WAS UNAI EMERY REALLY LEFT ALONE AT ARSENAL ?

WAS UNAI EMERY REALLY LEFT ALONE AT ARSENAL ?

Former Arsenal Coach, Unai Emery has hit back at Arsenal with claims that he felt betrayed by his former club.


In a report sighted by mybssports.blogspot.com and published by metrosports, the Spaniard who also coached the likes of Paris Saint Germaine(PSG) and Sevilla fired back at the Arsenal board for the lack of any proper backing.


They’d say: “We’re with you” but in front of fans and the dressing room they couldn’t protect me," Unai said. 


Clearly, Unai Emery was not enthused by the 'double-faced' treatment meted out to him by Arsenal. 


He needed to be assured of a hundred percent support both in the board room and outside of it but he feels he did not get.


Unai needed a shoulder to lean on- at least in his own words but there was none.


‘ Arsenal they weren’t able to, maybe because they came from Arsene Wenger, who did everything.  Truth is, I felt alone," said Emery.


Unai Emery was extremely successful at Sevilla and he will go down as one of the most successful coaches in Europa league history after winning that competition three times in a row.


Unai was relatively successful at PSG- after winning the French Ligue 1, but failed woefully in the Champions league after letting a 4-0 advantage slip against Barcelona in one of the most dramatic nights of Champions league football.


So was it only about Arsenal not backing him or the gaffer was not just up to the task and has to cover up with excuses ?


Coming to Arsenal, the fans had high hopes of annexing a silverware, especially in Europe where Arsenal have always flattered to deceive.


Arsenal lost to Barcelona 2-1 in Paris in the Champions league grande finale in 2006 and since then have never come close except in recent history when they lost to Chelsea in the Europa league finals- something the gunners will argue they don't really want.


Emery had a huge task to win some silverware and do that really quick.


He brought in highly-rated Ivorian forward, Nicolas Pepe from Ligue 1 but as many will argue, he(Unai) failed to get the best of out him(Pepe).


David Luiz was signed from Chelsea to augment the Arsenal defense and questions remain as to whether it was the right choice by Unai.

The question most Arsenal fans are asking is, why would a coach sign his own players, fail to get the best of them, then turn back and blame the board for letting him down ?


Maybe it could be true, because the Arsenal board have always being accused by a cross-section of the Arsenal fans as not being forthcoming when they needed to in the transfer market.


Former Arsenal captain, Robin van Persie rightly pointed it out that he felt the quality around him was not good enough and had to leave for Manchester United.


Whiles others may blame the board for not performing their duties, what about the players ?


Mezut Ozil was one player who was reported to have fallen out with Unai Emery.


In fact, when Emery signed on for the Arsenal job, Ozil was one of the seniormost figures in the dressing room and a lot was expected from him(Mesut) as a leader.


Was Ozil able to leave up to expectation or the gaffer was just not able to communicate his ideas and views to the players ?


During the tenure of Unai, there were a lot of reports as to his inability to communicate his ideas to the players.


This was always going to be difficult because every coach must be able to communicate clearly what he wants his players to do in training and on the field of play.


Whatever the case, Unai Emery feels betrayed by Arsenal and he has said that in clear terms and whether or not he was betrayed, only time will tell.


By Vigour Edem Vigor



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