Unai Emery

[boozey182]

Yeah, we're definitely not stinking the place out, that was circling the drain for 5 years. We're having a below average league season, though, hence being 10th. I say below average, that's considering our players should be better than 10th.

But should they?

If you believe some: Martinez is overrated; Cash is gash; Mings is past it; Digne is slow; Maatsen can't defend; Torres can't defend; Konsa is rubbish (this season); Onana is made of glass; Barkley is injured; Bailey is shit; Ramsey is also overrated; Rogers is either brilliant or useless; Ollie misses more than he scores so needs binning.

Maybe we're a Europa/Conference League level squad that Unai managed a minor miracle with last year. A squad that has since made a profit in sales, and this year we're struggling to adjust to the increased demands.

I just don't know where some people's fucking expectations have come from.

I agree with this. I think that the majority of our players are generally mid-table Premier League players. Think about where many of them have come from; most were either reserve players for Premier League teams or direct from the Championship. Every single one of them has improved their level, but to expect to play consistently well at this level is just too much, I reckon. The shift in our style of play this year has been a step to far. We're trying to control games more, and most of them aren't good enough to do that. I don't think it's any coincidence that we tend to play better when we're against the better teams, when we put more effort, tactically, into defending. Because when we try to control matches we're a shambles at the back.

Too many players have been poor this season. And we're too weak, mentally and physically. Look at the teams we've struggles against - Newcastle, Forest, Ipswich and Palace. 6 matches, no wins, 3 points. Every one of them has been physical with us, and we have no response. Ramsey and Rogers can't hold onto the ball, Tielemans goes missing, Konsa flops to the floor. Add in the fact that our keeper usually lets in the first shot that he faces, and it's no wonder that we are struggling a bit.

Unai has to take responsibility for this. These have been problems all season and he hasn't been able to fix it. I will stick up for him though, as I felt that last night, in the first half, we should have been winning at half time. We were controlling the game, and then conceded from their first real attack - again. Even after that, we were still in control and should have got back into it. Taking off Garcia was when it all start to collapse, though.

There are mitigating circumstances. The injuries, especially, have hindered us. But we need to adapt our tactics to the players we have available, and we haven't done that. Rogers and Ramsey aren't good enough (yet?) to keep hold of the ball in matches like last night, which puts our already suspect defence under more pressure. You can't play Youri Tielemans in a midfield two when the other team have any kind of physical presence - Bogarde would have been better there last night, with Tielemans further forward. We're not helping ourselves at the moment. We invite too much pressure, and we really don't cope well with pressure. (Apologies if it seems like I'm being too harsh on Youri here, but I really think he is the poster boy for our problems at the moment. Fantastic when conditions suit him, but the slightest adversity and he goes to shit. I think he's been a great signing, but if you end up having to play him every week, you'll always have a big weakness in a key position. Too easy to play against.)

All of this is a worry. We've seen many managers be too stubborn to change things when things start to wobble a bit, so it will be really interesting to see what he does from here. Getting some players back will obviously help, and you'd hope that there will be a bit of a clear out in the summer. We need some people that are up for a fight and can play football. Our players simply aren't good enough to play through teams while keeping their shorts clean.

As others have pointed out, no club has year-on-year progression without hitting a few stumbling blocks along the way. This is ours. The next few months will tell us where we are as a club, and what we need to do to progress further. My guess is that it will involve a lot of our players leaving in the summer - other than Kamara, I'm not sure there is anyone I'd be desperate to keep, as long as we could invest the money to improve. Whether we'll be able to attract (and be allowed to buy) players that are good enough to get us where we want to be is another matter.

[aj2k77]

We aren't better than the teams above us. We've picked up 13 points in the 12 games against teams above us. They are better than us. Better prepared, better game plan and better execution. We haven't been anywhere near good enough in the league this season. Only a handful of really good performances and a negative goal difference. Emery has done poorly in the league this season and if we come up empty handed and finish 10th it's been a bad one.

[murgsy]

I'm not ungrateful or critical of UE and recognise that every context is different but just asked chat GPT (I know...) why UE failed at Arsenal.

Here was the reply:

Unai Emery's tenure at Arsenal (2018–2019) ended in failure due to a combination of tactical issues, squad problems, and communication difficulties. Here are the key reasons why he struggled at the club:

