Pain in the Arsenal
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Arsenal Vs Eintracht Frankfurt: 5 things we learned – Unai Emery, what more can be said?

By Andrew Dowdeswell

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 28: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Europa League group F match between Arsenal FC and Eintracht Frankfurt at Emirates Stadium on November 28, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 28: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Europa League group F match between Arsenal FC and Eintracht Frankfurt at Emirates Stadium on November 28, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 28: Daichi Kamada of Eintracht Frankfurt scores his team’s second goal during the UEFA Europa League group F match between Arsenal FC and Eintracht Frankfurt at Emirates Stadium on November 28, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 28: Daichi Kamada of Eintracht Frankfurt scores his team’s second goal during the UEFA Europa League group F match between Arsenal FC and Eintracht Frankfurt at Emirates Stadium on November 28, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /

4. The players quit

Arsenal actually played ‘okay’ in the first half. They were nothing special, and Frankfurt were woeful, but they controlled the game, dominated possession and scored the opener to seize a well-deserved lead. Then came half-time and an utterly listless second-half showing that illustrates one clear fact: the players have quit on Unai Emery.

From Shkodran Mustafi to saying the players will support the club and by extension the manager to Alexandre Lacazette not celebrating a last-minute equaliser, there were hints that Emery had lost the dressing room prior to Thursday night. The second half proved those hints true.

It is one thing for the board to ignore that Emery has lost the support of the fans, but it is a totally different kind of stubborn and blind ignorance to deny that he has lost the players. After all, he is a manager. He is meant to manage players. If he cannot do that, as the evidence proves, it’s time to find someone who can.