Daily Bits and Bobs

Unai Emery comes clean.

Posted on by rico

Morning all.

Today is a great day for football fans because finally, there’s plenty to watch. It matters not that it’s the Bundesliga as football is football. Dortmund, Bayern, RB Leipzig, Monchengladbach etc, good football which BT Sport is broadcasting later this afternoon. Trouble is, are you stuck in the middle of a lengthy Netflix, Apple TV or Prime series which has got you so hooked that not even football can tear you away? Breaking Bad, Ozark, Orange Is The New Black, Killing Eve, or Lost. Oldies perhaps but nevertheless, goodies. ‘Afterlife’ has been my recent guilty pleasure and I loved it. I’m in the middle of another one which is so good I’ve forgotten it’s name.

Sticking with the German theme, Unai Emery has been talking about Mesut Özil, Granit Xhaka, Aaron Ramsey and Arsenal. Although it’s only one side of the story, I get the feeling he’s been open and very honest. Talking to The Mail, our ex head coach had this to say:

When I arrived at the club I saw Ramsey was going to be very important, he’s a leader on the pitch and in the dressing room and he wanted to stay. Logically he then needed to negotiate a new contract and they didn’t reach an agreement. I never get involved in the economic side of things, that’s not my area. But it then has repercussions on the pitch.

 

 

I think, for the team it would have been better if he had carried on, and for me as coach too, because he was the next captain. We had allowed [Petr] Cech to go and Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal were allowed to leave. So if Ramsey goes too then all four captains have gone. That’s four very important players missing and the next season we go for young players. I had a point of view and the club had another.

Pepe or Zaha?

Pepe is a good player but he needs time. When I was there he didn’t give me the performances. I was in favour of someone coming who knew the English league, more than anything so that he wouldn’t need a period of adaptation. I had a meeting with Zaha, the Palace player. He was the player I wanted because I could see that he won so many games on his own. I saw 20 Zaha games, some incredible performances and I told them that this is the player that I want for this team.

 

I spoke to Zaha. I had been with him personally. And he wanted to come. But the club decided that Pepe was younger, he was one for the future. I said: yes, but we need to win now and this lad [Zaha] wins games. He did it to us! It’s also true that he was an expensive player, and Crystal Palace didn’t want to sell him.

In other words, Emery’s views were overruled which for any manager must be difficult. Especially in a game where time really isn’t on any managers side.

What about this five captains and the players voting?

The club took a series of decisions in terms of the captains, and in terms of signings, that would then have repercussions. I believed that [Granit] Xhaka could be a captain and we gave it to him because the players voted for him to be captain. Xhaka needs time to be a good captain. You don’t win everyone over just like that, you need to earn that credibility. If he’d had Koscielny and Nacho [Monreal] alongside him or if he’d had Ramsey, he would have been eased into it.

On Mesut Ozil. Would he have argued against Ozil’s renewal had he been at the club at the time?

In the end he has to look at himself. At his attitude and his commitment. I tried my utmost to help Ozil. Throughout my career, talented players have been my favorites and they have played at their best or close to their best with me. I was always positive with him in terms of wanting him to be involved, but then the attitude that he adopted, and the commitment levels, well, they weren’t enough.

 

One of the captains could possibly have been Ozil but the dressing room didn’t want him to be captain. His level of commitment was not that of someone who deserved to be captain, and that’s not what I decided, that’s what the players decided.

We got back to London (After the Europa Cup Final) at eight in the morning and I went home, slept three hours, and then went back to Colney. I had meetings with all the players that day. Individual half-hour chats with each one. Only Ozil didn’t want to come.

He says he ended up speaking to Ozil on the first day back of the following pre-season. Why did Ozil not want to attend that first day back in London?

 

I don’t know, he didn’t come. And that’s what we’re saying when we talk about commitment. When the commitment is 100 per cent then everyone comes. Playing a lot of important games in the month of April we needed the 100 per cent commitment of all the players. There were a lot of players who were a bit lacking in that extra commitment.

What about Arsenal and the likes of Raul, Edu and co?

At all the teams I’ve been at I have practically always had protection. At PSG the president Nasser Al-Khelaifi protected me a lot. At Arsenal I did miss them protecting me more. The club (Arsenal) employ me as the coach and they had Ivan Gazidis, Raul [Sanllehi], then there is Edu, and I have to trust in them to do their job while I concentrate on the players and training. Before I arrived it was Arsene Wenger who did everything. It was different but I arrived as the coach and I wanted to work that way. Then there were decisions made at the club that did not turn out well.

 

I was left exposed by results and with certain errors that had been made before. Logically I didn’t say anything but I felt alone. When there were problems at PSG the president came down to the dressing room and protected all of us. With Arsenal they still didn’t have that. Perhaps because the club has come from the Wenger era when he did everything. They didn’t know how to.

