The media is alive like a pit of vipers, all looking for their hot take on a story they don’t yet have. A little like some of the nonsense that was fed into the airwaves when we were hiring for the Wenger replacement. It makes for interesting reading, dependent on how you want to spin it for yourself.
The through-thread I’m hearing is quite simple: We don’t have a plan.
If you take that as your north star, it makes it easier to work out what’s real and what’s fantasy.
I am more inclined to believe the stories that Arsenal are not going to budge on ousting Unai Emery, namely because there’s no suitable replacement candidate, and there’s been no detailed undertaking of what’s in the market at the moment.
It’s also important to remember that Unai Emery is Don Raul’s man. When Arteta lost out because Ivan G lost his nerve, it was our lead football exec who brought Emery in for the magical interview with the powerpoint dossier. He’s attached to Unai, there’s either going to be a level of faith in his hard skillz (lol), or there’s going to be a level of stubbornness in the decision.
You also have to remember that Arsenal are not fast movers. Mountains of evidence supported Wenger being a busted flush, but things didn’t move against him until the stadium emptied out and the finances started to weaken. It’s very rare that a manager has ever been as bad as Unai Emery and turned things around. It is in the Kroenke DNA to really, really, really make sure the manager they have in charge is completely useless before they pull the trigger.
I’d also be paying attention to the reality of our finances. We pulled money from next season into last summer to make the big fancy signings happen. That was the financial trick. There’s probably an element of worry with firing Emery: ‘Do we really want to spend upwards of £12m to fire the coach and the 6+ people he brought along for the ride?’
I was told at the start of the season the chances of Emery being let go early were very slim. In fairness, I’m not sure anyone thought things would be this bad, this soon. There are some stories saying that he’ll be out the door if he loses next weekend. I think that’s fanciful. The bigger concern is that a lot of papers are saying he’ll be given a month to turn things around.
I worry if we go a month, it’s going to be impossible for any caretaker to get things back on track. The best choice if we did that would be Freddie Ljungberg, but that’s hugely risky. Bringing in a young coach to take over in a crisis isn’t ideal.
I’ve done to death the Jose Mourinho counter-argument. There are fans saying that talk of ‘values’ is weak sauce and that we shouldn’t pay attention to things like that.
I really dislike this line of argument. ‘Values’ when used to deflect a lack of competitiveness is unacceptable. Arsenal tried to tie the two things as inextricably linked during the bad years because it made for easy reading to the soft fanbase who saw Wenger as their daddy.
‘Chelsea may have trophies, but where’s the class? Not for me’
When we’re talking about values and Jose Mourinho, the commentary has more grounding in reality. You really are attacking who you are as a club when you make that appointment.
But honestly, fuck the talk of values. That is the last thing on my list of why nots when it comes to hiring in Jose.
The man is finished as an elite level coach. Just look at his idea of modern football. Look at the footballing output at United having spent £300m+.
‘But did he have a say on the players?’
Can you IMAGINE Jose Mourinho at United’s Pleasure Island for Faded Managers NOT having a say on players? He’s literally one of the most powerful coaches on the planet. He would have had total control over decisions. He is a King. He lives off his once elite reputation as the Special One. He had control, and while Manchester City were out there creating the next generation of cognitive football, he’s making excuses about the lack of investment and defending his painfully dated footballing philosophy.
Don’t worry about values people, with Jose Mourinho, it’s lose/lose. You’re bringing in the most toxic man in world football, and by the way, he’s going to crash your club within 2 seasons, likely with little to show for it.
Arsenal are in this situation because they hired a coach based on an objective.
‘Get Champions League’
We didn’t hire a coach thinking of the 3-5 year plan of where we planned to take the club. We weren’t thinking about how to be competitive. We just hired in someone based on his glamourous previous job.
The fans will now demand our next hire is a ‘proven winner.’ But it’s the wrong way to look at it. Hiring a winner took United to LVG after David Moyes. It then took them to Jose Mourinho. Now they’re in all sorts of trouble because the correct decision was a young innovative coach, but when they finally made that decision they did it based on emotion, not smarts.
We built a global brand playing stunning football. We are not currently capable of behaving like a superclub. Arsenal has a golden generation of kids coming through. We have a squad built for attacking football.
Our next hire needs to be mapped to our reality.
