Unai Emery looking to do something important this year.
Arsenal manager Unai Emery is in the second year of his two year contract and knows the pressure is on him to deliver.
Last season ended very disappointingly with a string of Premier League defeats and Europa League humiliation. Emery simply has to do better this season if he is to get a contract extension.
There have been questions over the 47-year-old tactics, team selection and formations. However, he believes that his way is the right way.
“I am speaking every day with Raul, Edu and the players,” he said. “And I really think our way is going right and working well.
“And really now I am very happy the club. I am really happy with the players. The last two, three, four weeks, every player – and Mesut Ozil – has been working very well. In this way we can be positive and we can think we are going to do something important this year.
“This is the way I want and I was speaking with Raul, he has the same idea when he is speaking with me.”
Nice confident words but the bottom line is that Emery has to deliver Champions League football at a minimum. If he wins domestic silverware but fails to qualify for the Champions League that will not be good enough.
Let’s hope that Arsenal does something important this year as Emery has stated.
Arsenal News 24/7
Emery has my support, Mr tactical, Arsenal to beat shefield 3-1 if he start holding terney and belerin
It depends on the Sheffield match today
I’ve got a hunch that Emery would surprise us again with the formation. He could go back to a three-CB formation, because he has an abundance of CBs and attacking wingbacks
Yes here we are again, ar the start of all this last season we all accepted this will be a process from where we are when wenger left and the amount of changes that had been taking place i personally expected a moment where we will loose our identity to grind out results so am not surprised its part of the training coming off the back of 20+ years under a manager isn’t going to be simple and straightforward the changes we had makes it even tougher am certain we will play good football again we have decided to take a root that requires patients to work getting young promising players and promoting the youths this guys won’t just come in and perform a miracle they will need time and games some still finding their feets arsenal fans have allowed the press to dictate what their thoughts should be,i can’t start comparing arsenal to pool,city,or even chevs because these clubs took different roots to reach where they are now today,we are slowly getting where we dreamed to be. Remember away from home we were one of the worst teams suddenly you want us to start outplaying teams away at home ohh my God this starts from somewhere and thats is putting up a fight away from home and showing we can take points away when we are playing away and when that is achieved we can progress from there(sexy football) the club is no daft they knew we have an identity but they are reasonable too that it will take a while.we where one of the top teams that concede crazy amount of goals we have conceded too many goals in the past 2 seasons that am biginning to get worried so i expect to coach to be worried too, an not saying am unai’s biggest fan but i also understand some of his actions when we keep conceding the no. Of goals we conceded questions are raised but when he w decides to offer the defense little protection he becomes pragmatic and not playing to teams strength our strength is not to concede 50+ every season i can go on and on, am just saying lets have patience the best the in epl today is city and pool but we are not too far away lets not create a toxic atmosphere that will hamper what the club is trying to build the team needs our support.
Away from home we were one of the worst teams??
That was 1 season. One (!!) season out of Wenger’s 22 or so.
Just the season before his last (2016-2017) we got 30 points away from home.
2015-2016 it was 31 points.
2014-2015 it was 34 points.
Last year under Emery we got 25. So according to you we should get at least 30 this year, right? I mean considering Wenger never got less than 30 p. 2 years in a row plus we have a better squad now thanks to Sven and Raul.
Also, paragraphs are your friends.
I think we are talking about the last two seasons, when you analyse our club and what we intend to achieve then you will agree we have been very poor away from home.
Nonny, can I suggest that you make that clear when you start to talk about the past, because there are those amongst us who will keep on correcting those who try, at every opportunity, to denegrate our greatest manager, but refuse to look at the facts….well done Diogenes.
That is what causes a toxic atmosphere, just like the refusal to admit that 4th to 3rd to 2nd is a steady improvement.
In fact, the last but one season, we won the fa cup and finished just one point out of the top five – it was the last season that was the real bummer.
Emery now has all players coming into full fitness and available for selection. Time will tell what Arsenal, Emery and the players can deliver; hopefully Sheffield United continues a good run of results.
Therin lies the problem, coming from the man himself – “even Ozil” – as if he isn’t part of the squad. I despair of his man-management skills I really do.
Of course we should be successful this season, having seen great prospects coming through, twelve new players being signed and UE’s decision as to who he wanted to keep from the players inherited from the last regime.
