Almost one year ago Arsene Wenger announced that he was ending his 22 years association with Arsenal football club. The shocking announcement was met with mixed reactions for the Arsenal fan base around the World with many fearing that Arsenal may go down the same road Manchester United did when Sir Alex Ferguson left Old Trafford after 26 years.
In came Unai Emery from Paris Saint Germain and despite Arsenal still being far from the finished article, there have been signs that the Spaniard is the right man to drive the club forward, here are a 3 reasons why Unai Emery deserves to be Arsenal manager next season.
Points Tally
The table does not lie, Arsenal are 12 points better than they were at this stage of the season last year. Unai Emery’s tenure may have started on a losing note having lost his first two matches against Manchester City and Chelsea but the Gunners responded brilliantly to that disaster start, going into a 22 match unbeaten run that saw them pick points at grounds they would probably ha not done under their previous manager and hence their improved points tally.
The football may not always be free flowing, but Unai Emery’s Arsenal are a point picking machine and all credit goes to the manager.
Improved big game mentality
Arsenal this season have beaten Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and even avoided defeat at home to the league leaders Liverpool. Arsenal under Unai Emery have shown a certain resolve, togetherness and team spirit that was lacking during Arsene Wenger’s final years in charge.
Games against your rivals are the one’s that make the difference between finishing in the top four and playing in the Europa League next season. No wonder Arsenal currently sit pretty at 4th on the log, just a point behind third placed Spurs and two ahead of 5th placed Manchester United.
Master tactician
Arsenal under Arsene Wenger had become so stale and predictable that you could almost guess their starting line up two weeks before the actual match day. Under Spaniard, the London team has played with countless formations and players playing in different positions that no one is able to guess which will be employed next.
It is for this reason that Arsenal are performing so well and are constantly serving their opponents with a surprise line up inclusion every match day.
In conclusion Arsenal’s first season under Unai Emery has been a positive one. He is still adapting to a new league in a new country with new players and and a new language. His second season will probably see him improve on this season as he will have understood all those aspects better.
Do you think Unai Emery deserves another season as the Arsenal manager? Share your thoughts in the comments section below…