Arsenal: Now Unai Emery is talking the talk

This week, Unai Emery said that Arsenal fans should expect some big signings this summer. After Josh Kroenke’s impassioned — but somewhat empty — defence of the club, the head coach is now talking the talk also.

It is very easy to talk. It is not so easy to act. That, sadly, is the motto for how Arsenal football club has been run ever since Kroenke Sports Entertainment took a foothold on the board and ownership.

Find the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal Podcast here — The Big Season Review

There are few sporting organisations in the world that are as well-polished as Arsenal. They have 14.6 million followers on Twitter, the second-most in the Premier League and the eighth-most of all sporting profiles across the world. Their digital media production is excellent, their players are well-versed in how to handle press conferences and interviews, and they greatly understand the importance of public relations.

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This week, a group of supporters, blogs and high-profile fan groups cobbled together an open letter addressed to the Kroenke’s expressing their concerns at the direction of the club, unhappy with the leadership of the absent owners, and troubled about the lack of commitment and care, all under the tagline, #WeCareDoYou.

Josh Kroenke, son of owner Stan, replied with an impassioned respone, asking for patience as the recent and vast changes made at the club take effect, and telling fans to be excited about the remainder of the transfer window. And now head coach Unai Emery has echoed the same sentiment. Speaking after the 3-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids, Emery said of the remainder of the transfer window:

"“Our target is to achieve three or four players who really improve our team and our squad now. We have very good players and very good young players who can progress to take and get big performances with us. Other players can come here to help us. We are being very, very demanding and we are first speaking about the possibility to sign very big, very expensive players.”"

Like Kroenke, what he says is very nice to hear. It sounds like Arsenal have some exciting deals in the pipeline that we, as fans, should be expecting and hopeful for. And the fact that Emery, a solely football-focused man who does not partake in the contorted, commercialised side of the club mastered by the Kroenke’s, is saying very much the same things is either encouraging, as what he is saying is true, or extremely troubling as he is in on the act.

For now, it is difficult to believe what anyone at Arsenal says, from Emery to Kroenke. Ivan Gazidis was the master of commercial speak. He was as much a salesman as he was a footballing director, and so fans have now grown tired of what comes from the club’s mouths. They want to see action, and rightly so.

Emery is talking the talk. Like Josh Kroenke. Like Gazidis before them. Now he must walk the walk.