There is no point in hiring the archetypal ‘winner’ because that sort of reputation is ALWAYS tied to a chequebook manager. We can only afford to work with one of those types on the way out of the top tier (Jose). We need to make our gains by hiring in someone that can outperform our resources. That has to be a coach with ideas, someone that’s happy to work with what is on offer at Arsenal, someone that wants to grow into a king.
Right, that’s me done, see you in the comments.
Good Article Pedro. We need to take the remaining season with calm and plan for the next manager. If Unai is the man for this season so be it – it cant get any worse. But if w get the next manager wrong it puts us back by another 3-5 years.
Yo!
4th?
4th 🙂
Good post Pedro, I also doubt he gets the sack should we lose next week.
We need to be way behind in the battle for 4th and out of the Europa for this board to pull the trigger and as you said he is Raul’s man so there will be some hesitation from the higher ups before it happens.
Very depressing, but wouldnt surprise me if the club did absolutely nothing, despite the fact this will cost us a place in the Champions League, and probably the Europa League next season, as well as derailing talented young players, and losing our strikers and other players to boot.
If they really dont want to pay Emery and his staff off, we are stuck with him next season as well, this guy could easily relegate us
Kroenkes lack of action could again prove very costly
Pedro
Who would you aim for as a mid-season hire?
That man is Rogers.Brendan Rogers.we need a rogering……
Pedro
To quote you at length:
‘We need to make our gains by hiring in someone that can outperform our resources. That has to be a coach with ideas, someone that’s happy to work with what is on offer at Arsenal, someone that wants to grow into a king.’
That’s a very tall order.
A young coach who’ s brilliant, but also prepared to work with limited resources and for an extended period.
Do you have anyone in particular in mind?
Top 10 Walker
“namely because there’s no suitable replacement candidate”
Not even Arteta ?? lol
Charlie – The dream for me is Allegri but I wouldn’t mind if Freddie is given the chance, that’s if a mid-season sacking happens.
From last thread… CC I’m not confident more hopeful the process has begun. Can’t imagine Raul doing anything other than looking at table and trajectory of decline on what should of been a decent return on this run of league fixtures and not do anything other than beginning process knowing what lies ahead in December. With info on hand i’d hope club make move after Leicester, everything seems to speak against continuing. Looking at fixtures pretty sure theres some truth to giving Emery the month to see if he’s able to arrest the fall with Southhampton, Norwich, Brighton and West… Read more »
“Our next hire needs to be mapped to our reality.”
That will be pretty ugly.
Morning all… 4th place?
ahh shit
Good Ebening
Why would Raul sack him. Even if we lose to Leicester, we will need to use the information from the game to help us in our way, improve our process and to impose our game.
This club is dead as a footballing entity.
I read somewhere on ESPN that firing Emery now, make sense… A good reason is that- if the brass see the decline starting now, and no signs of improvement, why wait until the inevitable. Act now… look at Bayern.. they saw the writing on the wall. We need to do the same… so we draw with Leicester.. (hopefully) Why continue to buy time… the team is completely in dissaray. Emery has a healthy first team unlike last season, and now has WINGERS! Yet we struggle… we are worse and not progressing. No excuses now…. this shitshow needs to end FL… Read more »
With the manger situation, AFC management are weak and at fault. They’re mediocre at best and no one else would give ’em the lucrative money they’re milking at AFC. So its a case of the politics of their survival, with no pressure to win the trophies that matter. I doubt anyone at AFC is on fundamental incentives compensation, based on winning the trophies that matter. So if they’re forced into a corner, they’ll hire another Dicko Emery like idiot. Next AFC Manger Candidates: Maureen: An egotistical dickhead, peaked in 2012 & past it, just like Wenger. But Raul Smelly &… Read more »
They will prob wait for the summer and go for Howe or someone equally underwhelming
If something positive is to come of the current situation, it will at least be clarity. Much has been made of the new, modern, re energised, arsenal fc, packed with more management, more expertise and filing cabinets bulging with glowing CVs. On the pitch, it’s not a catastrophe- it never is at Arsenal– but we are drifting, treading water and cementing a new identity as a 5th or 6th place team. . Moving forward, this won’t be acceptable to swathes of paying fans. The ‘new structure’ – I’ll call it that because I don’t actually know exactly where decision making… Read more »
SO Arsenal axed 8 members of the youth staff.