It seems everyone on here agrees that, at the end of the day, that three points are the minimum required…he has a full squad to choose from…so let’s see if he can coach better than he can motivate.
It seems the Emery effect as now spread to the fans though Ken ..
Going back over some posts ..it seems fan would take a point just because Liverpool could only manage a flimsy goal against the same opponents.
It looks like everything now revolves around the scousers ,it’s Liverpool this Liverpool that.
God forbid some of us could actually talk about the team they support
Dan, the problem is that we should just look at our own performances rather than trying to compare ourselves to ANY other club.
To be honest, its not the new regime doing this is it?
Just the fanbase who want to be something else than Arsenal Football Club.
It is what it is, we are The Arsenal…you know how the rest of the chant goes!!!
Pharaoh, also hoping for a win, but perhaps UE need a press secretary?
How I wish he could pass on his “pressing play” “5-4 win” “protagonists” confidence to us!!
Hahaha Ken, he really is poor at handling these situations. Let’s hope for a win tonight, I’m excited to see if Holding and Tierny get a shout. Trying to get a feel if they really WILL change our crumbly defense.
Even if we win, people will bash Emery. Liverpool won 0-1 away at Sheffield. Even at 3Rd place so called fans will call for him to be fired
United 1-1 Liverpool
United 1-1 Arsenal
Yet “fans” scream Emery Out!!
This is the same thing that really pains my heart. Kindly leave Arsenal and support Liverpool! So as long as Liverpool dint win it’s okay for Arsenal not to win? Because Liverpool scored one goal it’s okay to score one??! What kind of negative mentality is this? How can you build your dreams around Liverpool?! How can you always accept to be a looser because someone else who you think is better is losing?! This is disgusting. When will you then become number one if your dreams always falls bellow the “number one”? Are we then worth competing for anything in life ? We have four teams that bettered us last season. Why can’t we then aswell give up top four and accept that these teams were better and still are and that aslong as it’s only them above us, it’s okay. Please stop with this mentality if at all you believe that Arsenal is a team of fighters that plays with passion, determination and purpose. If fans don’t believe in the team then give space to the players to play for what they believe in! We are not failures. Liverpool is not our limit.
@Innit
Couldn’t agree more, and where has the patience gone from some fans? Wenger goes 14 years straight without winning, or even challenging for a league title, 9 years straight without a single trophy, and 9 years straight of doing nothing in Europe, yet some fans felt he should have been given even more time!
Emery has barely been given a year from some fans, and he’s hardly had a chance to field anywhere near his best team because of a full blown injury crisis since day one! I am not saying Emery hasn’t/isn’t making mistakes, but give him a chance! Let’s see what he can do when/if he ever gets a chance to field all his key players at the same time.
I also find it funny how some have been having a good laugh at Utd for the last 6 years, yet their struggles are nothing compared to what we endured under Wenger’s barren run.
@Thirdman
The difference between Wenger and Emery is that when Wenger came here we were all excited and the football he played and the trophies he won backed him up ,now fast forward to Emery and me personally can see that no matter how long he’s given he won’t cut it .
I agree on Wenger he stayed way to long ,but because of what he had achieved fans were hoping he could again go through a cycle of doing it again ,unfortunately he couldn’t because of the way football had moved on .
I think this job is way above Emery and that’s why I don’t want to see him running our club .
@Dan kit
But it’s a completely unfair comparison, which is to Wenger’s credit for some of it. Wenger gave not only us, but arguably the whole world, some of best football anyone had ever seen. Expecting the same from Emery, or any other manager in future, may never happen. I’m sure we’ll play better football under Emery with a fit squad, and even better under a different manager, but tough to get to Wenger’s level of style.
Where it is unfair, is that Emery has taken over as the club is going through a huge transitional phase. Wenger didn’t have to deal with that when he joined. This can be subjective, but for me, Emery inherited the worst squad of the top 6, and arguably the worst Arsenal squad in over 30 years. Wenger came at a time when there wasn’t even a top 6, and he inherited a very strong squad, and the best defense in the league. Emery has had a full blown injury crises since day one. Would Wenger have done the double in 98 with the same level of injuries.
Wenger did amazing things for Arsenal, so it’s only natural he should have be given more time than most to get it right again, after an unsuccessful period. But it was taken to the absolute extreme. Yet people have been calling for Emery’s head before last season even finished. It’s completely unfair!
