Unai Emery says he’s not overly worried about tonight’s 1-0 defeat to BATE Borisov in the Europa League because he has faith that the players can perform better in the second leg next week.
The Belarusians travel to the Emirates next Thursday, and the Spaniard is sure that despite not being efficient in front of goal on Thursday night, home advantage and the backing of the fans will help his team through to the next round.
Speaking after the disappoint result and performance, Emery said, “I am happy with the players as we worked and we tried. They struggled also defensively when they were 1-0 up and they are organised and a competitive team.
“Our big chance, our big opportunity and challenge is next week. It’s not the result like we want and like we worked on the pitch because we deserved more, but they worked for that and the next game is going to be different.
“We did our all to win the match. It’s the first 90 minutes. I know it’s more difficult here as we didn’t take a better result, but the next match at the Emirates we are going to continue our work today and I want to work to take better attacking moments with more efficiency and to win the match.”
As for next week, he continued, “I trust in our players and I trust in our stadium and supporters. There are two matches.
“Tonight’s match is important but we can’t be knocked out in it, we are going to play a second match next week.
“I trust in our work to prepare for the next match and to have a different result in Emirates Stadium.”
It’s a wild thought but I would take Wenger any time back now.
Bring him back for another couple of seasons, give youngsters a proper chance to develop (Nelson, Smith-Rowe, Nketiah, Willock, AMN …), win Europa League, and then Arteta should be ready to take over.
As divisive as Brexit that one
should that be Wexit
We definitely aren’t Unaited on that one.
We have many injuries, yes. Emery doesn’t have players that he wants, yes. But still, a defeat against bate, even in away game, is unacceptable. We have far better players available yet Emery cannot assemble a team that can score agaist bate….. It’s totally unacceptable, and all he can say is “I trust the players to win the second leg”…is it like a campaign promise or something?
Whatever you’ve been smoking or drinking you need to STOP right now!
I don’t think going back to Wenger would be a step in the right direction. He should’ve left after the latest FA Cup win.
That being said, I’d much rather lose playing Wengerball than lose playing whatever the hell we’re playing right now.
Not sure that I trust Emery.
Not sure the players trust Emery.
So we’re just going to completely move on from this disastrous display?
I guess we have no choice
No. I, personally, refuse to move on. I will never do it.
Already done it.
But if this kinda playing continues, I say we give Arteta a try.
A poor poor poor choice to replace Wenger.
Who on earth thought Emery was right for this club?
It was a nothing hire when we got him, everyone thought that when they first heard it. The bloke who bottled a 4-0 lead to Barcelona with a squad like PSG’s, the bloke who couldn’t win Ligue 1 with a squad like PSG’s and lost it to the brilliant Jardim’s young kids
We all knew it. Don’t lie and pretend you were excited
Emery is NOT known for his style of football, it was the most bizarre choice when literally any manager would have jumped at the opportunity to replace Wenger. We are the biggest club in one of the best cities in the world with an owner who lets you get on with it, we DO have money, any manager with ambition would have jumped at the chance to take over. He’s a bland manager who’s always played bland football wherever he’s been. He’s also not a manager who values a good defence as his record shows wherever he’s been.
He didn’t bottle 4-0 lead. It was the biggest piece of cheating in football history by Barcelona with the help of a crooked referee. However the season is not over. We will win the second leg and continue to challenge for a fourth place.
Not sure why so many thumbs down here. The ref totally won that game for Barca, I remember feeling sorry for how bad PSG were ripped off.
Having said that, what is the point of Emery? Benching our best players, constantly changing tactics, I mean does he even have a plan? It’s hard to see one….
Stark contrast to complaining about Wenger never being able to change tactics…
Why are you answering your own questions?
Who said I’m answering them? I’m simply adding further things.
I also wonder why we didnt approach Jardim.
@Jai Bloody hell, how many messages did you post?? Get over yourself and calm down. Yes it was a bitterly disappointing result but spitting fire at this stage of the season won’t help anyone! By all means; criticise and opine over Emery’s suitability but lets also try and stay united until May. Who knows what’s going to happen? Maybe we’ll get a run of positive results and finish in the top 4 or maybe we’ll win the Europa League – and I bet you’d be celebrating that with no shame. It’s basic logic to not start drawing conclusions before the… Read more »
Nothing that I said about Emery was wrong.
