A CHARMING START TO LIFE AFTER ARSENE

Endearing Emery impresses on first day

AS Unai Emery swept into the Emirates Stadium media conference room a little after 2pm yesterday, you were still half-expecting Arsene Wenger to saunter through the doors.

It is still difficult to comprehend that the silver-haired Frenchman no longer occupies that chair at the front and centre stage.

Now it is a Spaniard with jetblack locks. Wenger always joked that his grey hair was down to the pressure of being Arsenal manager. Emery better find his nearest Just For Men stockist.

Wenger was a natural in front of the cameras. He would have you hanging off his every word as he discussed anything from his great Invincibles side to Brexit.

First impressions are not everything, of course, but Emery does not strike you as being as charismatic. His lack of English perhaps meant he could not exude his personality with the authority he would have liked.

But the Spaniard’s insistence on conducting his first press conference without an interpreter was endearing and testament to his determination. He has vowed to improve his English before the start of the new season.

Emery went down well with his new back-room team yesterday and impressed during a sevenminute conference call to existing Arsenal staff at 1pm.

The 46-year- old spoke about the privilege of being appointed manager of such a ‘great club’, saying he was ‘excited’ to make a ‘new history’ and a ‘great future’ for Arsenal.

Like those of us at the press conference, staff were charmed by Emery’s insistence on conducting his speech in English.

Chief executive Ivan Gazidis also addressed staff, insisting Emery’s appointment marks the start of a new chapter for the club, that the players will be ‘energised’ and fans ‘enthused’.

He also insisted Emery was always the No 1 candidate for the job. Nevertheless Mikel Arteta had been the leading contender before fears crept in over his lack of managerial experience.

‘At the end of the day, three of us (head of recruitment Sven Mislintat, head of football relations Raul Sanllehi and Gazidis) all wrote on a piece of paper our top three candidates and put them into the middle of the table,’ said Gazidis. ‘ And the choices were all the same, Unai was at the top of all of our lists.’

The argument for going with Emery ahead of Arteta is a strong one. You don’t get to manage Sevilla, Valencia and Paris SaintGermain without being a good manager, though Emery’s official title of head coach points to Arsenal’s implementation of a European-style operation.

However, given Arsenal is Emery’s seventh club in a managerial career that spans 14 years, there are justifiable fears from fans that this appointment represents a stop-gap. Because, let’s face it, Emery has no emotional attachment to the club.

Later in the afternoon, we caught a glimpse of a more relaxed Emery as he spoke to national newspaper journalists inside the plush surroundings of the Emirates boardroom.

This time, with the aid of an interpreter, he spoke of his intention to play possession-based, pressing football and his desire to make an emotional connection with his new players.

‘I am the sort of person who always respects that history and adapts myself to that history wherever I go,’ Emery said.

‘Wenger has left a very important legacy here, he did some fantastic things for this club. Therefore I want to both continue with that and contribute something of my own as well.’

Wenger’s shadow will continue to loom large at the Emirates. But Emery is Arsenal’s reality now.

UNAI EmEry has ordered his new Arsenal team to be fearless in their attempts to chase down champions manchester City.

The Spaniard’s appointment as Arsenal manager was confirmed yesterday as he signed a three-year contract. Emery knows he will be required to work under strict budget constraints, with about £50million available for signings.

But the former Paris Saint-Germain boss is adamant his team can still go toe to toe with English football’s elite next season. ‘That is our objective (to catch manchester City),’ said Emery (below).

‘Arsenal is a club with fantastic personality and identity. What we want to do is not fear any team — in the Premier League or in Europe — and our objective is to beat the best. ‘I think it is about having belief in the players. We have got a strong nucleus. I’m very demanding of myself, I’m passionate and I really want to transmit that to the people around me. We can and

must improve.’