Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
‘Give it your best shot, Dan,’ says Emery as he throws down gauntlet to Gunners
UNAI EMERY has challenged Danny Welbeck to have the best season of his life.
The Arsenal striker returned from his post-World Cup break on Monday and walked straight into speculation that he could be let go.
The transfer window shut in England on Thursday, but there were still suggestions the 27-year-old could be offloaded by the Gunners to the continent.
However, Emery insisted that would not be the case, with Welbeck’s versatility impressing the new Arsenal boss in their first week together.
“I said to Danny, when he arrived with us after the holidays, I want the best performance of his career and he should work for that,” said the Spaniard.
“I want him to get better with his quality and his data this season – more goals, more assists and working to help when we need
quick pressing. Danny is one of the players who has a multi-position possibility – right-winger, left-winger, striker.
“On Friday, he worked with us at left-back. His performance was good. I like this spirit and he can help positions across the team with the positivity of it.
“For me, it’s clear – on Thursday the transfer window closed and our players will stay with us.
“Only Carl Jenkinson, David Ospina and Joel Campbell will go, the rest are going to stay here.”
The challenge of producing a career-best season has been thrown down to everyone at the club, including the manager.
And, as he prepared for his first Premier League game as Arsenal boss, against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City today, Emery said: “Firstly, that’s for me.
“I want to get better every day and in each training session and in each match, and I want to transmit to the players the same idea.”
What is very clear is that the players will have to take plenty of responsibility for themselves under Emery and that the flakiness of past seasons will not be tolerated.
While Laurent Koscielny, Petr Cech, Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil and Granit Xhaka are the five captains Emery has selected – a practice common in Spain – new boy Stephan Lichtsteiner is another with vast experience and someone who will also marshal the squad. The Swiss right-back, who won seven Serie A titles with Juventus, has already spoken on Emery’s behalf and told his team-mates to forget past achievements.
Emery said: “The past is good, but it’s finished. On Friday morning, we were talking with the team and it was the moment for Lichtsteiner to speak.
“Maybe he is the player who has won the most titles, but, after all that, we start with a new way.
“We want to continue winning, remembering your titles from a big career, but this is a new way to try to win more. In football, you live for your present and your future.”
Which is just as well, perhaps, given City twice spanked Arsenal 3-0 at the Emirates in a five-day period last season, in the EFL Cup and Premier League, after beating them 3-1 at the Etihad in the top flight.
Asked if he had watched the league match in north London, Emery was marked in his response.
“A new way,” he said.
But, when pushed to expand, he added: “The message is the same inside and outside the training ground.
“We want to transmit one idea with personality, style and ambition. Then we want to play looking forward to each match.
“We take the responsibility to be protagonists more than just be in possession.
“That’s a good message to tell the fans. We want to do that.”