This was pretty much a full strength team barring the obvious long term injuries, against Bate. A team on holiday for 2 months
Shocking, managers are sacked for this
Agree -and also, put Ramsey and Ozil on that team-sheet and the team suddenly looks really good. Who’s fault is it that they are probably both leaving the club?
Without them we should still be slaughtering this team! They even said before the match that they’re not ready and unfit, they’ve not played a competitive game for 2 months! Emery is not good enough for this club, we needed an innovative manager with an identity, with a vision, Emery has shown NOTHING in 8 months, any manager worth keeping shows something in that space of time, Poch did at Spurs, Klopp did at Liverpool, etc etc
Guess what
Klopp guided Liverpool to 8th in his first season. Pochettino did a bit better finishing 5th.
Give the man a full season with a transfer window where he can actually do something before judging him.
If Emery manages to get us into 4th spot it will be considered a good starting block for next year.
This has been my argument for most of our poor run, and I agree that Emery needs a proper transfer window (with proper money – do we have it?).
But losing to BATE Borisov is an unprecedented low, especially with the insipid way we played (or are playing). It’s making the CL look a long long way away now.
By the end of Wengers reign I was adamant we needed change, and I stick by that, but he would at least have our attack purring. We’d still concede stupid goals, but with our strikers we’d be scoring freely.
Klopp came in mid season, had no pre-season with his team. None of them were his players.
Wanna try again?
Fuck Klopp. Keep the faith
Ivan’s!!!!
After 7 months?
Stop stirring it, and for all those thumbing you up, please go and have a word with yourselves! I’m embarrassed to be a fan of this club not because of the team but because of the fans!
You’re welcome to go support Everton
I love this club. Losing to a team like Bate is unacceptable. I hold this club to a high standard. I love this club. I am a fan. All of these things are aligned.
Change him before next Thursday and we could have some chance to finish 4th and progress in Europe League. Wolves, West Ham, Watford.. all of the have better manager of Emery aka Mourinho 2.0
We will still progress in the Europa League and continue to challenge for a 4th place. Toxic fans like you are sickening
Today’s performance was sickening.
Not sure where the personal attack came from, max is expressing the view of many fans.
Your comment is kind of toxic ironically.
I know he needs to look on the bright side and all but what was the explanation as to why we were so monumentally shite in this game? We now occasionally win ugly but more concerning is we now play ugly. It is horrible to watch. I tell you what Emery has achieved in 6-7 months, Taking away the uniquely Attacking way we used to play. Our defence has been declining for the last few years but we could always play some good football. Not any more.
I think the players have enough of him. We always talking about Ramsey and Ozil will leave next summer but if both will go we will not attract anymore good players specially with him in charge and I aspect Lacazette as well to ask to leave. Honestly, who want play this kind of football?
Yes like he trusted in the team tonight……
Ok everybody, calm the fuck down.
WHY??! We lost to f’ing BATE Borisov man. What an absolute shitshow.
Why? Because calmness in times of difficulty is better than all this nonsense.
‘We did our all to win the match’ no way is that statement true.
I remember one point that summed up the second half – Xhaka, who tonight took the worst corner kicks I think I’ve seen recently, half heartedly kicked the ball at the first defender and it went out of play, before his team mates were even ready in the box.
for fuck’s sake, some perspective. we lose a game, we’re utter shite, we win one.. well we’re utter shite and rode our luck. we’re still in the game for top four and not discrediting ourselves too much, all things considered. so we lost one-nil to a shite team, so what. happens to the best of them. for anyone thinking we’re the next Barcelona with Unai now at the helm, get a fucking grip. we’re doing just fine given the circumstances and there will be slip ups. and it’s gonna be a while like that cause there won’t be resources to… Read more »
I think the problem is we are playing shite football as well as not winning.
Everyone saying they want Emery out.. But who is that quality coach that is available and can also work with just 70m every summer…i would like to know your candidates?
You have a strong point. But what of the hash he’s making with the crop he has, Chiza?
Eddie Howe
You won’t need one candidate, you’ll need one to replace Emery and one to replace the guy after and one to replace him too. We’ve gone from 22 year tenures to 22 weeks and if that doesn’t lead to radical changes despite this squad’s flaws the fan base will demand change. In the Twitterized football world hysteria is the only value fans hold dear.
losing games=evidence of fraudulent activity to many so the demand will never go.