When you consider the injuries, the transitional phase, and the poor squad, I would say Emery slightly overachieved finishing only 2pts off 3rd, 1pt off 4th, and getting us to our first European final in 13 years.
Because the results have been so poor under Wenger for years, the results are the only thing that concern me during these early years post Wenger. Style, and identity, are a secondary issue right now. If Emery cannot improve the results, then I’m sure the hierarchy will look at a new manager sooner rather than later.
I don’t want to see us sacking managers at the first sign of trouble like Chelsea and Real do, equally, I don’t want to see us losing so many years again on the same manager, in the hope they’ll do something. The club needs to find the right balance.
Well let’s see tonight regarding a fit squad ,except from bellerin he should have all his best players to chose from .
But my guess is even having a full fit team he will still pick his usual suspects .
9years of doing nothing in Europe? Being in Europe doing nothing is what we are praying and hoping for now under Emery.
9years of Champions league money is worth more than Thursday night football, which is Emery’s specialty
@Jay
That is correct. From our last CL semi which I think was in 2009, what did we do in Europe up until 2018?
All I remember was a lot of humiliations, and getting knocked out early on anytime we faced a half decent team. Consistently throwing two legged ties away in the first leg. Same in the EL. As soon as we met a good team (Atletico) they knocked us out, and with a man less for almost the entirety of the first leg!
Dan, of course other things not mentioned were:
the building of The Emirates,
the need to sell our best players to support that build,
the peanuts given to buy players to replace those players,
the dismissal of David Dein,
the arrival of Gazidis,
the introduction of Abramovitch,
the rich oil arabs,
the buying of the club by kronkie,
the twenty years of CL football that brought over £1 billion into the club.
the twenty years of top four revenue brought into the club
the seven years of fa cup winning revenue brought into the club
the building of The Invincibles
And yet we have “fans” who moan about 14 years without a trophy…then fail to mention the three fa cup wins in four seasons after that.
It’s the refusal to acknowledge the situations listed above, plus the actual results, as Diogenes pointed out, regarding our away stats.
If UE has had such a bad time with the injuries, I wonder how he would have coped with the list I gave just off the top of my head?
Wasn’t that another moan from those who didn’t like AW, that his players were always injured, querying the medical staff in the process?
The silliest accusation that is thrown at those of us who query UE’s reign to date, is that we want him to fail – if he does succeed then the club we support succeeds and isn’t that what supporting a club is really all about?
@Ken1945
Of course the issues you have mentioned are true, and could be used to excuse Wenger here and there, but not for so long. Excusing Wenger for
our league performances for 14 straight years, and European performances based on that is just a ridiculous notion, that yet again exposes your bais.
In regards to injuries, Wenger consistently stuck by injury prone players, which is why the fans got tired of that excuse. Yet the new regime has ditched these type of players, and many cases, at the first possible opportunity. So I don’t get your point on that?
TMJW, firstly I was disappointed that you didn’t acknowledge my offer of a game free of charge at the Emirates – even a two letter NO would have been an acknowledgement…if I missed your reply, then I apologise:
On to your reply now and I ask you the following, with a hope that you reply (as you normally do I should add).
Excuse Wenger here and there?
So how many years did Abramovitch screw the transfer market from 2005?
So how many years, likewise, the arabs screw the transfer market from 2008?
How long has it taken for the club to pay off The Emirates? Well, we are actually still paying £15,000,000 interst and will do so until 2030 – affecting whoever is the manager/coach?
I believe that covers the 14 years you refer to when denegrating AW, so how many years of the 14 do you think just those three examples cover?
Ditched injured players? Like UE ditched cazorla?
Who has UE ditched because they were injury prone apart from Santi?
Isn’t it the injury hit Wenger players that UE has been waiting for to come back?
The revenue that the club received from the time of Wengers reign is absolutely tremendous and has a direct result on kronkie being able to provide a massive £215,000,000 plus kitty for UE.
You accuse me of bias, but failed to mention any of the facts I produced in your reply to Init at 1.53 that you now say are true and could be used as an excuse!!!
The time was right for AW to go, I have never argued differently – but when posts try to screw what actually happened, leaving out facts and denying to recognise what he was up against, I will defend the greatest manager we ever had and I really hope that UE will have the time to beat that record, by being as succesfull.
