It his reign now. Arsenal boss Unai Emery has taken a swipe at his predecessor Arsene Wenger over the “decline” of the club and his neglect of one key area of the team.
Wenger left his post with the Gunners after spending over 22 years at the club, before former PSG coach Emery took over in the summer.
The Frenchman’s last Premier League title came in 2004 and, despite winning four FA Cups in the 13 years after, it wasn’t good enough for most fans.
And Emery, who brought in a number of signings to improve the team in the summer, thinks Wenger’s neglect of the club’s “defensive structure” left him with a rebuilding job this season.
“Before Wenger came, Arsenal celebrated 1-0 and were based on defensive solidity,” Emery told Marca.
“With Arsene, joy came from attacking, with players of good standing. And the perfect combination was the Invincibles.
“But over time, only technical quality and offensive freedom were taken care of, losing the defensive structure.
“What I want is to unite both essences and be more competitive. Arsenal was in decline. We had to stop it and start climbing.”
The Gunners boss has discussed a range of topics, including the transition of taking over the club from Arsene Wenger and how he views Arsenal compared to the other big teams in the Premier League.
Ignoring Arsene Wenger’s advice: Marca asked Emery if he spoke to Arsene Wenger before taking over the position at Arsenal.
The current Gunners boss revealed he did speak to Wenger, although he largely ignored what the Frenchman had to say:
(I didn’t speak to Wenger) about the team. I met once with him, and little else.
I respect him a lot, but no matter how much info he gave me, I had to change things.
I told the players: ‘We are starting with zero kilometres’. Even now, four months later, I still say it: ‘We are still at the beginning!’
Emery also had some choice words about the state of Arsenal’s rearguard when he arrived at the Emirates Stadium.
In what could be construed as a dig at Wenger, Emery claimed that Arsenal’s defence had be neglected:
Before Wenger came, Arsenal celebrated 1-0 and were based on defensive solidity.
With Arsene, joy came from attacking, with players of good standing. And the perfect combination was the Invincibles.
But over time, only technical quality and offensive freedom were taken care of, losing the defensive structure.