Unai Emery says he’s changed the mindsets of Arsenal players by stressing the importance of the work they do in training on a daily basis.
He’s also hinted that certain players are involved more this season because they’ve shown a willingness to accept these methods and improve from them, citing Granit Xhaka as an example of someone open to the ideas the Spaniard and his coaching staff have brought to the pitches at London Colney.
“I try to encourage the players to be more demanding,” he told the official Arsenal website.
“One of the first things we looked at with the players was the idea of training for training’s sake, training to compete and training to win. Those are three different steps and very often players do them subconsciously.
“We needed to suppress the idea of training for training’s sake, boost the focus on training to compete and – most of all – train to win.”
We know under Arsene Wenger that training was very regimented, and after so many years at the club with so many players there for significant periods of time, you can imagine how training for training’s sake might have been a bit of an issue.
Emery went on to talk about how he’s looking at the players response, and how that impacts is team selection.
“The players that play the most are the ones that seem to have the most scope for development,” he said, “but I’m convinced that they all have the ability to develop – not just because I’m saying it, it’s what any coach would say. That’s our idea.
“In the case of Xhaka, I knew him before. The first thing was to find his best position and characteristics, but he also wants to improve and that’s the first step – that the players want it.
“It’s not about training for training’s sake. It’s about training to win or to improve. Today, tomorrow and the next day.”
So Ozil is just training for training? One very good game in 10 games is not good for someone of his caliber. I like him and Ozil is like Mc without wings
Where did Ozil come into this?
It’s not churlish to assume this applies to Ozil. Not claiming like BODMAS that ozil is behaving any type of way in training, however this line is kinda on the nose; “The players that play the most are the ones that seem to have the most scope for development,” We know Ramsey’s play time has deteriorate post the contract saga (scope for development is now practically zero), and we know Iwobi has played more due to improvements by said coaching. It’s not trolling to ask what’s the deal with Ozil, considering he’s our marquee player, yet clearly isn’t the playing… Read more »
Ozil plays for the team (now and again) so why would he not be included? Indeed the blog for today is all about Ozil and I am being to wonder whether Ozil is up for the challenge or will look to China for an escape route!!!
No reason, just because.
It’s a prejudice.
And bang! Özil! *yawn*
Intelligent bloke Unai.
Everything did seem a bit too set under Arsene, so good to hear that is being shaken up.
We needed it!
Players who left usually say that training sessions under Wenger were always about passing the ball. Gallas said it was always about the little game. It used to work with previous generation. Henry wasn’t going to nightclubs, wasn’t driving his luxurious car around city. He trained, trained and trained again. With Pep you have to leave the flashy car at home before you come to training.
Makes perfect sense. Sometimes on here (and I’m guilty of it for sure) people make comments for comments sake, but if you add a little insight or humour, or both (where are you rambling Pete?) then you’re likely to get more engagement with your comment. If you are training on specifics relating to potential game situations and the players are, or maybe more importantly for Unai, aren’t, engaging with the process, then boy you outa the team regardless of how big your monthly pay pack is. Not a dig at Özil there I might add as I love the man’s… Read more »
*peeps not peels;)
Agree. Know we are fans and are interested in all things Arsenal, but who lines up on the pitch really doesn’t matter as long there are positive results. Sorry, but it is still a results driven business, and winning begets more financial success (generally). Personally, I like the way we are playing now, as looking great and possessing the ball for 65 minutes and then losing 1 to nil or 2 to 1 from the opponets two on target shots, was really depressing.
I’m liking this man more and more as the days, games and weeks pass.
Yeah…..those who cant the pressing style of foot should quit. Ozil is no special n know player is bigger than the club. All we want is results men
Exactly Tims, Exactly
Honestly, I don’t understand. I get training in a rote fashion, going through the motions the same way you have done for months or years, and how that needs to be shaken up. But “training to compete” as compared to “training to win”? What does that mean? Working with more intensity?
I like Emery, I think he is doing a good job, and I understand there is an understandable issue with language. But some of what he says, I think, is just coach babble.
It’s not that hard. He’s saying there’s 3 levels of training intensity;
going through the motions (little effort)
Training to compete (decent effort)
Training to win (maximum effort).
Now you try conveying that in Spanish and let’s see if you don’t sound like you’re babbling.
Well I take that to mean training because your voach asked you to – taking no responsibility, training to be your best – taking only personal responsibility, and training to be THE best which to me means taking responsibility for domjnating the strengths and exploiting the weaknesses of the specific opposition every game. The first two would be the foundation to the final level as if you havent developed to your potential or atleast know your current ability, disadvantages and advantages compared to the opposition you cant envision a strategy against that teams strengths or weakness and the game is… Read more »
Everything in life is babble. You buy into it or not. In this case you change your mindset from being able to compete for 90 minutes to compete and win! Your perception changes. Believe in the “process” my friend!
Thanks, Laca-Sead. I get it now.