So a shake up is not out of the works….
lets see what happens… Leicester were great against Palace…
Now they are at home to us… someone build a shield and place in front of our goal… the bombardment needs to end!
No Dave.They need to goforRogers.Brendan Rogers.like I said.we need a Rogering.What better than after the Leicester game. Perfect timing.
Arteta, Allegri or Mourinho
I’d take any of those 3
We aren’t getting Brendan Rogers
“Arsenal has a golden generation of kids coming through”
Who? Shiteland Niles, Joe Willie, Bukkake Saka et al?
Unnai
Why you dont rate FL for the job?
Good ebening
Unai not going anywhere soon.
Squad player number. I’m looking at the aggregator five times a day half expecting to see the headline that Emery has gone. But that’s unrealistic. One timeline for a dismissal would be a dismal performance at the weekend. Another realistic one would be half way through the season. At least that would coincide with the transfer window and allow the hierarchy to assert there was a logic to the choice. They might also have an alternative lined up by then if they have done their homework this time. Rogers would be crazy to jump ship now. I just wonder if… Read more »
Top tier coaches have no interest in 3-5 year projects, they want to compete for trophies in their first season. Arsenal obviously have plan, we are buying quality youth to supplement our homegrown youth, and in a few years hopefully these players will come good and we’ll have team we can he happy with. Emery is transitional manager, he steadied the ship and is giving game time to untested nineteen year olds that will benefit our next manager. Arsenal squad is not automatic top four team, Emery has us at about our level so there is no need to fire… Read more »
A Rollocking good read by the imperious PedRo and I off course thank him for it.
But lets Face facts Folks.
You can’t Teck Deck your way back to the top- with the likes of Edu and Co.
(They might as be working for Spurs.- the good they are doing us!)
We are going to have to do it differently,
We have to do it Jose ‘ s Way!….
….His Special Way!
10 year contract on the table
Mr. Mourinho your mission:
See out this contract &
“”‘MAKE ARSENAL GREAT AGAIN!””
Digitalbob
I agree, he’s long been my choice for a myriad of reasons. Rumour of him being in cahoots with another club already, I said United previously but Bayern maybe?
Sal
You and me both, a good summer window doesn’t make a competent executive team, that’s merely the start. They’ve plenty to prove themselves and it’ll be quite telling how they manage this situation forthcoming.
I don’t understand how anyone can say he steadied the ship. I have been a fan for over half-a-century and have never seen such turmoil. A manager under pressure and flapping, a captain insulting the fans, drawing games at home we are supposed to win, and a fanbase that didn’t turn out for the last game. I can’t imagine any of this will get better in the short term.
JWL
we can be doing better than we are currently
We have no offensive schemes.
He plays players out of natural positions.
Defense hasn’t improved
Pedro You nearly had me with the Jose argument Yes he would almost certainly neglect the youngsters (my biggest concern) and yes he would opt to ditch attacking football BUT and this is a big but, the football he offers will be a fucking world better than anything emery is serving, our defence would be better and the man only cares about winning. Yes the youngstersay he neglected but he could also make unbelievable winners of some of them as he did with JT, Lamps, drog, cech, gudjohnson, Robben and Essien. All were young when Jose came in. All were… Read more »
“Top tier coaches have no interest in 3-5 year projects, they want to compete for trophies in their first season. ”
At last. The truth.
NJ
I’d take Stewart Houston any day right now
we dont have time for projects anymore I agree
Charlie – true, talk of Allegri and Utd having something in place started a couple months ago should Ole get the boot, but I can see Bayern as a good fit.
I’m warming to the idea of Arteta by the way, I initially thought it was Pep bigging up his number two but it seems alot of the City players credit him with improvements to their game.
I’d also be paying attention to the reality of our finances. We pulled money from next season into last summer to make the big fancy signings happen. That was the financial trick. There’s probably an element of worry with firing Emery: ‘Do we really want to spend upwards of £12m to fire the coach and the 6+ people he brought along for the ride?’ This for me is very much the heart of the matter. I don’t play poker but those that do, suggest Arsenal went all in during the last window. I very much doubt that much in the… Read more »
I’m warming to the idea of Arteta by the way, I initially thought it was Pep bigging up his number two but it seems alot of the City players credit him with improvements to their game.
