PSG spell casts doubt over diligent coach

Spaniard will leave no stone unturned but may struggle to deal with big names, writes Jason Burt

Arsenal players will have to get used to detailed, and lengthy, video analysis sessions under Unai Emery if, as expected, he is appointed as their new head coach this week. He leaves no stone unturned. He is forensic in his work and attention to detail.

Emery, for his part, would have to immerse himself in language lessons. Despite the suggestions last night that communication would not be a problem, when I met him in Paris last year, he did not speak a word of English.

Had Emery’s two years at Paris St-germain not happened, then appointing the man who led Sevilla to three consecutive Europa League titles, who is comfortable working alongside a director of football and to a limited budget, and who can play inventive, counter-attacking football, looks a smart move.

After all, the 46-year-old outmanoeuvred Jurgen Klopp in the Europa League final in 2016 when Sevilla overturned a halftime deficit to beat Liverpool. It helped earn him the PSG job as the French giants reasoned such an obvious cup specialist would be the man to bring them the one thing they craved more than anything: the Champions League.

The problem at PSG was a worrying one, though: was Emery able to deal with big-name players? Could he cope under pressure? Maybe no coach could have appeased the egos of Neymar and Edinson Cavani, but the silly dispute at the start of this season over who would take penalties was wholly avoidable.

Emery should have made that clear and PSG were not happy about it, while soon some of their players were complaining that they were bored of his detailed, calculated training methods. He is intense and very organised and will insist on team-bonding meals.

He is evangelical about sports science and was one of the first coaches to insist on blood and hydration tests. Man-management, it is said, is not a strength, while,

tactically, he can be hesitant. Having failed to win the French league with PSG last year and, having overseen the embarrassing reversal against Barcelona, when a 4-0 first-leg lead was not enough to win a Champions League tie, Emery was given one more season.

He recaptured the league but flopped again in the Champions League and the characterless exit to Real Madrid, when he seemed unable to cope, sealed his fate. PSG went backwards under Emery.

Maybe it is a tough judgment and certainly the landscape and expectation at Arsenal is very different from PSG. Some might jokingly claim that employing a coach who has won the Europa League three times might actually be a smart move, given Arsenal’s continued involvement in that competition next season. Winning it may be their best way of getting into the Champions League.

Emery has wanted to work in England. Everton have considered him and West Ham United have, twice, held talks – as recently as last week, in fact, when he was on their four-man shortlist. He will undoubtedly have done well if he lands the Arsenal job.