Arsene Wenger lasted 22 years at Arsenal, but at the moment it looks like his successor may struggle to last two.
The former Sevilla boss is now well and truly under pressure at the Emirates Stadium, having won just two of his last eight Premier League games, whilst he is now having to deal with the fall-out from the Granit Xhaka incident against Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Watch the moment Granit Xhaka’s Arsenal career may have come to an ugly end in the video below…
The former PSG man has a solid track record, having won the Europa League three times with the La Liga outfit, but it just doesn’t seem to be working out for him in north London.
There have been some good moments though, such as the 22-match unbeaten run last term.
Should Unai Emery be sacked? Or should he be given time to turn it around? We asked four Football FanCast writers to share their verdicts, and this is what they said.
Viji Jeevathayalan
“When Unai Emery first took charge at the Emirates, Arsenal’s late decline under Arsene Wenger was supposed to have been halted. The iconic Frenchman made way, and in came a continental manager who was renowned for his depth of tactical knowledge.
“After a relatively acceptable debut campaign – the Gunners finished just a point off the top four and reached the Europa League final – things have fallen apart. A lack of clear identity, reports of poor communication on the training ground, and the Granit Xhaka captaincy crisis symbolises everything that has gone wrong in the past few months. The north London side desperately need to make a change before it’s too late.”
Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below
Matt Dawson
“As baffling as it may sound to some, I believe that Unai Emery deserves more time at Arsenal and shouldn’t be sacked. It would be an understatement to suggest things haven’t gone as planned but to put it simply, there has been a huge overreaction to recent results. After all, the holes that Arsene Wenger left behind in this Arsenal side were never going to fix themselves overnight and you only need to look at how long it took Jurgen Klopp to get Liverpool firing.
“I’m not suggesting the Gunners will win a Champions League anytime soon but it’s a blueprint that might have to be followed. Man United have felt the effects of chopping and changing their managers and this is something the Gunners cannot afford to do. Yes, Emery’s style is dull and boring and things need to improve on that front, but sacking him now isn’t the answer – Stan Kroenke must do what he does best and ignore the pleas from around north London on this one.”
Kealan Hughes
“This is a difficult one. On the one hand, it is difficult to ever envisage him turning around the current situation to the point where Arsenal are winning trophies under him, but he does deserve more time.
“Although his handling of the captaincy has been shocking, there have been positives during his time in charge, such as the opportunities he has provided to youngsters and getting the club to the Europa League final.
“If he can find a suitable solution to the situations of both Xhaka and Ozil then Arsenal should move in the right direction once again, with Champions League qualification a very real possibility, and if he achieves that he has met what is expected of him.”
Harry Sherlock
“Arsenal fans need to be careful what they wish for. The Gunners have lost just two games this season, the same number as Manchester City. And yet there appears to be a groundswell of support for Emery’s sacking.
“Okay, the football isn’t the most breathtaking in the league but nobody is at the level of either City or Liverpool. Thus, Emery really needs the rest of the season. If he qualifies for the Champions League, he can build from there next summer, if not, the Gunners will have a transfer window in which to appoint a new manager. There is simply no need to pull the trigger at this stage.”