Arsenal: If Unai Emery can do better…

After Saturday’s deplorable draw with Southampton, Unai Emery said he ‘can do better’ as Arsenal head coach. Well, if he can do better, why doesn’t he?

Upon the return of the international break, Arsenal hosted 19th-placed Southampton looking to right their recent wrongs. While fans wanted head coach Unai Emery sacked for the troubles of the season thus far, the club saw this fixture among other kind fixtures as a chance for Emery to inspire some confidence into his squad.

Find the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal Podcast here — Can we talk about something else?

But sadly, what occurred on Saturday afternoon could not have been further from inspiring. The Gunners snatched a 2-2 draw with a last-gasp Alexandre Lacazette strike after they conceded 21 shots in 90 minutes, including five or six gilt-edged chances that were all squandered, especially in the second half.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

If you needed any more proof that Emery is not the man to lead the team forward, this was it. A match that was meant to inspire confidence and a positive run of form could not have backfired more.

Naturally, Emery was asked after the draw, which felt very much more like a defeat, what he can do to turn the fortunes of the team around. His answer was not the most convincing:

"“Now my job is to analyse, to try to move on with confidence with the players. It’s difficult but we need to move on in the next days. After analysing that match are going to play at home again on Thursday, prepare as well as possible. We know, and I know, that we need to connect with our supporters. The club are supporting me every day and also I have a responsibility. I know I can do better, I can take more performances with the players and I’m going to try to do that.”"

Saying things like ‘my job is to analyse, to try to move on with confidence’ and ‘I know I can do better’ is not especially encouraging. Why was Emery not able to make the necessary changes before this time? And why does he still believe that he can, having failed to for the past 18 months?

And if Emery has proven that he is incompetent as a head coach at the highest level, why are Arsenal being so patient with him? It is quite clear that Emery is not a good enough manager to lead Arsenal back into the top four and eventually into title contention. And yet, the club seems insistent to give him as much time as possible in the hope that he might ‘do better’.

At some point, you have to concede that ‘better’ is unattainable, even nonexistent. There is no better to be had because it is not possible given the individuals involved. Arsenal and Emery have reached that point. The natural consequence, then, is divorce.

And so, while Emery protest that he can ‘do better’, in reality, he cannot. If that was the case, why did he not do better throughout the past 18 months? The answer is that better does not exist.