Arsenal and Unai Emery: Champions dictates change

Arsenal are on the verge of falling out of the Champions League race. Their need to qualify for Europe’s elite competition dictates sacking Unai Emery.

After Arsenal’s run of increasingly poor form left them nine points behind Leicester City and Chelsea, their two direct rivals for a top-four finish, securing Champions League football appears to be unlikely as ever. And if the club fails to qualify for the top tier of club football, more than just head coach Unai Emery needs to replaced.

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

During the summer Raul Sanllehi, Vinai Venkatesham and Edu Gaspar won over the respect of large swathes of the fanbase. With a series of transfers, such as record signing Nicolas Pepe, defenders William Saliba and Kieran Tierney, and, for some, David Luiz, even Josh Kronke, who told fans they should ‘be excited’, was praised for his work.

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However, just three months into the new season, serious questions are now being asked about head coach, Unai Emery. A run of dismal form culminated in Saturday night’s catastrophic defeat to Leicester City, in which the Foxes largely dominated, scored two quickfire second-half goals and thrust themselves into the heart of the top-four race.

And so, the club leaders now face a crucial decision to make regarding Emery’s future. Despite reports suggesting the club are reluctant to hand Emery the sack due to the costs involved, alarm bells must be ringing.

If looking at the situation from a business perspective, replacing Unai Emery is a logical possibility, but not necessarily a solution. The process of sacking the Spaniard would be costly, with the price in doing so being reported to vary between £6 and £10 million.

If Arsenal do decide to take action and sack Emery, there are many different approaches to find a replacement. There are some big names being available such as Jose Mourinho, Massimiliano Allegri and Luis Enrique. Freddie Ljungberg is also a possibility. The players widely respect the former under-23 manager and there are few that understand the values of the club. He could be the ideal short-term successor.

However, if Arsenal fail to qualify for the Champions League, the prize money lost would be considerably more. Of course, by replacing Emery, the club would not guarantee themselves Champions League football, but at this point, what have they got to lose? And their Champions League status is the key point here.

The more pressing problem is not necessarily sacking or not sacking Emery but attaining Champions League football. Financially, the club must qualify for European’s top competition. Without it, the doldrums of the Europa League beckon for many years to come.

At this stage, it is quite plain that Emery cannot perform the head coaching role as required. Therefore, despite the cost, change is necessary.