Unai Emery reveals Lucas Torreira is the only Arsenal player who didn’t tell him goodbye face to face.
Arsenal fired Unai Emery a few weeks back after the team began struggling under the Spaniard.
They have since made Mikel Arteta their permanent manager following a spell under Freddie Ljungberg as their interim boss.
The Spaniard had a fractured relationship with some of his players, Mesut Ozil and Lucas Torreira were two players who were openly unhappy under him this season, but the former was the only player who refused to tell him goodbye face to face when he was sacked.
Emery had asked that each player came in to tell him goodbye one after the other after his sacking, everyone else obliged, but Torreira didn’t come in and the Uruguayan dropped a message instead.
Emery recently opened up on his exit, saying as per the Express:
“It all happened on a Friday morning I was told. We said goodbye to the footballers,”
“I told Raul that I’d prefer the footballers to come to me individually instead of me going to the changing room and making a speech.
“And they all came, apart from Lucas Torreira. He couldn’t make it but left us a message.
“He was receiving a massage at that moment but all the players came.
“I also got messages from Koscielny and from Welbeck and I thank them all.
“But now is the time to go home.”
Well, it was a snub, massages can easily be put off for a few minutes, I doubt every other player was just sitting there doing nothing. But this is what happens when you damage the relationship with a player. Especially one that was played out of position week in week out.
Good luck Unai, it didn’t work out for you, the chemistry wasn’t there with the players or the fans but i suppose some reasons for that are obvious. I hope you get a decent job in the future and have success. It just wasn’t here. If only Torreira didn’t say good bye, that is not bad considering the press he got, about the players not relating to him. He said Torreira messaged him so maybe nothing in that either. Nice bloke but not an Arsenal manager it seems.
Emery was the biggest mistake of the decade! Arsenal should have made a better appointment then but they wanted to save money! Looking back he got rid of alot of players, like Koscielny, Cazorla, Ramsey and never replaced them!
I hope Arteta has stipulated to the board when joining that he needs X amount of transfer kitty otherwise he will walk!
If they can’t even spend £50m in Jan then Arteta is in big trouble and snookered by the Kroenke’s once again!
@Jim will fix it
Emery was destined to fail at AFC. Before he came to us, we he had just been sacked from a very high profile job for not delivering the goods. So psychologically, he wasnt up for the task of restoring a once great club back to its former glory. It didn’t help that he was in the shadow of a club legend. But to make matters worse, he was just a coach, with zero say in player acquisitions.
That’s the problem with AFC at the moment. We need a manager who feels for the club, not a coach…
@NY_Gunner totally agree that he was never going to succeed! Those 18 months have set us back like 10 years and we are now like a newly promoted side in the EPL with no money and expecting a coach with limited experience to turn our bad buys into world beaters…you can see how ridiculous this sounds now!
Jim he never set us back 10 years, the 375 mil wenger spent when he had money in his last 5 years is the reason we are so far behind. The things that have gone on since hasn’t helped.
Torreira wasn’t played out of position, because he always played with another DM in 4-2-3-1 or 3-4-1-2 formation under Emery
Torreira has also been playing as one of two DMs under Arteta and he has never played as a lone CDM in 4-3-3 formation at Arsenal. We have Chambers and Luiz who have better stature for the lone CDM role in 4-1-4-1 or 4-3-3
Emery just prioritized Guendouzi over Torreira frequently, because Torreira was such a pushover last season. Torreira seems to have increased his work rate since Arteta joined and I hope it is not just for impressing the new manager
Yea well, I’m not sure I’d be pleased either if you try to ruin my growth and career by asking me to do something I’m not very good at… Unai literally turned Torreira into an AM.
Gotanidea please stop all this your lame excuses, everyone know Torreira is good at covering for the defense, playing in front of it until Emery started asking him to play upfront.
Even Emery himself said he wanted Torreira to play upfront and help upfront, I don’t know what exactly he wanted Torreira to help with tho, scoring goals?
Just under Arterta now, Torreira has played in his best position twice and arguably was the best player in both games.
Well said Eddie – Gotanidea is clueless just unai – Torres has been played out of position – Good riddance arsenal got rid of that fraud Coach unai
Frankly who cares? Not me! A player who was played constantly out of position snubs the silly EX- manager who wrongly played him. What does anyone expect? A long “love letter” from Torreira begging him to come back, as he is pining for his return perhaps! MEANWHILE BACk ON PLANET REALITY! Yet another space filler!
