Arsenal: ‘Unai Emery out’ shouts stupid… for now

After Sunday’s calamitous 2-2 draw with Watford, some Arsenal fans are calling for Unai Emery to be sacked. At present, such shouts are stupid, but before long, they will be justified.

It would not take you long to find the disdain of Arsenal fans towards Unai Emery his insipid team after Sunday afternoon’s calamitous 2-2 draw with Watford. With the Gunners capitulating in a fashion that only they seemingly can, fans were quick to turn on a manager who had allowed the cracks the fester.

Find the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal Podcast here — Unai Emery out?

‘Unai Emery out’ was a phrase frequently seen on social media after the match. Just like his team, supporters have grown tired. Emery may inspire energy and vivacity on the sidelines with his high-octane arm movements and ‘good ebening’ press conference introductions, but on the pitch, this same apparently infectious, bouncing attitude is yet to translate.

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Arsenal were at their most infuriating worst on Sunday. Whatever stat you want to use, they floundered. Only one more touch in the penalty area than Gerard Delofeu. 31 shots conceded, the most they have ever done in a Premier League game. Now on pace to concede 66 goals across the season. Utterly outmatched in expected goals, pass accuracy, possession, and action areas. Watford — bottom of the table Watford — were dominant.

Emery shouldered the bulk of the blame because he again changed his tactics. Only this time, instead of trying to repel the European Champions at a stadium that they have not lost in for over two years with a defensive-minded 4-4-2 diamond, he was doing it against a team that recently sacked their manager and had just one point from their first four matches of the season. His flexibility is a great credit to his know-how and nous, but it undermines his ability to form an identity that all can buy into.

When Emery arrived in north London as Arsene Wenger’s successor, supporters were sold on a project. The old regime was to be ripped down. The new one was to implement an identity, a clear, defined philosophy, something that players, coaches and fans alike could support, just as Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola have done at Liverpool and Manchester City respectively. But as of yet, this identity is yet to be revealed.

This is the crux of supporters’ frustrations with Emery, and it is a fair one. But a little over a year into his role as Arsenal head coach is not enough time to expect a clear identity to be defined and drilled into the players and club. That does not mean Emery is exempt from criticism, and based on Sunday’s performance, he is most certainly deserving of the questioning and inquest that has come his way since. But it does mean patience is required.

Emery needs time to embed his ideals and philosophies. He needs players, too, with Alexandre Lacazette’s injury clearly scuppering his first idea, as well as not having the starting pair of full-backs undermining his defensive system too. It is a little overly expectant to believe that he can build a team in a little over a year, given what he inherited.

Calls for ‘Emery out’, then, are, at present, stupid, naive, unfounded and illogical. But that is only for now, because time is running out on the Arsenal head coach.