Arsenal: Defending Unai Emery indicative of club culture… in a good way

There is plenty of negativity going around Arsenal these days, so let’s turn the table and appreciate the board’s support of Unai Emery.

Hi, it’s me. The optimist. I’m taking a break from my usual scheduled pieces railing against the Arsenal fan base to shout some appreciation for the culture of the club that the fans can’t seem to grasp. (So maybe I am railing, who knows. Let’s see where this goes.)

It was probably a bit shocking to some that Unai Emery wasn’t canned after the loss to Leicester City. I think most people were expecting it, which led to some unfortunate souls rooting for a loss, which should never, never happen amongst people that supposedly “support” a club.

Rather than get sacked, Emery was given 100% of the board’s backing and dubbed the right man to move the club forward. That’s quite a difference from being fired.

A lot of the response to this news is to spew more hatred and vitriol and vomit anger all over the news and social media. How dare the club not cannibalize themselves like the fans do?!

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I’ll admit that I am not opposed to Unai Emery being fired. If he were, I would support the next guy. But knowing now that the board support Emery 100%, I feel that warm tingly feeling that only a despondent Arsenal fan can get when he remembers that his club is different from all the rest.

Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City and more would have fired their manager by now and grabbed someone else. Who then would have been fired and they’d have grabbed someone else. Not the Gunners though. Ever since Arsene Wenger, there has been such a degree of supporting each other inside the club that it absolutely revolts the fans who can’t support the club themselves.

I still get warm and fuzzies remembering Wenger and how unquestionably he would support his players. It promoted a certain pride in the club. Some would call it complacency, I call it positivity. What good would come from the board saying, “You know what, Emery’s head is on the block, he needs to do something?”

You induce another fissure into a club already rippled with them thanks to awful “fan” groups and disgruntled players. Somewhere in the club there needs to be unity, because if no one supports anyone, then we’ll all just crumble to pieces.

It’s crazy that I have to say this, but I’m on the board’s side with this one. Support each other. That’s a much more conducive way to build for the future than eating each other alive.