Exactly, anyway he didn’t snub him, he sent a message so bit of a nothing article really…
Emery inherited a squad in steep decline.
He cleared out the dead and dying paving the way for the new Arsenal post Wenger.
Even with a disease ridden squad he miraculously achieved great success
in his first season missing CL by one point in the league and made the EL final.
This season the board failed to bring in the central defense he asked for.
and the Ozil debacle and the Xhaka mess made it even harder for him.
But he never showed any rancor just stayed a true professional.
Despite this after 8 games Arsenal were 3rd in the table a point behind City.
Arsenal were unbeaten at home in the league this term under Unai but since then
under Ljungberg and Arteta the team has lost all 3 home league games.
Arteta is struggling so badly he is demanding reinforcements after just 3 games!!!
Ridiculous. We don’ need a cheque book manager just some one who can coach damn it.
99% of the players came in to farewell Unai shows great respect.
Good luck Unai.
Okay Einstein, You should apply for the job and coach Mustafi,Luiz and the rest, turned them into world class.
Only you can say shît and be proud of it.
BTW since you’re so obsessed with Emery, I suppose you were a PSG fans three years ago??
Man please wait for Emery to get his next job so you can follow him and stop singing Emery to our ears on here.
He’s gone, deal with it!!
I can’t help it if I am a brain box like Einstein.
It’s just me super intelligent.
Just get over it son.
Stop crying like a howly bag.
agu eman, Yes, you have a brain like Eisteins. Like his brain is NOW. Dead, diseased and putrified. HAVE YOU FORMALLY APPOINTED YOURSELF CHAIRMAN OF THE UNAI EMERY FAN CLUB. One serious question if I may, and perhaps you would care to answer (which so far you have never done, to my many criticisms of your weird and wild posts) How do you think – assuming that you do think, which is a dangerous assumption on my part – the mass Gooner fan base will regard Enmery in years still to come. As a great success, as you do, or as an oddball who never bothered to learn the language and who mucked up just about all he did. I and millions of other Gooners KNOW thecorrect answer BUT I would like YOUR answer, mainly for a good laugh, as you are the best “comedian” on here by a country mile!
Jon thanks for your mad cap tirade full of typos:)
Hilarious Jon.
If I am the best comedian on here well you are not far behind.
Your article suggests you are tripping on LSD.
And not the old currency.
I’m off to town on this sunny morning but will
come back and reply when I have finished deciphering your
English mangling 101 essay.
agau eman, well you have finally has the courage to answer and the hilarious incompetence to criticise my own impeccable English. Odd that, as I have a good degree in English Language and write reviews for theatre companies among many others. As a professional writer then, getting criticism from MR “EINSTEIN BRAIN” IS ANOTHER HILARIOUS TREAT FROM A MASTER COMEDIAN. I THEREFORE THANK YOU FOR BRIGHTENING MY EVENING WITH THE BEST LAUGH IN AGES. The simple but rather sad fact that someone of your comic abilities does not even understand perfectly written English,containing just one irrelevant typo, shows how little you have to argue your case.
I also note that you avoided answering my question with a lame excuse. Ah well, par for the course for an “Einstein brain genius” and self proclaimed Chairman and founder of the Unai Emery fan club; a club with just one member, hilariously! Note the semi colon too. Only users of good English generally use that and understand how to use it. I note that you do not. Quelle SURPRISE!
Can you two please get a room and have it out in private. Seems like you have unfinished business? I think Jon will write a novel after this meeting up and will become a best seller! It will be called Good Ebening with Agu!
jon, accuse Emery of being a poor coach, poor communicator in press conferences, a poor fit for Arsenal; however it is unfair of you to accuse Emery of not bothering to learn English. Both you and I are lucky enough to be native English speakers, the closest thing to the “international language” and acknowledged by most language experts, as being the hardest language, for a non native speaker to speak fluently. English for Emery English was the fourth language he has tried to learn (in 18 months on the job) after his native Basque, Spanish and French.