@Ken1945
Again I agree with you about certain things, like Abrahamovic skewing the market, lack of funds etc, but you’re also forgetting Wenger’s failings, and how he ultimately screwed himself in the transfer market, with the help of Gazidis as well.
What people forget is that EVERY club is a selling club at the right price, yet Arsenal’s policy was to devalue their assets as much as possible, and Wenger played a big role in that with his unmovable loyalty. This crippled us in the market, because we got next to nothing, or nothing for our best players, which meant we couldn’t replace like with like. We didn’t have an owner who was willing to subsidize transfers and wages, so it made this selling policy look even more bizarre!
But the money issue has nothing to do with coaching though. We were shocking for years in defence under Wenger. He seemed to have almost given up on that side of the game. Every year we’d expect a quality CB, and DM, and he would ignore it over attacking flare everytime.
When Wenger finally had the chance to spend big again, what did he do? He focused on attack again with Ozil, whilst ignoring all the problems within the squad. Wenger decided to strengthen our strongest position, despite already having Rosicky, Ramsey, and Santi (who was better than Ozil) for that same position.
As I keep saying, you’re right in the sense that Wenger had to deal with a lot of problems (mainly financially) that others at top clubs haven’t had to worry about. But Wenger was given an inexcusable amount of time (that no other manager would get at a top club) to get things right, which he couldn’t, even when funds were available.
2016 proved all of Wenger’s critics right. We finished above Spurs, City, Utd, Chelsea, and Liverpool, and yet he still couldn’t win the league or even challenge for it! Yes Leicester had a crazy one in a million shot kind of season, but when all of your rivals step aside and you STILL cannot even get close to taking advantage, then there is quite profound in that.
Thank you for your offer, but I live in Australia now.
TMJW, first of all, i’m sorry that we couldn’t have met face to face and cleared up the one real misunderstanding we had on a personal leve – let’s hope you enjoy your life down under my fellow gooner.
Now to answer your post:
Why do you say that every other club stepped aside, in order for The Arsenal to win the title?
What reason would they do that for? Because they like our club, felt sorry for us…or could it be that AW’s team were better than them, as was Leicester as well of course?
I have to ask you again, how long the chelse/city and emirates situation was a part of the fourteen years of our trophyless time, as I believe they were the sole reasons why we went on this run?
I also have to ask why, if we were not being coached properly in defence, how was he able to still finish in the top four, reach the knockout stages more often than not and during his last six years, win the fa cup three times and improve up and until the last two years, his league positions 4th-3rd-2nd?
For me, it doesn’t add up, as does your view that the club went about devalueing their assets – for what reason?
Finally, you criticise AW for buying attacking players when the defence needed strengthening and I agree with that…so please explain why the new regime have also done the same thing in Abau, Lacs, Pepe ( a total of over £150,000,000, whilst addressing the defensive issue with Lichstenier (free), Luiz (£8,000,000) Sokratis and Mavropanos (injured since he’s been nere!!!)?
Salibas seems to be a move in the right direction I should add, but do you see my broader point?
The most telling point of all, is that we have all been waiting for the long term injured defenders to return…and they are Wenger signings.
I know we see things differently and it is a matter of opinion, but I just cannot see why Wenger is seen in such a bad light, when the facts are discussed and the similarities are looked at.
Off to watch the match now, hope to discuss your reply later COYGUNNERS.
Soon someone will tell you that you are talking sh*t for saying Arsenal played 1:1 with untied and that Liverpool also played 1:1 with them, I couldn’t believe it when the commentator said it yesterday that kloop has never won at old trafford yet emeryyim his 2 seasons has never lost their, we all know how we do in the past when we go to old trafford. Am positive we will win today but if when we win some will still find a way to say Emery should have won by 4 goals like it’s that easy.
@innit
You can add this to you list:
United 4-0 Chelsea
Not that it matters. To some our draw was still a disaster caused by Emery 🙂
I give up trying to make the emery out brigade sees reason in this transitional period we are in.. To them unai is a waste of space and Freddie and ozil are God who worked wonders doing nothing.
Every time Mesut talks to the press, he manages to persuade the people he’s the victim and he’s just out there trying to make a living at a club he loves.