His struggles with English.

The second year my English was better but when you go to a press conference and there are ten questions about how things are not going well I can answer the first two but for the next eight, explaining the same thing, I didn’t have the depth of vocabulary.

 

Obviously I’m not English but I’ve always said the same. We had John Toshack in Spain and he didn’t speak good Spanish but it was understandable and it was funny. Michael Robinson was a fantastic communicator, and we loved to listen to him talk. He never spoke perfect Spanish but we accepted him with his accent and he was much-loved.

He doesn’t feel he was afforded the same allowances.

It’s like when I said “good ebening”, okay it should be “good evening”, I needed to practise my accent so that it was more “good evening” than “good ebening”. But when I said “good ebening” after a good result it was just a joke, when we were losing it was a disgrace.

Then he was gone.

The results dictated that I had to go. I also have to be self-critical that in certain moments I wasn’t able to get the best possible result. You change the coach and everything is different. In the dressing room everyone’s ears [suddenly] prick up.

Unai Emery closed his interview with praise for Bukayo Saka who he believes will be a ‘sensational player’ and He names Joe Willock, Reiss Nelson, Edward Nketiah as other great prospects along with two players who arrived whilst he was coach, Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira.

Would Unai Emery return to England?

I enjoyed it a lot in England. I enjoyed the Emirates in the first season. The first year I could look out on to the pitch and really think: this is my team. If I go back to England it would be with plenty of enthusiasm. I think it’s a magnificent league. There’s a sense of identity with your local club that doesn’t exist as deeply elsewhere.

What about Mikel Arteta?

He’s an ex-Arsenal player. So he has the profile to coach Arsenal. And he has worked with [Pep] Guardiola for a few years. I think after my departure, he was the correct choice. There are changes necessary to, bit by bit, get Arsenal back in their rightful place and he has the qualities to do that. I spoke with him in December and we talked for a bit about various things. I want the best for him, and I want the best for Arsenal.

Well we all want that Unai..

 

 

rico

44 thoughts on “Unai Emery comes clean.”

  2. rico says:

    Morning Adam.

    He did and I think he knows that too but when any manager gets the sack, there’ll always be other things to look at too. Or at least I think so, like where were our big characters during the last few weeks to push us into top four?

    The ones who use CL football as a reason to leave…

    I know Emery wasn’t right for Arsenal but it does sound like he was swimming against the tide a bit.

  4. Aussie Geoff says:

    Adam a bit harsh on Emery don’t you think after all listen to what he said. Wenger controlled every thing and when he left Unai Emery only wanted to coach. I think the board let him down because they had to do some work and buggered it up like Ramsey contract and then players let him down like Ozil who did not turn up for training. and don’t forget even though I don’t like Zaha the recruiting team did help him out he wanted Zaha because of English football experience but they chose Pepe. Yes he made mistakes but I don’t think the board really liked him.
    With Wenger the board had some one to blame with Emery the blame was with them.

  5. Sue says:

    Nice read, Rico! Ooh OITNB – will never tire of watching that!! I also loved ‘Afterlife’ Gervais was sooo good in it…
    I will tear myself away to watch the footy.. I can’t believe it has finally arrived!! Hurrah hurrah!

    I have to say, I did want Zaha! Was gutted when it all fell through! Hopefully Pepe will step up (been saying that for a while 🤣)

  6. rico says:

    Hi Geoff, Sue.

    I gave up on Orange as it went on for so long and became odd imo.

    Zaha is a cheating so and so but I think Emery needed PL ready players back then. He needed a quick and much better start to his second season, especially after the way his first painfully ended.

    Had Pepe not cost £72 million I’d have understood the boards choice but we’ll never recoup that kind of money for him imo, certainly not now.

  7. potter says:

    I never had Emery down as anything but a good honest person that was just a little out of his depth. He is probably right that he needed support from above but those people were at the time going through their own changes and were not stroing enough to give it.
    The blame game with Ozil is rather like that of Neymar at PSG . He couldn’t command the respect of that profile of player and in hindsight the board had to move one of them on and Emery was easiest.I we are to believe his version of the player unrest ,it seems that below the surface people were not happy with Ozil and it affected team morale.
    Still it’s water under the bridge and both he and the club have to move on.

  8. rico says:

    I picked up on that too Potter re Ozil. I think the day Unai Emery brought him back into the team, the writing was on the wall. As the saying, one bad apple…..

  9. Cicero says:

    Good day all.

    What we need to remember is that Emery was appointed Head Coach, not Manager. I don’t doubt that he offered his advice to the executive team, but they had no requirement to act on it. The Ramsey fiasco was occasioned by the Wenger/Gazidis partnership, by the time Emery arrived the player was determined to move on.