The reality is he missed out on the Europa league and the EPL so it doesn’t really matter by how many points
I’m not sure if I’m correct here but I understood it that Emery rejected Ramsay who in my opinion wasn’t exactly deadwood
I have absolutely no problem with Emery as a human being and a tireless worker trying to improve what was a diminished side
Like you I also wish him well
@agu eman why hasnt arteta got to 4th spot hey? Lol
On a serious note, get 10th spot this season and he has done well. Next season aim for top 10 again and then his third season aim for top 8. After this find another cheaper manager and repeat. Fans will be too busy debating about the vintage shirts they release every 6 months lol
Emery was cowardly in his setups, played some of the most unArsenal and worst football I’ve ever seen.
Arteta has instilled more movement, better build up from the back, and attacking football. He’s done more in 2 weeks than Emery in 18 months in terms of play, confidence, and bonding with fans.
Emery’s idea of midfield was Nzonzi and Banega, which is horrifying in itself.
He also played 3 DM’s in home games, and is allergic to attacking football.
Why you defend Emery is beyond me, Pulis type clown who tried turning us into Stoke City or West Brom.
Emery was in the process of ruining Torreria with his arrogance.
Taking a very good DM at a club and international level, and turing him into an AM because Emery in arrogance thought he knew better.
Dude got sacked at PSG and Arsenal for same reason, but probably can’t admit he was the problem.
18 months wasted when eyesight and common sense knew Emery was a bad fit.
Emery tried to change everything Arsenal and gladly he failed. Arteta trying to rebuild our DNA, and players and fans fully behind him.
Concerning those in management who supported his reshaping of our club. Does Raul still believe in that, or does he support Arteta and bringing back the style and philosophy we love?
January window will tell.
I am so pleased the players were mature enough to wish you well for the future, as would most genuine people.
This, surely, gives us an insight into what being SACKED is actually all about and how one handles it?
Eighteen months of purgatory and divisive actions have dragged our club into relegation thinking for the first time in nearly 60 years – I personally wish you all the best for the future, but The Arsenal was, quite simply, just to big for you.
Emery was his own worst enemy for infecting Arsenal with a disease system of football. He was employed to do a renovation on a masterpiece, instead he went on a demolition work.
Let nobody be deceived by the unbeaten run as agu eman sings here every now and then. That feat was from sheer determination from players and not any input from Emery. He claimed he was going to build the team around Ramsey only to make a volte-face as soon as he was employed (not that a lot of fans wanted Ramsey to stay anyway).
Toreirra didn’t hide feelings about how he(UE) practically destroyed him, unlike others who said “GOOD BYE” to him face to face. For that he is supposed to receive commendation as the most honest player and not condemnation.
Unai finally spoke.By his talk he exposed himself.I can see how his ego is affected by the relationship of one player.He is also self-centered.I was expecting him to be courageous to talk why he failed at Arsenal.His naivety by exposing himself that his relationship with players was bad which damages his reputation and his carrier
I am amazed by the exchange between Jon Fox and Agu Eman on inconsequential issues. I am not for or against any individual manager;I am for Arsenal. I believe we should always be guided by facts rather than fantasy. Both Jon and Eman are true Arsenal supporters who should be providing solutions to Arsenal’s present untenable situation rather than tearing each other apart. I am glad Jon has a degree in English; hopefully Eman has one in something else. I don’t believe it is helpful to brag about our personal accomplishments on this website unless it helps to emphasise a point. It would be understandable if someone said that as a former coach his view was such and such but to brag on irrelevancies is really wide of the mark!
My humble appeal to all of us is that we should be looking to the future rather than the past. It is no use talking about Wenger or Emery all the time because they are no longer at Arsenal. Dies it matter if one misses fourth spot by a single point or 20 points? The fact remains that you missed out. We should now focus on what Arteta needs to improve if he is to steer the team forward. We need to analyse where we need reinforcement and which possible targets we have in mind. We could also advise on how the fan base can be reinvigorated. These, to me, are more useful than delving in the past all the time.
I concur David well said let’s get behind our team and coach.
Spot on; let’s hope that those with the power, support Arteta to address the well known deficiencies at the Arsenal in squad quality and depth in the transfer market, with the players HE WANTS. Recent history has shown they haven’t done that with Wenger and Emery.
The voice of commonsense. Well said.