Arsenal: As long as Unai Emery gets it, that’s all that matters

Arsenal are still figuring things out, and fans might get a bit fickle over it, but as long as Unai Emery gets it, that’s all that matters.

Arsenal are in good hands. Unai Emery isn’t Arsene Wenger, and it’s an impossible legacy to follow, but as long as Emery is figuring things out, a degree of patience has to be had from all fans. Of course, they’re never willing to give it, are they?

Against Tottenham, we saw some simple, familiar mistakes that we’ve seen before. Many people began asking the same questions they’ve asked before, doubting Emery and just generally being the nasty folk they can tend to be.

Of course, nowhere was that more seen than with Granit Xhaka. The often ostracized Swiss midfielder was left with nowhere to hide after giving up that penalty. It was awful. But following that penalty, Xhaka actually did a ton of good work and while most fans won’t say that makes up for the penalty, Unai Emery was very vocal about how he judges the player based on 90 minutes.

And that’s all that matters in the end, isn’t it? As long as the man in charge gets it, it really doesn’t matter what Twitter folks have to say.

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That said, it’s not just with Xhaka. It’s with adjusting to the newcomers as well. Last year, it took Emery a bit, but he eventually worked in Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi as they should have been, and he stuck with Guendouzi when it was right to do so. He even gave Mesut Ozil every chance he could (more than he deserved, honestly).

He might have avoided putting Lacazette and Aubameyang together at first, but in the end, it won out. And this year we’re seeing more of the same with the new-look front three. Now we just need him to figure out the best defensive set-up as well, because those centerbacks are a mess, what a mess.

The experimentation can be frustrating, but as long as we keep remembering that it’s all in the name of getting it right eventually. You see less and less experimenting these days because we’re starting to find a sweet spot.

And there will always be naysayers, because that’s just what fans are here for, and players like Xhaka will never be spared, but in the end, as long as Emery is the man doing the decisions, then nothing else really matters.