Arsenal: Sacking Unai Emery does not emulate Manchester United

Arsenal are concerned that if they sack Unai Emery they could emulate the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era at Manchester United. But that is simply not true and should not prevent them from making the necessary decision.

Arsenal are a club that will pursue patience and continuity, security, stability and strength above ruthlessness, conviction and clinical decision-making. They insatiably believe in their process and they are willing to wait to see it come to fruition.

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

It is an admirable and largely beneficial quality. World football has proven ten times over that teams are too rash to sack managers, rid of players and move onto new eras before the old one as has had the time to prove its worth. But there is a balance to be found, and the Gunners often find themselves on the wrong side of it.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

Head coach Unai Emery is coming under increasing pressure. 87% of fans voted in a Twitter poll for him to be sacked this weekend, while a growing portion of the media is also coming around to this necessary step also. But Arsenal are intending to stand firm. They believe in the Emerian process and are willing to wait to see it come to fruition.

James Olley of the Evening Standard reported this week that the club is scared of descending into the chaos at Manchester United after the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013. Here is an extract from his piece:

"“Head of football Sanllehi, along with managing director Vinai Venkatesham and director Josh Kroenke, are reluctant to make a change and internally there is a determination not to go through a flurry of managers like United have done since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.”"

I understand their sentiment, and it is certainly a path that they should be looking to avoid. Man. United have struggled greatly to move out of the Ferguson era and their difficulties should be a major warning sign for the short-term future of Arsenal. But sacking Emery does not descend the club into chaos. Neither does it commit the club to going ‘through a flurry of managers’.

United have begun to set a trend: they are increasingly unsure in their manager and impatient in their decision-making. Chelsea have lived by this trend for the past 20 years, although they are now trying to change their fortunes with Frank Lampard. Arsenal would not be bowing to the short-term thinking that has engulfed United and Chelsea before by firing a manager after 18 months.

There are extremely fair, justifiable and well-analysed reasons for sacking Emery. This would not be a rash, rushed, unreasonable decision. Now, if they were to hire a replacement and sack them next summer, suddenly the club might develop a moniker of being a little hasty in their managerial decisions. But at this point, with just one head coach in the post-Arsene Wenger era, that is a long way off.

Man. Utd’s handling of the Ferguson succession is certainly something to avoid. They have made and are still making terrible mistakes that are crippling their team and brand. Arsenal are right to want to avoid their spiralling mess. But sacking Emery is not emulating United. It is just the right decision, and that is very different indeed.