Arsenal: When must Unai Emery prove progress?

Unai Emery has bought himself some time with a positive start to life at Arsenal. But by when must he prove his progress before the criticism arrives?

When Unai Emery was announced as Arsene Wenger’s successor, the man to lead Arsenal into this new venture, one that they had not embarked on in more than two decades, there was a surprising response from the fan base: a measured acceptance, anticipation and excitement for the future, but not an unruly and unrealistic expectation and demand.

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As Emery stared down his challenge, a mighty one considering the breadth of Wenger’s influence, his overriding wish for the opening stanza would have been simple: earn more time. For Emery, in an increasingly impatient industry that demands instant gratification, that is all that he could wish for. And thus far, that is precisely what he has achieved.

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There may be warts with how Arsenal are playing. There may be decisions that he regrets. There may be issues that must be addressed to challenge the might of Liverpool, Manchester City and the rest of the truly elite Premier League clubs. But Emery, with a 16-game unbeaten run, impassioned, enthused style on the sidelines, and charming character to unite and inspire the Emirates stanchions, has started well and given himself some breathing room.

The problem, however, is that football is a fickle world and, if the tide was to turn, it would not take long for the criticism to come flooding in, first from the tabloids and then from the fans and then, finally, from the club itself.

With David Moyes, the man singlehandedly chosen by Sir Alex Ferguson, for instance, it took just one year for Manchester United to change their minds. Andre Villas-Boas was at Chelsea for less than a season after being handed a three-year deal and costing £13.3 million to activate a release clause to prise him away from Porto, a world-record fee paid for any manager at the time.

In football, it does not take long for a club to change its mind. And even Arsenal, renowned for their patience with Wenger, and with players, may not wait as long as everyone thinks with Emery. This, therefore, begs the question: by when must Emery prove progress, and how much progress must he prove?

Say by the end of the season, do the Gunners need to finish in the top four and win a trophy? Or does Emery simply need to improve the performances of the team? By when does he need to maintain a sustained and genuine challenge to avoid the sack? Does he need to win a trophy in his first five years or, like Jurgen Klopp, is simply the performances on the pitch enough to justify not sacking him?

These are all questions that will be answered as time unfolds. Arsenal have not been in this position for more than two decades. How they act as a result of it will be truly fascinating.