Agree that it does sound like babble and meaningless at times, but also believe there is some coded message behind his statements. Emery is trying to train up the players to his requirements and to his tactics, while also changing a deeply ingrained culture. So you are either on the bus or off the bus, so to speak with, with his methods. Obviously, buying into the process means a lot to Emery/Arsenal in the short and long run. One could almost look at his tiers of training as a hierarchy of who as bought in and, therefore, who will be… Read more »
This exactly. I’ve been an Arseblog reader for quite awhile and have never seen people so keen about sitting fifth in the table with no evidence that we can beat our rivals. That’s not to say Emery won’t challenge for hardware, but the wide-eyed credulity is astonishing.
You just commented for the sake of commenting….. Does that explain his ideology about training for the sake of training and training to compete/win in clear terms to you?
Emery is a dream come true, he’s taking no prisoners, and anyone who won’t buy into his methods will be discarded. I won’t hold my breath…. but it would be nice if the Kroenke’s speculated a little to accumulate. Areas of our first team could do with a serious injection of quality, Without upgrading, there’s clearly a limit Emery can achieve with this group of players, and looking at our squad and the wages they’re on, I don’t see where we can recoup that much money for reinvesting. I’ve really enjoyed the season so far, even though our performances have… Read more »
I’m really liking Unai’s mindset, looking to get our players on a higher gear. Not only he’s trying to get the best out of each individual but also getting the supporters to do their job, being that 12th player. Always shows appriciation for our support… Keep up the good work Unai.
That’s all well and good. But how the fuck does it explain Mkhitaryan?
If Mkhitaryan gets in the starting eleven because he ticks all the boxes in training, then the flaw in this system/process/ethos is pretty fuckobvious.
That’s not to say I’m not ‘on board’ with the idea, just not as much as I’d like.
It’s just not happening for Mkhitaryan at the minute, he puts in a shift and gets into some good positions, but his execution has been poor.
We’ve not got many options on the right, Welbeck would have been my first option there, Iwobi is more suited to the left, Rambo is being pushed towards a January move, other than giving Maitland Niles a run? Or bringing Rambo in from the cold? Trying to play Micky into form is our only real option
Go and check his distance covered in the last game, then come back and comment as someone informed and not hurt from missed opportunities by the player
Perpetuating more stereotypes and ignoring inconvenient truth. So when Sokratis decides to do a spot of Greco Roman Wrtestling by the corner flag and then get turned leading to a dangerous goal scoring opportunity…. Or when Sokratis decides to wrestle someone to the ground in the penalty box…lets hope it isn’t Mike Dean reffing… Or when Holding misplaces a pass like Granit did, lets not all get apoplectic because Mustafi is there to clear the ball. Meanwhile… If Torreira is caught high up inexplicably attacking in the opponents box 5 minutes from half time, lets not mention it because its… Read more »
…and…I don’t mean this as a Mustafi apologist bc clearly he has faults in his game but he isn’t the only one making mistakes and he clearly also does a lot of good things unheralded.
But we live in an age where holding the popular truth is more important than objectivity alas.
Feel free to down vote.;)
You really ought to watch the match again with minimum prejudice and count the number of things Mustafi got right. So he makes one dangerous challenge at end of game BUT : 1) Had he not made the challenge, the Bournemouth player was in on goal ready to pull trigger. Had that gone in (as it could), you would be accusing Mustafi of not taking the foul and opting for the controlled situation. 2) The BIGGER question is why Auba. Mhkitaryan and the rest of the team could not hold on to the ball in the corner or pass it… Read more »
As for Ozil, the papers will make a meal out of it. I’m sure the lack of selection last weekend was chiefly tactical. In a 3-4-3, Ozil’s only position would have been right attacking opposite Iwobi and behind the striker. BUT we need the two attacking players to make a lot of ground in this system particularly with wingbacks committed forward. Mhkitaryan had a poor poor game by any standard but what is not mentioned is he covered a lot of ground…in fact just shy of Bellerin who led the team in this ‘stat’. Perhaps why he was still preferred… Read more »
We all have favorite players and players we prefer to malign and heap blame on… See people calling for players like Ossei Tutu and Bramall to start in the Ukraine when these players can barely handle Derby County U23. Or preference for Mavropanos over Mustafi when the Greek is not even proven. People need to keep sentiment out of judgement and watch players more carefully. There are enough ‘first team players’ that can benefit from a bit of a run out this midweek ; Ramsey, Ozil even Laca (if passed fully fit), Guendouzi, Sokratis (who is working back in), AMN,… Read more »
You REALLY need to learn to be concise with your words. Not everyday thesis.
Santi, your 5 comments are longer than the original blog! Verbosity does not equal validity.
With all due respect Arsenal played with 9 men after two red cards against Derby.
It’s shameful, but I train for training’s sake. Looking forward, I will now train to beat the old ladies in the pool.
Cannonball!!
I would like to work for this guy