1. Lack of Clear Identity
Emery was known for tactical flexibility, but Arsenal lacked a clear playing style under him. He frequently changed formations and lineups, leading to confusion among players.
Unlike Arsène Wenger’s attacking philosophy, Emery’s approach was inconsistent, switching between possession-based and counter-attacking styles without establishing a strong identity.
2. Poor Communication
Emery’s English was a major barrier. While he tried to communicate effectively, his instructions were often unclear, and players reportedly struggled to understand him.
His inability to inspire or clearly articulate his ideas hurt his relationship with the squad and fans.
3. Dressing Room Issues & Lack of Leadership
The club lacked strong leaders after the departures of players like Laurent Koscielny, Aaron Ramsey, and Petr Čech.
Emery’s decision to appoint a leadership group instead of a single captain created uncertainty.
The Granit Xhaka captaincy controversy (where he clashed with fans and was later stripped of the armband) further highlighted a lack of control.
4. Defensive Fragility
Arsenal under Emery were extremely weak defensively, conceding a high number of goals.
He failed to improve the defensive structure, with repeated individual errors and lack of organization at the back.
5. Collapse in His Second Season
Despite reaching the Europa League final in 2018-19, Arsenal’s league form deteriorated. A disastrous end to the season saw them miss out on the top four.
In 2019-20, results continued to decline. The team went on a seven-game winless run in the league, leading to his dismissal in November 2019.
6. Squad & Transfer Problems
Arsenal’s recruitment was inconsistent, and Emery reportedly had limited influence over transfers.
Key departures (Ramsey left for free) and mismanagement of signings (Nicolas Pépé’s £72m signing didn’t fit his system) hurt the team’s progress.
7. Fan Discontent & Dressing Room Disconnect
Arsenal fans quickly lost patience with Emery’s uninspiring style and lack of progress.
Reports emerged that the players had lost faith in his tactics and decision-making.
Despite his struggles at Arsenal, Emery has since proven his managerial quality with successful spells at Villarreal (winning the Europa League) and Aston Villa, showing that his failure at Arsenal was more a case of the wrong fit rather than a lack of ability.

[Sexual Ealing]

What was the point of doing that, much less sharing it here? It's meaningless.

[murgsy]

What was the point of doing that, much less sharing it here? It's meaningless.

Don't you think that there are some worrying similarities?

[Clampy]

What was the point of doing that, much less sharing it here? It's meaningless.

Don't you think that there are some worrying similarities?

No. Would you have posted all that had we won last night or were you waiting for when we lost next?

[murgsy]

What was the point of doing that, much less sharing it here? It's meaningless.

Don't you think that there are some worrying similarities?

No. Would you have posted all that had we won last night or were you waiting for whe we lost next?

It isn't just last night. The stats are not great.

How many of us would say that last night's tactical decisions were sound?

Maybe many feel that UE is untouchable.

PS - I clearly prefaced the post - anticipating a push back.

[Drummond]

The only one that's close to being similar, or accurate, is defensive fragility. I put that down to injuries, but perhaps I'm being kind, because he has to find a way to be better with what we have available.

[Sexual Ealing]

What was the point of doing that, much less sharing it here? It's meaningless.

Don't you think that there are some worrying similarities?

I didn't read it because you said it came from Chat GPT, which is an LLM, not a source of reliable factual information.

[Sexual Ealing]

This is Google, rather than Chat GPT, but this is what LLMs can give you when you're in search of the truth.

[Drummond]

This is Google, rather than Chat GPT, but this is what LLMs can give you when you're in search of the truth.

Haha.

[edgysatsuma89]

Yeah, we're definitely not stinking the place out, that was circling the drain for 5 years. We're having a below average league season, though, hence being 10th. I say below average, that's considering our players should be better than 10th.

But should they?

If you believe some: Martinez is overrated; Cash is gash; Mings is past it; Digne is slow; Maatsen can't defend; Torres can't defend; Konsa is rubbish (this season); Onana is made of glass; Barkley is injured; Bailey is shit; Ramsey is also overrated; Rogers is either brilliant or useless; Ollie misses more than he scores so needs binning.

Maybe we're a Europa/Conference League level squad that Unai managed a minor miracle with last year. A squad that has since made a profit in sales, and this year we're struggling to adjust to the increased demands.

I just don't know where some people's fucking expectations have come from.

The thing is, I genuinely do think we are underperforming at 10th with our players. I'm not some deluded fan who thought we would stroll into 4th place again this season. Every season I do a table prediction with my niece and nephew and you win money per correct position. I had us 7th. That's about what I think is right with our squad and Emery clearly worked miracles last season. Maybe we'll end up 7th and I'll nod and think 'yeah, that's about right'. Will I still think our players are better than Fulham's if we end up 10th? Probably.

[Demitri_C]

I cant see how any person will or ahould be happy with a 10th place finish tbh. We dont have to call for unais head but we can openly discuss our displeasure at finishing there.

I thought the plan was to not just be a one season wonder according to monchi and vidagamy but we have got worse. Facts

Lower league position
Less clean sheets
Lower points total

And to be honest we are playing worse than last season   the first half of last season was one of the best seasons of football ive seen since the o neill days

[Drummond]

I cant see how any person will or ahould be happy with a 10th place finish tbh. We dont have to call for unais head but we can openly discuss our displeasure at finishing there.

I thought the plan was to not just be a one season wonder according to monchi and vidagamy but we have got worse. Facts

Lower league position
Less clean sheets
Lower points total

And to be honest we are playing worse than last season   the first half of last season was one of the best seasons of football ive seen since the o neill days

Yet we finished Top 8 Champions League.

[ChicagoLion]

1 win in 8 after a CL games tells you that the energy conservation strategy is not working in the PL.