Arsenal: Unai Emery not the only one responsible

Arsenal are in a tailspin. Head coach Unai Emery is primarily to blame. But, if action is not taken swiftly, he is not the only one.

It is quite clear now: Arsenal head coach Unai Emery should be sacked. He is the primary individual responsible for a shocking recent run of performances and results that have left his team lacking any semblance of hope for next week, nevermind the remainder of the season.

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

Emery’s continual tinkering of the line-up has scuppered any identity that he might want to have instilled within his players. His incessant adaptations of the team, between different players, systems and approaches, make learning one, clear, defined tactical strategy very difficult, the players often looking extremely confused with what they are being asked to do.

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Similarly, his naturally conservative nature makes his team listless against lesser opponents. While the defensive organisation has improved against top-six teams, and Emery’s Arsenal are more able to compete in the bigger games, the matches that should yield runs of relentless winning are much more of a chore. There is little attacking freedom, no plan of action or combination between players in the final third, and a lack of urgency and speed in the passing and movement of the team.

This has led to a deplorably run of form. Arsenal have one win in their last seven matches, six wins from their last 19 Premier League matches, have squandered leads in four of their last five games, now have a goal difference of -1, including dropping to nine points behind Chelsea and Leicester City, two direct rivals for a top-four finish. It is quite obvious: it is time for Emery to leave.

But while Emery is the man in charge of the team and is thereby the man who should be held responsible for the poor performances and results of the team, he is the one in charge of the head coaching position as a whole. He is not his own boss. That falls to head of football Raul Sanllehi and technical director Edu Gaspar.

At this stage, the responsibility falls to them, and the club more generally, to step in and make changes. They gave Emery time to prove that he is or is not capable of turning around the fortunes of the team. The answer was an irrefutable ‘no’. And so now, the mantle of responsibility moves up the chain.

If Emery cannot change the fortunes of the team, then Arsenal should look to change the man who controls the fortunes of the team. And if they do not act, they are equally to blame for the mire that the club is currently experiencing. The signs are there, they simply must abide by them and act.

The time to move on from Emery has come. But if the club do not make the necessary decisions, there will be more people to blame than just Emery himself.