PLAN
(... for Arsenal, and it involves a peace mission for new Gunners boss Emery)
NEW DAWN AT THE EMIRATES
Fans of the North London club have been split in recent seasons, with battles raging between the Wenger In and Wenger Out brigades.
Words were regularly exchanged between the rival factions, some hired light aircraft to fly banners over the Emirates telling former boss Arsene Wenger to stay or go.
And there were even times when things got physical inside and outside the stadium.
At its worst, the atmosphere has been toxic.
And Emery knows the last thing he needs is a poor start to give voice to the “I told you so’s” from the pro-wenger camp.
But he is adamant he also knows what needs to be done to get everyone singing from the same hymn sheet again.
The Spaniard said: “First, all the supporters love Arsenal and Arsenal love the supporters.
“We need to work together and the first way to do that is by finding the performance.
“And then, through this performance, finding one clear identity.
“I want a team with energy and I want the players to give their all on the pitch. For this, we need to be together and we can be together.
“My success is all the fans, all the supporters wanting to come to the Emirates to stay with the team to improve together and to win together.
“My first objective here is to transmit energy to my team, to transmit intensity, to transmit good games for the fans and the media.
“Every day in training, I want to give them the habits that I want to see from them in each match.
“I want to see them demonstrate these habits in every game and give their all.
“With my actions each day, I want to give the players a way that is new, that is different.
“It’s not better, it’s not worse, it’s just a different moment for this club to start thinking we can all work together in one good way.” Emery insists he has no fears that the end of Wenger’s dynasty will lead to the same problems Manchester United suffered when Sir Alex Ferguson walked away. And he will embrace much of what is good from the Frenchman’s two decades plus in charge. “This is different to United,” he added. “I have my personality, we have our ideas and I want to give us confidence to be stronger in working this way. “I said at the first press conference at the Emirates, for me I have high respect for Arsene. “In Nyon every year, he spoke and the other coaches were quiet and listened to him. I am going to do my work here, but respecting many, many things here that he did well.”
Emery will look to do well in all competitions and won’t just use so-called lesser cups to blood youngsters and give game time to those who are not getting as much as they would like.
But he is refusing to define what he will consider success and failure in his first season.
He said: “When starting the season, I don’t think, ‘What will happen in 10 months?’
“I have confidence in myself and confidence in all the people with me, all the people who work near me, the players and the club.
“We are going to enjoy each moment, we are going to enjoy each training session, we are going to enjoy each match with our supporters and the media.”
My way is not better or worse. I have high respect for Arsene
Lucas Torreira Sampdoria Bernd Leno B Leverkusen Sokratis Bor Dortmund Matteo Guendouzi Lorient Stephan Lichtsteiner Juventus
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