We will have the managerial turnover of Chelsea with a fraction of the spending.
I doubt he is even going to get £70m
Gunnersaurus
Yay!
You are so right but then Emery should be beaten by the likes of Inter and Napoli but not scoring against Bate with all our attacking apparatus is unimaginable
Wenger
To be complacent with “oh we’ll take em in the second leg” like this is why players like Mustafi continue to be played. It’s the reason why we persist with the back 5 knowing that our predictable tactics will be exploited by every tom dick & Harry team. Ffs. The look of despair in his face when the camera was on him in the last mins said it all. We are NOT Everton.
We are making a good impression of Everton sadly
The big question is can the fans step up next week and fill up the Emirates on a 6pm kick off? We all know despite the importance of the game and that we are still favourites to proceed from to the next round the stadium will be half empty. We spend too much energy being negative when we should back the manager and the team next week. Emery has made plenty of mistakes this season including the shocker tonight and there should be criticism. One of my issues is sending out Emile Smith Rowe out on loan when he could… Read more »
It was a frustrating game, we tried the same thing over and over again to no avail. Welbeck is the injury of the season. We are also missing Giroud in games like this – on a shit pitch, against a defensive side, who don’t mind playing a bit dirty. I can understand Lacazette’s frustration. Doesn’t excuse that elbow though. In a bigger picture, we never replaced Sanchez. It’s still a massive hole, and a big reason why our strikers are so isolated. We are also ostracizing Ozil, but have no creative replacement for him. The creative burden is now on… Read more »
Question: This team has been used to playing one particular style for a long time with Arsene. With the introduction of Emery they have had to become adaptable to the modern flexible approach. Is it possible that this is just too much for some/a lot of them? Is the constant change each week messing with their heads?
It makes me wonder how many of our players ACTUALLY fit into Emery’s vision.
I’m not pro Emery or anything of the sort I’m just trying to think of something else to help explain what we all see unfolding before of us.
So basically you are hoping for arsenal to turn into Sevilla of the PL? That’s the apex of his career up to this point. He failed at psg. That’s the team he is looking for. I guess fans that are old enough to remember before wenger. Grind out games. There is no such thing as modern flex approach. Every good manager at a top club have their minds set. They only change when things aren’t working. The ones that don’t have an identity are the managers in the middle or bottom who have no choice but to constantly change against… Read more »
Not at all, I’m just lost watching us play football at the moment. The point I was trying poorly to make was if the club stick with Emery how many of our players really fit in with his style of play? I am worried that it is more than I first thought.
If Suarez is his type of player than he needs to go. We don’t need big club failures. I really don’t know what kind of players he wants or what he wants to do. I’m like you I’m lost watching. Idk I would rather lose playing exciting brand of football than this. He had laca and auba full preseason training and he should have known his 4231 wasn’t going to work with them in it together. He should have pushed one of them out and had funds for other players. Same with Ramsey. He should have also known even with… Read more »
Fair call Cali. The next transfer window is going to reveal so much about our club. Not just the first team changes but just how much hunger our club has to challenge for things from the top down. It will all become crystal clear very quickly where we stand. I’ll keep the whiskey close by lol
Smart clubs change managers regularly, just like any smart business does- innovation, keeping things fresh and moving, that’s why Chelsea are successful (forget their 6-0 hammering it’s their heaviest defeat for nearly 30 years, and we can’t really talk can we)
All the big clubs change managers regularly. United were the anomaly for obvious reasons. That’s why Emery needs to be a short term solution. If you stay waiting for a miraculous change of management, you’ll most likely only fall further behind.
That’s such BS
Smart companies keep management if its working. They don’t change for the sake of changing.
You don’t change out a guy like allergi just to change it up. Only reason pep isn’t at Barca or BM is because his style eventually wears players out or he gets worn out himself and needs a change of scenery. You change out managers that aren’t working. Like ManU did with moyes, LVG and Mou.
Well obviously if it’s fucking working you don’t change it, but it clearly isn’t working right now is it? You change it when you can see it’s going nowhere. Chelsea are smarter than Arsenal, they could see AVB was a dud, sacked him, won the Champions League.