Digital
You know it makes sense. It would be fucking magic if he comes in and humiliated marko, Bamford, Freddie and hairline.
After lifting their skirts up for emery and cunting off arteta. Just magic
FL is already on the payroll
would not take too much more to replace UE with him…
anyhow, if we are bleeding in youth, FL might be a good pick since he knows them and how to work with them, as well as the older players
Spot on.
We want Freddie!!
Emery hasn’t steadied the ship. He was probably supposed to, being a pragmatic coach, and one used to working under a sporting director model – like Arsenal employed after Wenger (Manager/King/Emperor) model. All he has succeeded in doing is making us a reactive negative team. We start slowly to see what the opposition do. – then attempt to counter that. If we get the ball to Auba and score in that time, rather than push on we again sit and wait for the oppositions answer – then try to react to that. Invariably we become too passive and then cannot… Read more »
Guns of SF – yes, we could be doing better but we could also be doing considerably worse. Emery is competent manager doing about as well as could be expected. I think gooners expected far too much when Wenger retired, we have young untested squad and everyone seems to think we should be competing for league title.
Jwl
Then why hire emery at all? He’s doing marginally worse thanwenger with a superior squad
JWL,
We did better last season with more injured players.
Why are we doing worse now?
I think the players are slowly tuning him out…
We spent a shitload to compete now… not for the future.
This summer was the time to bleed in an identity of attack and defense and to get us playing in a system that all understood.
Instead its still pick up football- with your friends. Just play and do something without a plan other than give AUba the ball
I think that we need to avoid the “panic decisions”…
Once Xhaka will have recover the armband, everything will be just fine.
Coincidentally it seems most of Wenger lovers are warming themselves up to the possibility of Mourinho being our coach. Unai,Pierre,CG,CC. Plz don’t sell out your shifu.
Emery must be let go and plz Bamford, stop defending Emery. He’s failing alarmingly. I respect your view though. But plzzzz.
jwl – Emery is underachieving, its clear as day.
I for one had no top 4 expectations but did expect a coherent plan of action. The squad has had investment as well so its not like he’s limited by the budget.
As Un and others have stated he’s doing worse than past his best-Arsene with a marginally better squad. We still ship a fuckload of goals and the opposition regularly pepper the box with shots, the stubbornness that took Arsene years to develop seems to have taken Emery a season and a bit.
I wrote Emery steadied ship because he has, he improved our points total in league last season and we went further in Europe. Look at manure when Fergie retired, experienced manager Moyes inherited league winner squad and finished seventh.
When long term influential manager retires, it often goes tits up for team for years, but Emery was able to avoid that. It was minor miracle that Emery was able to improve our points total compared to Wenger’s last.
Bamford keep defending Emery… makes you want to ask him his dealer’s number.
(Bamford’s dealer, not Emery’s one)
(lol)
KAY – Its sad Emery’s poor management has some considering Jose. I just can’t do it.
By the way how’s he gonna manage the Arsenal with all the young players and limited budget? The only weird thing in favour of it is that Emery has us playing football so dire appointing Jose won’t reduce the quality.
Give it to Freddie as soon as Leicester have given us a right old rollicking next Saturday evening.
What have we got to lose?
Kayboss
Think I made myself clear that I prefer a manager that plays football but in the light of recent form I’d take joe kinnear right now
Shit I’d take avram grant
Graham
Why wait til then?
Imagine Freddie getting us top 4… what a hero he would be!
Just envision it…
“Shit I’d take avram grant”
Ah ah ah, is he still coaching ??
Un na naai
True.
KayBoss Why can’ t you not like and respect both? Wenger and Mourinho? I can’ t speak for anyone else but I LOVE talent. Both have it in spades. I detest Loosers , Cowards and Conmen. Our club is currently rife with them. Emery has these very characteristics in every part of his DNA. If we dont go Jose’ s way we will go the same way as we are now and ultimately to relegation with Zero responsibility and no accountability. Managing Arsenal aint a walk in A Park. You need a Proven Big Hitter . (history tells that time… Read more »
“Are we MAd?”
Yes you are.
