Welbeck is Unai man for all reasons
Tom Hopkinson
UNAI EMERY confirmed Danny Welbeck would not be leaving Arsenal this summer – then challenged the England man to have the best season of his life.
Welbeck (right) returned from his post-world Cup break on Monday and walked straight into speculation that he was off.
The transfer window shut in England on Thursday but there were suggestions the 27-yearold could move abroad.
Emery, however, insisted that would not be the case, with Welbeck’s versatility impressing the Spaniard in their first week together.
Emery said: “I told Danny when he arrived with us after the holidays, I want the best performance in his career from him and he should work for that.
“I want him to get better with his quality and his data in this year – more goals, more assists, and working to help when we need quick pressing against the opposition.
“Danny is one of the players who has a multi-position possibility – right-winger, left-winger, striker.
“On Friday he even worked with us at left-back, and 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: 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 careerbest season has been thrown down to everyone at the club, manager included. And as he prepared for his first Premier League match as Gunners boss, against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, Emery said: “Firstly, that’s for me. “I want to get better every day and each training session and in each match, and I want to transmit to the players the same idea.”
What is clear is that the players will have to take plenty of responsibility for themselves under Emery, and that the flakiness of previous seasons will not be tolerated.
Laurent Koscielny, Petr Cech, Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil and Granit Xhaka are the five captains Emery has selected, a practise that is common in Spain.
But 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.
“We want to transmit one idea with personality, style and ambition. Then we want to play looking forwards to each match.
“We take the responsibility to be protagonists more than just be in possession.”