Arsenal and Unai Emery: Yes, his English matters

Arsenal players are reportedly confused by Unai Emery’s management, especially his in-game adjustments. When watching games, it certainly looks that way. And there is one very obvious problem that no one is highlighting: his English.

When Fabio Capello was named England manager, there was great hope that a man of his tremendous experience and calibre could finally end the years of heartache and pain of the national team. He was, after all, was one of the greatest managers of his generation. If there was anyone who could inspire England, it was him, right?

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Well, no. Capello struggled mightily. Despite leading England to relentless victories in qualification, when it came to the big tournaments, especially the dreaded 2010 World Cup, his tactics were muddled, the players failed to understand his approaches, and there was an utter lack of cohesion, despite having some of the best talent in the world throughout the pitch.

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The current Arsenal team is not nearly as talented as that England team. They do not have two of the top five central midfielders in the world, for instance. But similarities can be made between two teams that are less than the sum of their parts, and that the coach in charge of them is confusing talent such that the execution is muddled and hesitant.

For the Gunners, it is Unai Emery, not Capello. But the same issues are present, especially regarding the communication and execution of gameplans. And in James Olley’s recent report of the increasing pressure on Emery in the London Evening Standard, it is quite clear that Emery’s limited English is a problem:

"“[Unai] Emery’s in-game management is an issue which some at the club have quietly suggested partly stems from his mediocre grasp of English. Meetings at the training ground are known to be numerous and long, but when a quick change of approach to Plan B is needed mid-match, some players are said to be confused about the instructions they are given.”"

I do not usually like to argue that a shortcoming of a manager is his failure to grasp the language of the country. While being able to communicate is extremely important for any coach, you do not have to have excellent speaking skills to be able to do so. In football, there are more ways to communicate than with just words.

Nevertheless, it is helpful for a manager to speak proficiently in the necessary language. While there are examples of coaches overcoming language difficulties to build successful teams (see Mauricio Pochettino and Marcelo Bielsa at Southampton and Leeds United respectively), it is an important skill for a manager to have and it can help make up for shortcomings in other aspects of communication.

As Capello discovered with England, if the players do not understand diagram-based, video-based or on-pitch based communication, it can be very difficult to properly portray your desired ideas. Good oral communication helps to make up for these potential deficiencies, especially in matches when it is not exactly possible to whip out a whiteboard. Emery is now encountering those same difficulties.

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Emery’s broken English is not the only reason why Arsenal are struggling. In fact, in the list of factors for the poor performances under Emery, his grasp of the English language is a long way down. But it certainly is not helping. When other aspects of his coaching are also problematic, he cannot explain his way out. This shortcoming is now coming back to roost.

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