Arsenal and Unai Emery: The bid Brendan Rodgers difference

Liverpool were ruthless when they sacked Brendan Rodgers. Many Arsenal fans are calling for the club to do the same with Unai Emery. However, there is one big difference: the man available to hire.

In the summer of 2015, Brendan Rodgers was conducting a rebuild job. After a brilliant 2013/14 season saw his Liverpool team narrowly finish second in the Premier League, slipping in the final stages of the campaign as Manchester City nipped in to steal the title away, with money to spend thanks to the sales of Luis Suarez and Raheem Sterling, the Scottish manager set about restructuring his team.

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And Liverpool backed their man. Christian Benteke and Roberto Firmino arrived as a new strikeforce, Nathaniel Clyne was now the starting right-back, Dejan Lovren, Adam Lallana, Lazar Markovic and Mario Balotelli all arrived on the scene for substantial fees, and over £200 million was spent over the course of two seasons.

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But while the moves in the transfer window were exciting at the time, Liverpool’s play on the pitch was not. They lacked the vibrancy of the previous Rodgers side, losing speed in attacking areas, playing slowly and tentatively in possession, allowing opponents to sit deep and remain compact. Rodgers had seemingly lost his touch. And Liverpool had little patience to see if he could rediscover it. Within two months of the 2015/16 starting, the Reds fired their manager. Rodgers was not provided with the opportunity to bed in his new players.

It was a ruthless decision. At the time, it was viewed as a little harsh. And even in hindsight, there is an argument to be made that Rodgers was treated unfairly. But it was fairly clear that he was not going to be able to rebuild the team after losing each of his vivacious front three from two years prior and Liverpool chose to move on.

The situation is extremely comparable to that at Arsenal this season. Head coach Unai Emery has overseen a vast array of changes to the squad over the course of his 18 months in charge. He is trying to rebuild the team after the Arsene Wenger era. So far, the signs are extremely worrying. From poor results to poorer performances, a lack of clear, defined identity to a painful absence of creativity and attacking ingenuity, Emery is failing in his task of rebuilding the Arsenal team.

As a result, many fans are now demanding the club act in the same clinical manner that Liverpool did with Rodgers. The calls for Emery to be fired are only growing with every passing game. And with good reason. But while Liverpool were ruthless with Rodgers for a reason and an eventual end, that same opportunity does not present itself to Arsenal.

The primary reason why Liverpool were so short with Rodgers is that Jurgen Klopp was ready in waiting, a truly world-class manager who could revitalise the entire club. After leaving Borussia Dortmund in the summer, Liverpool jumped at the chance to hire a manager of truly elite status, understanding that they might not get that opportunity again. But a Jurgen Klopp-type figure is not presently available for Arsenal to jump at.

Massimiliano Allegri is the most experienced and prolifically successful manager currently without a job, while perhaps Julian Nagelsmann could be coaxed away from RB Leipzig, but neither are in the same tier as Klopp. And even then, both could have been available when Arsenal hired Emery and they chose the Spaniard instead.

So yes, Arsenal acting in a manner reminiscent to Liverpool and Rodgers may make sense, but sacking a manager is only half the job. It is only successful if the right man is hired as the replacement. Liverpool proved that with Klopp. Can the Gunners now replicate it?