Unai Emery

[kippaxvilla2]

Any club that appoints Tim Sherwood has got much bigger problems than who the manager is.

That’s a false narrative.  Our shirt sales were still flying then.

[Ads]

The internet is a fucking terrible invention.

[Chip Butty 111]

Fail to win in the next 3 and I think he's gone.

I don't blame him really, I think the higher ups rocked the boat by telling players they were for sale and it affected the squad chemistry.
Emery just doesn't seem to be able to pull it back.

You’re possibly right but that seems incredibly harsh to sack a manager after his first blip.

Agree with this, something must have happened before the debacle at Old Trafford to explain that performance. Wouldn't be at all surprised if there has been a falling out among some of the players, which has rumbled on all summer, leaving Emery with an unhappy, disinterested group.

[algy]

At what point is his job in doubt?

Who would we look to as a replacement, mid-season… Nuno?

Second question, no idea.

First question, depends on a few things.  The PSR/SCR situation hasn't helped matters, and I think that buys him a little grace if things don't quite end up as planned come the end of the season.  There's also, on top of that, been a bit of disruption during the summer.  With that, I think the poor form early on is understandable.  It must be near impossible to build a cohesive unit when our transfer business has been all quite late, and difficult to play anything as we've not known who we're signing and who's off.

All of that said, if we were to replace Emery (or any manager), you'd need to give them a fair shot at achieving something.  I don't think there's any benefit really to sacking a manager a month or so before the end of the season.

My feeling would be that if there's some sign that we're getting our act together over the next 2-3 weeks, and as long as we've not absolutely bombed in the Europa League, then he'll be given til the end of the season to sort things out.  If we're still struggling by the end of November, I can't see either him or Monchi being at the club for that much longer.

[Mister E]

Whatever has happened with player-morale since just before the end of last season is debatable (unless someone has a link into the player dressing room) but it is absolutely Emery's job to get it sorted - and he should have done before the season started.
The challenge is: if he has 'lost the dressing room' is it irrecoverable?!

[Somniloquism]

Agree with this, something must have happened before the debacle at Old Trafford to explain that performance. Wouldn't be at all surprised if there has been a falling out among some of the players, which has rumbled on all summer, leaving Emery with an unhappy, disinterested group.

Doesn't explain Citeh away which wasn't much better for most of it or Palace in the cup. Both results that occurred during a period we were blitzing most teams at home and doing enough away. I personally think we turned up thinking we would be facing a fully demoralised team not really trying and when in fact we had a fully motivated team in Emery's achilles heel formation.

[Walmley_Villa]

Issue I have is that for the big away games he shackles the team - the team that hammered Newcastle should have played v Citeh and he changed it and we were defensive. Palace at Wembley - defensive, Utd away - defensive.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

I feel really guilty because I'm starting to doubt Emery.

I'm sorry, Unai. Please make us better. Quickly. Thanks.

there just seems to be something wrong at a deeper level - I know nothing - but performances look lost. Hopefully I'm over thinking it and it's just a poor run of form - but the basics seem gone, the players don't even look fit enough.

This exactly for me!
I want to keep faith with Unai but the tactics, the walking football, the lack of energy and urgency, resilience and nous that we have shown in recent seasons simply isn't there....and it's not been replaced with anything resembling a plan to move us forward.
I am praying and hoping for a complete change of performance and outcome on Sunday.
Am I being stupid, naive or just hopeful?
:-(

[Tony Daleys Shorts]

Of course he has a tonne of credit in the bank, and frankly I don't think after the summer we had any of us would complain too much about a mi-table finish, but on the evidence of what we've seen on the pitch this season we look like a bottom 6 side.

[Hookeysmith]

It was once joked that the players were into the long collective and individual meetings with Emery where they were bombarded with information - they all joked about it

When it was going well - maybe now its going shit it grinds the players nerves and is not having the same effect - maybe they even are becoming resentful?

[ROBBO]

Duran gave us something different up front we don't have a game changer in the squad.

[RamboandBruno]

Im not trying to sound like an Unai evangelist, but he took a team possibly going to be mired in a relegation battle, and with the addition of Moreno got us to 7th and European football for the first time in eons. He then with the addition of Torres and Diaby got us to 4th and the champions league in whatever guise for the first time since 1983. He then after losing Luiz and Diaby and then Duran, with some good January loans, got us over early winter struggles to 6th and a Italian giants fingertips away from taking the best team in Europe to extra time in the champions league QFs.

And so after 5 games, 2 defeats, 3 draws, there are some musings over who could replace him or him being gone if we are still struggling in 3 games time. Seriously???

No one is untouchable, but honestly we could have a shit lower mid table season and only at the end would I think he’s done all he can.

[Drummond]

That's a pretty good summary.

[Clampy]

Sadly, some fans have very short memories and a lack of patience.

[andyh]

Sadly, some fans have very short memories and a lack of patience.

At least you are consistent.
I think you have backed every single manager on here right up until the day they get fired.