GUNNERS BOSS CUTS OUT LIVE SCOUTING

UNAI EMERY is facing criticism because of his decision to cut Arsenal’s live scouting of opposition teams in favour of presiding over a video-led approach himself. Arsenal undertook a major review of their scouting operation last summer at head coach Emery’s request, the result being that they no longer send scouts to watch all of their forthcoming opponents and provide technical analysis of their performance. Many of Arsenal’s Premier League rivals use a wide scouting network to monitor opposition matches up to two months in advance, with some scouts watching the same team four times before submitting their report. But Emery told the club during a review last summer that he prefers to watch games himself rather than read analysis compiled by others. In an example of his prodigious workrate, the Spaniard spends hours watching recordings of Arsenal’s forthcoming opponents on his laptop, although some at the club are convinced his time would be better spent addressing the weaknesses in his own side. Other senior figures have also argued that by relying on videos and data rather than eyewitness accounts, certain aspects of opponents’ strengths and weaknesses are being missed. While changes to the scouting set-up are not regarded as the main reason for the club’s downturn in form, sources insist they have been a factor in poor preparation for games, which have featured numerous basic defensive mistakes and a failure to anticipate opposition tactics.