Arsenal: Robert Pires must be right about Gunners’ best move

Robert Pires has stated that hiring Unai Emery is the best piece of business that Arsenal have conducted this summer. For the club to be successful, he needs to be correct.

It’s been a busy old summer for Arsenal. The resignation of Arsene Wenger. The hiring of a new manager. The departures of Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere. The retirement of Per Mertesacker. The restructuring of the coaching staff and youth-level coaches and managers. The long-term contracts dished out to key, young players. The signing of five different players and spending of close to £70 million.

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The Gunners, led by Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis, have not wasted any time in pressing forwards into the post-Wenger era. In fact, they have wholeheartedly embraced it with every decision that they have made.

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And now, former player Robert Pires has now offered his opinion of what he believes is the best piece of business of all that has been conducted over the past few weeks and months.

To Pires, the best signing is not a player. No, it is the manager, Unai Emery. Speaking with Sky Sports News, the wonderful, chicken-legged winger had this to say regarding his former club’s work since the close of last season:

"“The best signing for me is Unai Emery, the manager. Of course, I believe in the players, and especially the new players. He won in Spain. He won in France. He has a lot of experience and I hope for him and Arsenal that he is successful with the club.”"

For Arsenal’s sake, I hope that Pires is right. There is no more important figure at a football club than the manager, or head coach, in this case. Even with Gazidis running the ship from behind the scenes, Emery is still the most powerful man at the club, especially when it comes to the state of the team between the white lines.

It would be better if all five of the new signings failed to deliver on expectations, as long as Emery worked out as Gazidis and the club hopes. Just look at all the transfer missteps that Sir Alex Ferguson and Wener and Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola have made throughout their careers. Good and bad signings will come and go, but if a club has an excellent manager or head coach, the failures do not derail the progression of the team.

Ultimately, there is only one man that can determine the success or failure of all the work that this club has conducted, and that is Emery. Pires clearly believes that he is the right appointment. I am not quite so bullish, but I am hopeful that he can be a success, and if he is, then no matter what else comes of this summer, this has been a prosperous period for this club.

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It remains to be seen how the decision to hire Emery will play out. There is, obviously, a long way to go. But the pressure is on. It’s time for him to deliver. He is the most important man at the club bar none.