Jamie Carragher I am already worried about Emery’s Arsenal
Arsenal’s manager needs time but he must get rid of the stubborn streak he showed against City last week
Emery does not have the budget instantly to fix long-standing issues in the team he has inherited
Arsenal’s first game under Unai Emery worried me. Given time, I believe Emery will be a successful Arsenal manager, but his tactical approach against Manchester City was surprising. It contradicted much of what I heard and expected following his appointment.
There was anticipation of a change in direction when Emery replaced Arsene Wenger. But even accounting for the fact it was his first match – we can make a fuller assessment over the course of this season – there was little evidence of that against City. In fact, Emery seems to be trying to implement a more extreme version of the purist football Wenger advocated.
No Wenger side took so many risks playing from the back as Emery’s last weekend. Most of the criticism of Wenger centred on him being too stubborn, and refusing to adapt to an evolving game. He insisted on playing the same way against everyone and critics were yearning for that balance between the technical excellence, defensive resilience and physical dominance of his greatest, title-winning sides.
The presumption is Emery will be more chameleon-like as a coach, amending systems and playing style depending on the calibre of opposition. That was certainly the case at Sevilla. That is why I am looking forward to seeing how he approaches the job.
At Valencia, Emery was more idealistic. He changed when winning European trophies in Seville. His side were renowned for adopting varied tactical plans, able to sit deep and play counterattack at some moments or dominate inferior opposition with quick, incisive attacking football at others. In Spain, he was not associated with trying to replicate a Pep Guardiola blueprint, or encouraging his goalkeepers to be playmakers.
Watching Petr Cech, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Shkodran Mustafi struggling to come to terms with their manager’s instructions against Manchester City was disconcerting. I admire and welcome this kind of football when well executed – it is the trend because of Guardiola’s success. The best coaches will mould young players to put their methods into action. I am less convinced that is possible with
older players whose way of playing is ingrained. Cech and his centre-backs looked uncomfortable against City. It looked counter-productive asking them to play like that. When players are unsuited to this, it is difficult to watch. The anxiety from spectators is palpable when you see goalkeepers welcoming a back-pass like they have been thrown a hand grenade.
Can the experienced Cech truly be expected to change his habits at this stage of his career? He is one of the league’s greatest keepers, but he was programmed to kick long and seek out Didier Drogba when he first came to England. Perhaps Arsenal’s new goalkeeper, Bernd Leno, will be suited to how the manager wants to play. If so, it is strange he was not instantly installed as the No1. It was not just at the back Emery could see the weaknesses that cost Wenger his job. Arsenal’s midfield and attackers are not suited to the high-pressing game. They have lacked the energy and discipline required for so long there was never going to be a transformation without a significant change in personnel. I thought Arsenal would try to be more defensive and solid in their opening game, not embrace an even more open style. To believe this approach could work against a City team who press the opposition better than any was particularly baffling. There is a valid debate to be had about what constitutes “good management” when a coach takes over a side largely constructed by his predecessor. Is it a sign of quality to insist the players can and will learn to play your way? Or are the best coaches those who recognise the strengths and limitations of the squad and evolve or change the system to suit the players? Plenty will cite Guardiola’s example and say Emery can do the same at Arsenal. There were teething problems in Guardiola’s first season, but look what happened within a year.
It is dangerous to believe Emery can do the same so soon. It could take years and many transfer windows. Even when Pep was not so successful in his first season, he kept or bought players to suit his plan. City’s resources meant he was able to offload those he knew would not cope – such as Joe Hart.
City signed a ball-playing centre-back, John Stones, and goalkeeper Claudio Bravo who was better with his feet than saving shots. The issue – as Guardiola argued – was not his style or system, but the flow of defensive errors which put his team under pressure.
Ederson’s signing in the summer of 2017 was a major catalyst for City’s vast improvement.
So many coaches want to play like Guardiola, but end up looking like poor imitators. The definition of being a “passing team” has changed so much, any side who do not have two centre-backs standing on their byline waiting for the ball from their keeper are considered direct. It is going too far to suggest all “good footballing teams” must play like this, and when you do not have the players to execute it, I see too many teams giving themselves avoidable problems.
Emery does not have the transfer budget instantly to fix long-standing issues in the team he has inherited. Unlike City, he cannot make an error by spending big on players knowing there are unlimited funds to correct mistakes.
It is admirable if Emery has decided this is how it will be under him, but, if that is the case, Arsenal fans will need to prepare themselves for the long haul.
The same can be said of this weekend’s opponents, Chelsea, where Maurizio Sarri wants to oversee an even greater transformation. Since Roman Abramovich took over, a succession of Chelsea coaches have brought success based on defensive sturdiness, with “X-factor” attackers making the difference in the various title wins. Sarri, like Emery, saw in his first experience against Manchester City how daunting is the task to get to their level playing their way.
Previous Chelsea appointments have been able to hit the ground running, refining the existing system, reviving demotivated players and immediately winning trophies.
Sarri’s approach makes it harder for him to achieve what Antonio Conte managed in his first season, but with the essence of a title-winning team and re-introducing players such as David Luiz – who is defensively suspect but wants to play from the back – he has an advantage in implementing his methods.
Patience is not a commodity you associate with the Premier League, particularly at the big clubs, but if a manager is so determined to impose his principles you must be prepared to take a step back before moving forward. On the evidence of his first game, we must presume everyone on the Arsenal board is on the same page as their manager and prepared for more pain before the gain.