Jai, we clearly are not that type of club that will change managers so frequently. I mean we can hire the best manager in the world (whoever that might be) and he will not make miracles with this lot of players. The problem with Arsenal FC is upstairs and we know it. The only way we can make a difference is to see Emery (as we see him now) this season and another season with some real budget that can restructure the team. Otherwise it’s just hunting in the fog. All of us can focus our anger towards him or… Read more »
Caligunner. You say Moyes and Mourinho didn’t work at Man United. Okay, I take that as a strong argument. Then, how the hell on earth Emery works at Arsenal. Do we take the points and the position of the table as indicators? Just asking, without entering the court saying Emery is guilty or not. I still havent formed my opinion on him. But please enlighten us in sense of your argument. Can You?
I never said don’t get rid of him. My confidence has steadily been going down since Bournemouth away I believe it was when he threw ozil under the bus smh that showed me that he has no man management skills which you need at a big club. I’m already in the emery out phase. I think since the loss to Southampton was it for me. I was replying to OP about successful big companies or clubs constantly are changing leadership or managers. That’s the way to keep things fresh which I believe is not the way. Most successful leaders stay… Read more »
But do you (or anyone) actually believe we can make some steps forward with Kroenke on the top? I mean, I will repeat the same thing, whoever comes to the manager spot, do we actually believe can make something with Kroenke who doesn’t give a penny or a board which hardly supports the manager? I am with the opinion that if things don’t start to change on that front, we can hardly believe anything positive can happen. And unfortunately that is our stucked reality.
As much as we fault AW for his last few years. I’m Starting to believe there is way more going on than meets the eye with the owners and upper management. I don’t remember but I’m sure the kroenke bought out the minority shareholder with a loan to be paid back by Arsenal’s revenues? Not out of their own pockets. So does that mean we have essentially another stadium debt we have to pay off? More lean years this time with more competition for top 4? Basically no I don’t think it’s going to get better. We’ve made a mistake… Read more »
The “Sven” argument holds water. I also had a bit of relief when he came on. But for me Sven was the last piece of hope. It’s just bits and pieces we get, we know too little and that adds oil to the fire.
Kroenke’s deals on and off Arsenal are another indicator that he doesn’t care about the club at all. Maybe if we could’ve hold on to Sven, we would have a piece of light in the coming years. But…
Moyes was sacked for finishing something like 5th.
With a team that had more or less owned the PL for 20 years. We can hardly make that claim.
This sack Emery trip that the majority seem to be on is hysteria. The problems we have are way bigger than him.
The big worry for me is that we aren’t even seeing the incisive passing that for a while looked to be part of emery’s game plan
Fraud manager
Fraud supporter
Unfortunately the fan base is full of them now!
What a fraud winning the Europa League 3 times consecutively. Maybe we should get in Sam Allardyce…I believe he’s out of work!
You have to finish outside the top four and crash out of the champions league at the group stage to win the Europa Cup three time consecutively.
By the way, in one of those three times, his team played against Malmo in one of the finals of the Europa Cup. That alone should tell you how “prestigious” the league was that particular season. His team also went a whole season without an away win
Really feeling I’ve seen this type of display over and over in the last few years. We have played like this many times in different cups and the Pl. All the comments on here were the same at the time for getting rid of wenger after our usual fold in the CL or some shit arse display in the league. I’m beginning to think it really doesn’t matter who the coach is as this team or the majority of it has served up this impotent type of football (even with ozil and ramsey) over and over again. It’s all areas… Read more »
Well said. I always feel bad for thinking let alone saying that our squad is not good enough, but it’s true. We allow our affection for them to blind us to the reality. Even the guys we really truly love and rate are probably not good enough. And I’m glad you made the point about pundits and ex-players, because I do not listen to commentary now and just watch the games without sound. I like to make my own mind up about how well a player is performing. Emery could well be the guy or he might be a flop… Read more »
When Emery plays Auba and Laca together, he plays Auba on the wing while he is more comfortable and efficient as the striker, and plays Laca as the striker, while imo, Laca seems stronger on the left wing. He sits Ramsay and Ozil, our two creative players, while we play with little creativity. Also, I find it very coincidental that he becomes head coach, and suddenly Ramsey’s contract is canceled, and Ozil is deliberately being humiliated by Emery. He plays players certain constantly, ie. Guardiang when there are other players who can do his job. He plays AMN when he… Read more »
FuckSake
Someone should tell this idiot that most games are 90 min. On another note, we are not good enough to get into the top 4. If we do by some miracle, we will finish 4th, or get dumped to Europa again. We should just focus on cutting out our mistakes and build a new team, and stop focusing on a top 4.
