is register with Liverpool and not answer and that is not Emery fault but the board or konker if you like
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We’re going to qualify for champions league if we will our remaining two games.
Chelsea will lose two point or more in their two games against Watford and Leicester,,we will be above them on goal difference.
I always thought Emery was the wrong choice. Rafael Benitez, who can organise and improve a team, would have been ideal. Look what he has done with no money at Newcastle. Emery has ignored the defence which is where any coach must start. You don’t build a house without foundations. Arsenal’s away form is relegation material.
Since the Kroenke era began, Arsenal has ceased being a football club. It is a business charging unacceptably high prices, leeching on its fans.