Arsenal and Unai Emery: Fan unrest one thing, player unrest another

Arsenal players are now reportedly uneasy with Unai Emery remaining as head coach. While it is one thing to ignore the fans’ unrest, it is a different thing entirely to ignore the players’ unhappiness.

The Arsenal board are standing strong. While the pressure on their head coach mounts amid the worst run of form in more than two decades and worst start to a season since 1982/83, the club is resolute in their support of Unai Emery, obdurately believing in the ‘process’ that the Spaniard is apparently implementing.

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The fans have had enough. In all honesty, large swathes of the fanbase had had enough a long time ago. The latest draw against Southampton was nothing more than confirmation of prior problems. It was not new ground.

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The board can ignore the supporters. They have inside knowledge that external fans do not have. The shouts and cries in the Emirates stanchions have little impact on the team and should never influence the decision-making closed doors — once the tail is wagging the dog, nothing runs straight. But ignoring the unrest of the players is entirely different. That adds a new level of significance to the decision the club is currently making.

Per wide-ranging reports in the media this week, an increasing number of key players are willing to defect if Emery remains in charge. Lucas Torreira and his agent have already spoken of his desire to leave should Emery continue at the helm, especially if Emery persists with misusing the Uruguayan, while Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are stalling on new contracts, the pair now into or nearing the final two years of their respective deals.

And these reports all come in the aftermath of Saturday’s draw against Southampton in which Lacazette looked almost distraught that he had equalised in the final minute, very few players celebrated the late goal, and there was a noticeable air of dejection within the squad, the body language utterly lacklustre, almost apathetic.

If the players are beginning to turn on Emery, just as the fans already have, that adds a new level to the debate of whether to keep him. Once a manager ‘loses the dressing room’, as is so often spoken of in the media, it is extremely rare that they are able to recover their position. As we have seen with Mauricio Pochettino and Spurs, if the players check out, the head coach has already lost his battle.

That is the space the Arsenal players are in presently. They are confused by Emery’s instruction, do not believe in his coaching, and are beginning to dream of pastures new as they look to salvage their careers away from the dreaded Emirates.

The feeling of the fans will not move the board to make the difficult decision. And nor should it. But the unrest within the players might. The pulse of the dressing room changes things, and for Emery, it is no longer in support of him.