Aloof Emery walked into the Gunners’ firing line
THE only shock on Friday was that it had not happened sooner. Staff have been bracing themselves for Unai Emery’s sacking for weeks.
So, too, have the Arsenal players, exchanging Whatsapp messages at the expense of their beleaguered boss.
It wasn’t that they disliked Emery, although certain members of the Arsenal squad found the Spaniard irritating. On the whole, they found him pleasant enough but he did not possess his predecessor Arsene Wenger’s charm. He was insular and business-like at the club’s London Colney base.
Any sense he was the man to propel Arsenal towards a bright future was lost a long time ago. By the end of his reign, Emery was asking his players about how their former managers had overcome times of hardship. Flabbergasted stars could not believe what they were hearing, any semblance of authority he may have retained had vanished.
By the end, the players were left flummoxed by his instructions and training sessions, while arduous video analysis meetings were agonising for the squad.
Part of the problem was the language barrier. Emery worked hard to improve his English but his difficulty in communicating with the players proved costly.
Despite Arsenal’s run to the Europa League final, the squad were losing faith towards the end of last season.
A relatively positive start to the current campaign helped allay the concerns. So, too, did the memory of last year’s 22-game unbeaten run, including a sequence of 11 straight wins.
But when you are Arsenal boss, seven matches without a win leaves you in serious danger.
Emery was also guilty of keeping himself to himself — never the best way to get a rapport with your players. He trusted his inner circle, Juan Carlos Carcedo, Pablo Villanueva and Victor Manas. But those at the training ground felt he was wary of others. Former Arsenal defender Steve Bould left his position as first-team coach in the summer to move back to the club’s academy. It was viewed as a demotion but Sportsmail understands Bould volunteered to make the switch because he felt underused.
Bould could yet be reintroduced to the first team set-up with interim head coach Freddie Ljungberg, though he is enjoying his role with the Under 23s.
Ljungberg felt the same coldness from Emery, who often ignored the Swede. Perhaps the manager felt threatened by Ljungberg, who was promoted from the academy at the end of last season.
Indeed, Emery may feel he was right to be suspicious given yesterday’s turn of events. That said, it is unfair to judge him on his personality — football is not a popularity contest.
What is not questionable, however, is the feeling Emery was out of his depth. That view was universally held.
The appointment of former Arsenal midfielder Edu as technical director earlier this year is also believed to have been a contributing factor in Emery’s sacking.
Sources claim the pair’s relationship was frosty, particularly when it came to the issue of player recruitment. Edu wanted to put his stamp on the club and Emery feared the technical director put his position in jeopardy.
To Emery’s detriment, Edu, head of football Raul Sanllehi and managing director Vinai Venkatesham have now made their mark. Unfortunately for him it was a decision they simply had to make.
The final straw was Saturday’s 2-2 draw at home to Southampton. Sanllehi and Venkatesham flew to the USA this week to make an initial recommendation to the Kroenke family that Emery be removed. It was decided they would let him have one last chance, Thursday’s game against Eintracht Frankfurt. Arsenal lost 2-1 and Emery’s fight was over.
The final recommendation was made to the Kroenkes and Emery’s 18-month reign was over.
The head coach arrived for work at 9am hopeful he would be given today’s game at Norwich to save his job. Not long after, he was informed of his sacking. Sanllehi, Venkatesham and Edu were waiting for Emery at London Colney to deliver the news. The Spaniard is said to have taken it gracefully.
The players began to filter into the training ground from around 9.30am, not completely oblivious to what was coming. The squad were ushered into a meeting at around 10am to be informed of Emery’s dismissal and the appointment of Ljungberg. Emery had the opportunity to say goodbye to his players before Ljungberg addressed the squad.
Now Ljungberg has the opportunity to make a play for the job on a fulltime basis, starting with today’s trip to Carrow Road.
But as Sportsmail revealed on Monday, the process of identifying candidates to succeed Emery in the long term has already begun, with Nuno Espirito Santo, Max Allegri, Mikel Arteta, Brendan Rodgers and Carlo Ancelotti in the early running.
There is an appreciation inside the club, though, that persuading managers — particularly those already in work — to join mid-season is difficult.
With that in mind, Ljungberg takes his first full training session today hopeful that a successful run can convince the Arsenal hierarchy he is the man to take the club forward.
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