Wenger finished sixth in his last season, Emery finished fifth in his first, he has not done worse than Wenger. And let’s remember that Wenger bought players he wanted while Emery is part of committee and he does not make final decision on who to buy. The players who we’ve bought are young players for future or older mediocre players who will be here for two or three seasons and Emery is expected to create a team that challenge for league or he shit manager. I think much anger/frustration was built up during Wenger last few seasons and it all… Read more »
Bayern have one bad result and BANG!! the manager is a goner..
Typical German efficiency.
“Zat BMW has a flat tyre. Bin it…..NOW!!”
You can’t compare the two.
Wenger ruined the club in its entirety.
Emery is just frigging useless.
Jwl
He’s lost more games
Won less
Conceded more
Scored less
Played terribly under him
All with him having purges the squad and spending a fortune.
Sorry mate, context needed
I’d still love for us to get Arteta even with the fears of hiring an unproven candidate. We have the quality to make top four this season; we basically need a coach that’s brilliant, progressive with good man management.
Next summer, armed with a fresh CB pairing, CM signings, I firmly believe we’d push on with bigger ambitions with great football.
I heard he’s multilingual too. 😉
#ArtetaIN
“Coincidentally it seems most of Wenger lovers are warming themselves up to the possibility of Mourinho being our coach. Unai,Pierre,CG,CC.“
I’d have Mourinho over Emery, doesnt mean I’m warming to the idea of Mourinho as I’m under no illusions what’s likely to come of it.
I want Allegri over anyone, and after that its hard seeing which proper longer term strategist could be brought in mid-season, hence why I’d be all for Rafa coming in as an interim and the club can’t make a proper well-thought decision come the summer.
“I’m warming to the idea of Arteta by the way, I initially thought it was Pep bigging up his number two but it seems alot of the City players credit him with improvements to their game.”
My choice from day one!
Chika will become Pedro’s favourite, without a doubt.
“Wenger ruined the club in its entirety.“
Arsenal FC isn’t ruined you freak
Graham
Appreciate the apology
Is it Shed time for you……?
HighburyLegendNovember 4, 2019 17:42:54
Chika will become Pedro’s favourite, without a doubt.
He said, resigned to the concept of being just another faceless commenter. One day, one day I will be favourite he thought.
My comment after 2 games last season
“Pierre
August 19, 2018 00:53:16
As I have said before…why have we hired a manager who plays a certain style of football but do not have the players to play that style effectively and will not give him the funds to build a team to implement that style….not very bright is it.
We now have no composure on the ball so be prepared for most teams to have greater possession than us until we rid ourselves of the headless chicken syndrome.”
Chin up HL. Keep plugging away. Somebody out there must love you….
I completely agree with Pedro’s post. Emery was appointed as a ‘safe bet’- ‘let’s give him two years to get back into the CL’.His appointment lacked ambition. We need a coach who has a clear vision and who can create an ethos that a group of players can buy in to whether they are PEA or Saka. I honestly think that if we get this next appointment right, we could be a 2/3 years from a team that can properly start the season as challengers. The passionate hyperbole that comes out in times of crisis, ‘we’re fucked as a club’,… Read more »
Un
“Chin up HL. Keep plugging away. Somebody out there must love you….”
If Emery could find love in the fat arms of Bumford, then HL shouldn’t lose hope.
Pierre
You called it. To be honest so did quite a few of us. I was just willing to give the man some breathing space and to be honest, up until the Chelsea game last season he was ok. Not great but an improvement. Dull but relatively effective.
He threw all that right out the window
Thanks Graham, another example of passionate hyperbole ‘ Wenger ruined this club in its entirety’.
Cc,
Would be great if Rafa came in on an interim basis, but I just can’t see it.
Isn’t he in China at present? Can’t see him leaving a well remunerated job there to go halfway across the world just to work as an interim manager for Arsenal.
Pierre
August 19, 2018 07:13:01
“I can’t help thinking that the player we are missing is nzonzi as our midfield is still way too open and is not offering the defence protection.
We needed a holding midfielder to just sit in front of the back 4 to give us an element of control in games.. Hopefully torriera is that player but we haven’t really addressed the issue…”
And still haven’t addressed that issue.