We are a mud table team now, and that is a fact!!
We aren’t mid-table yet, but if the Board don’t support Emery and bring in the players he needs to implement the style he wants to play then mid-table obscurity is a real threat and then it won’t matter who the manager is. Don’t ask why, but I watch a lot of Everton fan TV. When I hear their fans talk about their team it often reminds me of Arsenal…the difference is we are 5th and they are 9th! We have a glorious history that they can only dream about. They have brought in and sacked numerous managers over the past… Read more »
Two of the growing worries for fans here is the kind of players he wants to bring in and the style of football he wants to play. From what we’re seeing, that does not include our most creative and brand-name players, and it is not attractive football to watch. And to compare us to Everton in order to make us feel better about things, rather than to the teams that we should be compared with at the top, is another worrying sign.
It’s easy to look at the Wenger era gone past with rose coloured glasses but I want everyone to remember how terrible and boring our football was for some periods under Wenger in the last 4-5 years of his reign. We would complain that no matter the circumstances, he would set the team up and play in the exact same way week in week out (bar that 2-0 win against City). Now under Emery, we want more continuity and a defined style. Why can’t we have the best of both worlds: A defined playing style (as we did under Wenger)… Read more »
Well, that boring Arsene’s Arsenal got ten goals past Bate last season with a far more inferior team and thumped Huddersfield both home and away.
The least his replacement should do is stick to that “terrible and boring” football or improve on it.. Not decline rapidly
Just as I predicted from the comments here. The Wenger Out Brigade aren’t happy with their new man. Knew it wouldn’t be long until the mob came baying for Emery. The club is fucked and it goes well beyond Emery and Wenger. We looked at the continental approach then saw Gazidis and Mislintat fuck off from the sinking ship. This is how it’s gonna be for the foreseeable future. As long as we’re in the Premier League, fill the stadium and sell enough shirts around the world then Stan knows it’s a cash cow that he doesn’t need to do… Read more »
What a disappointing, disastrous and embarrassing display by the Gunners. What an avoidable defeat. Most Arsenal players were playing like they would rather be somewhere else than on that field in the first half. So disinterested and impassionate in their first half display. Totally lacking in motivation. What exactly happened in that first half for goodness sake?
The pitch was a disgrace, no wonder there was one goal from a header in it. No one could stop and start it pulled the physical level of the game down to a slipper sliding pace…. Terrible!
It shows how much of a failure our upper management is or was.
At least a couple of years to prepare for the post wenger transition and the best they came up with was arteta? Then when that didn’t go so well they come up with a recently fired emery for failing at another big club?
All our optimism to give emery a chance but this is ManU the horrible sequel
How the hell did he kill it in the job interview?
I’d back that, but I don’t see us keeping a clean sheet for love nor money. Going to be another scrappy affair
But we dont trust you bro
Unai you need to start players like Ozick or Rambo in these games other than that it’s pure madness!
Of course you better win. It’s bate borisov no disrespect but it’s bare borisov.
The question really is, do the players trust you to put them in a good position from the beginning of the game to win?
Without the main men in midfield we are just headless chickens. To be honest
That was so bad I was looking for things to do during the game. Pay bills, sweep, anything. But I think we’ll win the second leg, get through and just put this one behind us. If not I don’t know what I’ll do. Become a professional sweeper or something.
When I see what Tuchel is doing with PSG , I understand what Emery is worth ….. Nobody regrets his departure there. But why is Ozil not on the bench at least? Emery is clearly making ridiculous decisions that are weakening his own credibility. I am puzzled.
“I trust in our stadium and supporters”
Losing was all a ploy to make people turn up for the 6pm kick off at home, wasn’t it. ?
People throwing things out of the pram again. It’s just half a season in charge and we have rhe same numpties cimplanting about Unai now. As mentioned over last 3 or 4 seasons, sure you may want “change” but be careful what you wish for. WENGER’s minimum finish of 4th or better for close to 2 decades with spending restrictions (admittedly some self imposed) not to be sniffed at. Emery I said won’t enjoy the sort of “luxurious” 3 or 4 seasons grace period rebuild some pundits and fans were liberally spouting out of their arse. But he will get… Read more »