It’s masterful… because Emery always caves. It’s clever, because the German’s army rises up and amplifies his victimhood.
I think we should offer a way back into the side for the German. We lack creativity, and as far as I can see, there’s been no benefit to his absence. We don’t create. We don’t defend well. We are one dimensional. The manager should find a way to extract some value from this mega deal he’s on. Worst case scenario… Mesut shames himself again. Best case, we unleash the front three with opportunities.
Emery is yet to get his tactics, team selection and formations right. We play to adopt to teams rather than play for teams to adopt to us. I don’t say it’s wrong but why not play our way in the first half and if it doesn’t work change the system! When will we ever play to our strength with our strongest lineup and formation?
Many pundits are predicting a Xhaka red card and I wish it happens in the 89th minute so that Emery can see how good our midfield can be without him in the next game
kenyanfan, as far as I am aware, Ozil has only come out once to clarify his situation after being criticised last week from a club official.
As for being masterful and working, as he has only played 140 minutes of football so far this season, I wonder how you would judge a failure of a masterful plan, if of course, there was one in the first place?
1. we will win the league this season “Mark my words”
2. we will be above Liverpool and Man city at the end of March 2020
(remember this comment)
1. we will win the league this season “Mark my words” ✅
Successfully marked
@rux-for gods sake put that straight jacket back on and give yourself up PAL.
As a fan of this great club, that has been my number desire for over 25 years now and I won’t stop talking about any coach who is preventing the club being successful. Before that, all I wish to see this night is good football with intent to win and the desire to outscore the opponent and when we will win is all good and if we don’t no qualms for me at I will know will give a fight.
I like his confidence and don’t feel it’s misplaced, we have an amazing squad.
I also like his other comments in the news article, especially this one – “We are being competitive at the moment. Being competitive we can then achieve a better way for how we can play” – to me that almost sounds like an admission that he’s been doing what he can to keep us steady and now he is ready to start imposing more of our game/style into the match. Obviously I’m probably being biased as that’s what I have been suggesting is the case all along but gives me hope that improvements will be coming along soon.
@Ken1945 – that Ozil remark irks me too, whilst I think he meant to reassure people that he was including Ozil too when he was talking about being happy with everyone’s effort etc, it was still a poor choice of wording.
I really hope he start with Ozil this night as we have all miss jobs creativity, I will be so upset if Emery doesn’t play mesut tonight.
MadHatter, it certainly was a pr disaster…I wasn’t joking when I said he needs a press secretary to ensure that what he says is what he means!!!
On reflection, I agree that it could have been UE trying to be positive about Ozil, but first impressions and all that!!!
Looking forward to an attacking line up tonight and that we put down a marker for the rest of the season.
Of course Emery can only hype himself up.
Like every single manager does.
I think he has got to be a bit more brave. Stop being too pragmatic and cautious all the time.
Let’s see where we are at the end of the season. That’s if we can last that long.
😊
“Goonster” not “TerGoons”.
Should have proof read before sending.
😊
According to the post, our tactics, team selections and formations are are 47 years old. No wonder……😁
🤣🤣🤣👍
Emery needs to be a bit brave now that our injured players are all coming back into the team.
Stop being too pragmatic or cautious in games.
Let’s wait and see where we will end up come the end of the season. That’s only if he can last that long.
It is a process, we’re slowly bringing in some great finds, Guendouzi, Tierney, Martinelli, and we have Saka, Nketiah etc. Pepe, showing how we can swing a punch in the transfer market. Saliba, just one clip of him soundly shouldering a player off the ball and making it look effortless, while in an area that some of our guys panic in, this bodes very well, he looked accomplished.
I think we’ll start seeing our best football of the season maybe a number of weeks past the christmas period. I’ve no problem with Emery focusing on our opponents and trying to get our defensive game down a bit better, even if it is pulling our attackers away from attack because they all need to pitch in. We’ve been dodgy in this area for ten seasons or more, so it’s no surprise to me that there is extra focus being put into it. As/when our young guns start flourishing and we find the odd plug like Saliba, and Tierney, who will hopefully come in and just fit, we will make strides in the right direction – I think our future’s looking bright and if fans aren’t careful they could hurt/damage that, all great teams are finely balanced teams so fans need to careful not to be at fault for upsetting the entire ecosystem.
👍