    Emery’s comments about meeting with Zaha and discussing a move to Arsenal sound suspiciously like “tapping up”, and in any case would have been outside the remit of a Head Coach. Had Arsenal signed him, can you imagine the referee’s big grin every time he “went to ground” and the relish with which the yellow card was brandished?

    I don’t think anybody is surprised by Emery’s comments regarding Ozil, his attitude was plain to see every time he stepped onto a football pitch.

  10. Cicero says:

    Anyone watching the Dortmund /Schalke game? Good to have a bit of live football even if it includes comments from the Scouse Rent–a-Gob MacManaman. Two good goals, couple unsuccessful dives and no spitting….so far.

    Second half underway 2 – 0.

  12. Sue says:

    Rico.. I predicted a goal fest!! 😉
    4-0 Cicero, and what a beauty it was!!
    Enjoyed this game, apart from the commentating haha

  16. Joaquim Moreira says:

    Watched 2 games of Bundesliga.
    Finally football!
    Emery, suffered the same as Juan de Ramos in the Totts had suffered. He arrived having won 2 European competitions; he had the halo of a great coach and a promising future; after one year (or less?) he was sent off
    We could have learned something. You can be a good coach but not adapt to the English League. Among other things.

  17. rico says:

    Agree Jm, the English league is different to any other. Just the fixtures alone are much tougher imo, as is the weather.

  20. Wavy says:

    Afternoon all

    Dick lost the dressing room, then the fans, then the Board. Curtains!

    Move on…..Mikel is the new man and I think a good coach as well as being a very wise man. All round good appointment. Despite being another Spaniard he does have the distinct advantage of having a good command of the English language. Always a bonus when communicating to a group of players who have chosen to live in England. Gone are all the ‘good ebenin’s’!

    And with that happy thought I think I’ll make off and eat some more of Otalengi’s offerings..pasta bake really.

  21. Sue says:

    Well Rico, I’d quite happily swap Dean, Moss and co with them for a season to find out 😀
    Did you see Harry’s Heroes is back on Monday? Going to be a hoot!!

  22. rico says:

    You’re right Wavy, onwards and upwards hopefully.

    Ditto Sue, anything is worth trying I reckon. Lol

    Re Harry’s heroes, is this the one Merse and Ruddock have a big fall out?

  24. allezkev says:

    When Wenger came to Arsenal in 1996 and I know that it was a totally different landscape then, but he brought one assistant with him, the Bosnian guy and pretty much worked with English speakers, therefore his English which was already good, only improved.

    Emery turned up with a staff of Spaniards who when he was in their company he surely spoke to in their own lingo so it was no surprise that after 18 months his English was appalling.
    His players, who in the main spoke English were just confused.

    Arteta has surrounded himself with English speakers and whilst already being proficient in the lingua Anglia, speaks clearly, intelligently and with passion which obviously chimes with his players…

    Knowing what your doing and being able to impart that onto your players certainly seems the way to go…

  25. allezkev says:

    I thoroughly enjoyed the chat that Ian Wright had with BFG, which has been widely reported.
    It was great to hear big Per speaking so positively about the next wave of young players that are knocking on the 1st team door.

    When I read rumours about some of the guys we’re linked with I just think fcuk that, go with the kids, what’s the point of signing Willian for 3 years for example, on massive wages when he’s on his last legs, will cost us a fortune in salary and could block the development of a couple of our kids who could save us a packet instead, I don’t get it?

    Yes, finalise the deals for Mari and Soares and maybe sign some youngsters for a small amount who could turn out to be the next Martinelli but forget signing big timers on big wages.

    I don’t know about Partey, is he any good, is he worth the kind of money that’s being touted for him, is he the next Vieira or even Gilberto? I don’t know….

    Let’s secure Bakayo Saka, let’s promote our yoot, we’re not competing for the EPL/CL anytime soon so let’s focus on building for the long term.

  27. rico says:

    Kev, I think that’s what the club will do. Big money signings are history in my opinion as are big wages.

    I always saw Emery as a stop gap, perhaps a hopeful appointment to steady the ship, change the mentality within the squad etc but as you say, the language barrier really hampered the chance of delivering his ideas in a way he perhaps hoped.

    Arteta however is imo, part of a long term plan, as is Merts. Any fan who expects great things over the next couple of years is going to be disappointed I reckon. Arteta has certainly got my attention though, I’m looking forward to seeing how things at the club progress.

    Great point about Emery and his coaching staff.

  29. Adam says:

    Morning Rico and all. That was a nice piece by Wrighty. Particularly the stuff about Wenger who seems to be on the end of a lot of criticism these days. But his role in lifting the club to a new level should never be overlooked.

  30. rico says:

    Morning Adam.