Bob We’re you not an emery cheerleader up until two weeks ago? But you’re right. We all knew it was a shit move in the summer. Even CA and marko knew, they just couldn’t admit it out loud because of their anti Wenger narrative. They just had to shake their Pom-poms and hope emery was an improvement in any way shape or form. Instead he’s actually been worse. It would be hilarious if it wasn’t my club. Still though, if arteta comes in and smashes it, it would be pure poetry. Win-win-win Marko, Bam and CA would shrivel to a… Read more »
For the Arteta fans out there.
Arteta vs Freddie-
What are your arguments against FL?
Why would your pick Arteta over Freddie?
Pierre August 19, 2018 08:11:08 “Goh Emery is not a clown.. He is just the wrong person for the job at this particular time. Someone should have asked themselves when appointing Emery, what do we need to make this work.. He wants to play a completely different style of football but we do not have the right players to make it work and insufficient funds. Alarm bells should have been ringing and they should have taken a step back and altered their approach when hiring the new manager. Emery looks a worried man on the touchline and rightly so. Unless… Read more »
Get Martin Keown back to the club in a coaching role
He was behind our record holding defence in CL 06
We are talking eboue senderos and flamini at LB here…..
Imagine what he could do with tierney and holding
What is Emery’s style of football??
Anyone?
isnt that the million dollar question?
And from guns of Hackney
“Guns of Hackney
August 19, 2018 08:35:03
UnI haven’t given Emery 10 games. My decision was made after the recruitment drive in the summer. Clearly Unai didn’t really have a plan…that hasn’t changed.”
Sf
For me it
1) he’s la Masia born and bred. It’s in his dna to play the way we want
2) he’s captained Everton and arsenal. He’s a leader
3)He’s played in rough shit leagues and at the top in the CL.
4) he’s highly regarded at city as a coach. By pep, the players and the suits.
City are the benchmark. If they want him then he’s good enough for us
5) he was the best candidate we had in the summer. Emery got in through the back door through the Spanish boys club
Unai, never been a cheerleader. Always felt that it was too soon to judge him after one season with largely an inherited squad. I was concerned by our end of season demise as well as his tinkering but was willing to give him until Oct/Nov to have my doubts evaporate. In hindsight the writing was on the wall last season and it was wishful to hope that he was going to be the man.
Never a cheerleader, just a supporter who hopes for the best!
Christ Pierre!!!
Guns of SF,
Almost impossible to make an Arteta v Freddie judgement on a rational or empirical basis.
Freddie knows the club, and was admired as a coach, but only as a youth team coach. No major league experience as manager.
Arteta knows the club, and is admired as a coach, but only as an assistant coach. no major league experience as manager.
One has perfect hair, the other looks good in boxer shorts. Both come across well in the media.
Frankly who knows?
Unnai
Ok got it.. how about Freddie? why go against appointing him?
I think we should go for a new interim manager for the current season and address the managerial issue next summer.
uns of SFNovember 4, 2019 17:59:25
What is Emery’s style of football??Anyone?isnt that the million dollar question
Big gaps in the middle
Isolated forwards
Plenty of shots conceded
Attack through full backs and nobody else
Sf
I’d give him the job interim. The kids love him. Not exactly against but there are 3 superior options
Who knows Freddy could turn out to be our Zz or pep from within
Don’t know until you try
I’d go for arteta first though
Freddy as no2
Both Arteta and Freddie are in similar positions.
Arteta has the experience of learning from Pep.
Freddie has the experience of winning titles on the pitch
Both are arsenal players
Id give the nod to FL as he has been a head coach- be it the youth team… Arteta warms the bench for Pep mostly…
I think that we wont know until we try… so lets see.
Im more optimisitic that UE will be gone very soon
Woab
Chinese season finishes end of the month, they have 3 games left and are safe after him taking over with them in the bottom two. Job done for the season, I think he’d jump at the chance to go Arsenal tbh – especially under these circumstances.
Who would Arteta’s back room team be though as he doesn’t seem to have one , emery has about 5 or 6 so Arteta would need at least 2 or 3 even if Freddie sticks around . I heard that was one of the big reasons that put the board off Arteta .
“Pierre
August 23, 2018 15:18:49
Don’t quite get it do you.. Torriera is not a box to box midfielder… From what I saw in the world cup, he is most effective sitting in front of the defence offering protection and is tidy on the ball.
So let’s forget about all this box to box nonsense”