Arsenal’s fans anticipated this as soon as Arsène Wenger left with fears of a repeat of the Manchester United experienceThe thing is, we’re not used to this. A change of manager might be routine for supporters of other clubs but that’s not how it is for Arsenal fans. When it comes to changes at the top we’re the football equivalent of Belarus, whose citizens last greeted a new president in 1994. Remember this is only our second switch since 1996, back in the days when no one had a mobile phone and the Spice Girls were young. Related: From unleashing Pépé to dealing with Xhaka: six things Ljungberg must do | Nick Ames Continue reading...
Manager flunked the key moments and decisions during his tenure and few fans or players will mourn his departureIn the end, when the Arsenal statement dropped on Friday morning to confirm the departure of Unai Emery, it came as a mercy. For the past few weeks the mood among many of the players had been they wanted the manager out and they did not exactly hide it at the training ground, and for the past six or so – from the Premier League defeat at Sheffield United – Emery had looked every inch the condemned man, thrashing desperately but unable to find succour.There was a time when he had a clear plan about how to shape a team in the...
His passion is in no doubt, but what the Spanish manager wants on the pitch is often still opaque. A vibrant display against Spurs might make things a bit clearerUnai Emery’s touchline exhortations can make an exhausting watch and the person behind Arsenal’s “bench cam” for their opening match at Newcastle certainly got through an honest day’s work. The viral clip that resulted, of Emery punching his fists in the air when the young midfielder Joe Willock sprinted back to recover possession, was viewed almost three million times on Instagram and the club plan a similar montage of the manager’s touchline activity after Sunday’s north London derby.There is no denying the appeal: if everything goes to plan then supporters can...
Club’s highest earner has underperformed this season and his manager has also left many fans underwhelmed. But the board does not appear to have the conviction to make a hard decisionAs Mesut Özil trudged, head bowed, around the pitch at the end of it all in Baku it was pertinent to wonder what has become of him and where it all goes from here. He is the lost playmaker. His once proud joy in the assist, his once delicate ability to be the subtle architect of a game, has dwindled to the point where it is really worth revisiting a highlights reel from previous years to remember how – even with that idiosyncratic languid style which means he seldom looks...
Unai Emery has proved a master of two-leg ties but also has the wherewithal to impose his gameplan in a one-off finalTransition is often a useful excuse for football clubs but in the case of Arsenal and Chelsea it happens to be true. The Europa League final will be a battle of two managers coming to the end of their first season at their respective clubs, both hamstrung by oddly imbalanced squads, and both charged with leading their sides into a bold new era.Maurizio Sarri’s problem, though, is that all Chelsea’s existence since José Mourinho was first removed in 2006 has been transition. Related: Arsenal’s ongoing Champions League absence has not been so costly | David Conn Related: Eden Hazard...