    I think if all players who played under Arsene Wenger were asked, around 95% of them would have nothing but praise for him and all he did for their careers. Totally agree about what he did for the club, with the help of David Dein of course but ultimately, he left the squad in an absolute mess and took us back ten years imo.

  31. Adam says:

    Rico. I don’t know about 10 years but, as often happens in many walks of life, you can stay too long at one job/vocation. When I think back I can’t help but picking out the arrival of Abramovich as a milestone in his career at Arsenal. I imagine that Arsene saw it as a complete disruption in the natural order And progression of things and somewhat vulgar. It certainly paved the way for the shit-show the PL has become and if the Saudis do take over at Newcastle then that’s going to further stir the pot where money and discontent are unhappy bedfellows.

  32. rico says:

    Adam, in theory, it shouldn’t matter who takes over a club because FFP dictates that any club can only spend what they earn. But of course, that wasn’t the case when Roman arrived.

    Regardless of the money Chelsea spent though, the football we played was heading south and the type of players he signed were not what the squad needed imo. Yes Wenger certainly stayed far too long, ten years too long imo. Hindsight is a wonderful thing though.

  33. allezkev says:

    Morning all, I think that news owners are allowed by the rules to go way over their FFP limit in the first 12 months Rico and this recession hit summer will sed a lot of deflated prices and salaries that the Saudis could take advantage of.

    The Saudis won’t hang about, they’ll get shot of Steve Bruce and maybe bring back his predecessor from China, give him a big wad and away they go, City Mk2.

    The Saudis will sponsor the club properly rather than bleed it like the present owner and if they get success you could fill a new 80,000 stadium up there, it could be like Dortmund.

  35. rico says:

    I’d forgotten that Kev but that means Stan can spend a few pounds too. Lol

    Yep, I suppose financing a club doesn’t stop at the squad.

  36. Aussie Geoff says:

    If the cost of buying top players goes down and players contract fees go down this will only give Kroenke a excuse to take more money out. I still think players and there managers will want big money.

  38. potter says:

    I believe he has taken yearly consultancy fees and I think he is the money behind stats DNA which the club introduced before Wenger left by Gazidis. However since Sanhelli has come along the guy that ran it has joined Wenger at FIFa and now we are in the grip of the super agents. That information came from the period before he took complete control , what has happened since is not yet public information, or at least I can’t find it.

  39. allezkev says:

    Swiss Ramble who is pretty good in the financial analysis field and Arsenal in particular, hasn’t suggested that Kroenke has taken any more consultancy fees other than the first two years when he was the majority shareholder, mainly I think because he copped so much flak at the AGM’s that it kinda scared him off of that. The fact that he was never able to answer the questions as to what he had done to earn the fees made the whole scenario seem rather tacky and toxic for him and to be honest nobody has ever come up with a reasonable theory at to what he or KSE actually did to earn the first two fees. Maybe he should return them?

    I mean a consultancy fee suggests that he was able or KSE was able to afford Arsenal some valuable advice on the running their affairs, which seems odd as KSE and Kroenke had absolutely no knowledge about soccer and in Kroenkes case zero interest so I’m totally at a loss concerning what kind of pearls of wisdom that Arsenal received from KSE for the fees.

    Surely Stan, a multi billionaire, didn’t need to skim off of the profits that Arsenal were making at the time, that would surely be quite pathetic for a man of his wealth?

    But it wouldn’t really surprise me either…

  40. Wavy says:

    Given the parlous state that the US find themselves in economically, several things spring to mind.
    a. Will Kronke take a huge financial hit that sees his billions disappear, exponentially?
    b. Will his dire straits see him financially embarrassed enough to find it necessary to offload his Anglo interest?
    c. Will the share price hold up sufficiently for him to take the money and run?
    d. Will the ‘big spending’ stop immediately so he can maximise his profits?
    e. Or will he still be hanging around like a bad smell for years to come?

    Or come June or July will it be business as usual, and for the foreseeable future?

  41. Aussie Geoff says:

    remember Kroenke wanted Arsenal to play games in America against his American team at his stadium and for this privilage Arsenal can pay for it.

  42. allezkev says:

    I might be mistaken, but I’m sure that it was reported, a couple of weeks ago, that Kroenke made a $300m profit despite the slowdown, so he’s not going anywhere anytime soon…

  44. Adam says:

    Morning Rico, Kev and all. That’s what capitalism is all about isn’t it Kev? You buy a business, run it well and you reap the rewards. Granted, buying a PL club is more complex because of the emotional and financial involvement of the fans. But, apart from his first few relatively minor consultancy withdrawals, it seems as though he has let the club settle into their own way without any asset stripping. The new management team must be aware of where he wants to go with it all and whatever restrictions they might find themselves under. We’ve got a proper manager with vision now, some fine young players and some real ambition at the top. I don’t see any obvious reason that we can’t move forward.
    I hope so anyway.

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