As Arsenal prepare for the not particularly arduous task of overturning a 1-0 deficit to BATE Borisov tomorrow night, Unai Emery has called for the fans to play their part and to get behind the side in the stadium.
Tensions have been a bit frayed since the defeat last week, something the Spaniard – who has a Twitter account – is no doubt all too aware of, but for the 90 minutes he’s calling for support and unity as we look to secure passage to the next round of the Europa League.
The Gunners are favourites and man for man possess a far superior squad, but the Arsenal boss wants to give his side every advantage.
“For us tomorrow is a very important match,” he said.
“It is also very important to play in our stadium with our supporters, and we need their support for this match and I hope there is a big atmosphere for us. Together, with their support, I know our players can play and give their all.
“The supporters want to watch our team play with the best performance possible. For this reason, I think we need good feedback between the supporters and us.
The 17.55 kick off time has caused some consternation, with many fans unable to get there after work – particularly those who travel from outside London – and it’s unlikely to be a full house.
Asked if this might affect the atmosphere, Emery continued, “I don’t know, but we want and we need the supporters. If we can create a big atmosphere tomorrow, then it is very important.
“We need to listen to them supporting us and the players must give them the best performance in our stadium.”
Let’s hope everyone performs on the night, players first and foremost though, because they’re the ones who can make the real difference.
We need the players to show up and perform. No boring defensive BS.
Yeah, that’s the spirit..
This is the negativity that affects our team, all fans crying and hating everyone
I’ve taken a day off because the trains aren’t running and it’s an awkward time, but I’ll be there and hoping to see Mesut. If it’s another crap defensive cowardly team selection it’s going to be a difficult evening.
I expect the players to perform tomorrow, end of story!
We need the manager to play our best 11 with no shitty “tactics” like 9 defenders and one striker playing on the wing. I hate this guy.
Well let’s hope those Nzoni and Banega rumours resurfacing are just media rubbish. Wouldn’t that be a barrel of laughs
When on earth has he ever even done that?
Pretty much every time we play weak opposition that we should be attacking.
“shitty” tactics.
So you say that as one who’s managed top level football teams. Won multiple European cups. Won top level league titles.
Wow, oh yes. Surely, your opinion is important.
The big fear for me is if the team selection is too negative, if the tactics are too negative, if there are too many empty seats, the atmosphere could get pretty toxic. I hope, for the sake of the club, we’re able to be positive and learn from the loss at BATE and move onwards and upwards from here..
Come on you Gunners! We’ll be there for you.
Bring back David Hillier (and Glenn Helder)
You forgot perry groves
ha! you can remember the 90s.
We could do with a winger, to be fair.
The fans need the manager to properly motivate the players with a solid gameplan and strategy. The manager and players shouldn’t need the fans to encourage them against bloody bate! This is the sort of thing you hear before a home game vs city ffs…
Play a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 formation, games where we have been cautious have bitten us on the arsenal!!!!!
The fans will be useful, but so would playing with a bit of ambition and not fielding 9 defenders
Exactly.
We need Ozil tomorrow night.
Important match? How did you make Bate Borisov 2nd leg into a important match? Smh
The true colors of his managerial philosophy of playing safe football. Managing scared.
Yes in a 343 you can play ozil and Ramsey behind the striker. In fact you can play Ramsey deeper with torreira and have ozil and whomever behind Auba.
It doesn’t matter who we play unless it’s Fulham everything seems like a borin grind.
Its a game Arsenal MUST WIN. I think these claims of playing a defensive team are nonsense. We have to win, which means scoring goals, so the team ahs to be geared to do that.
We have some of the worst fans.
Like they say West Ham great fans crap team. Arsenal great team crap fans. Spurs crap fans crap team.
Except the later in danger of not being so as far as team is concern….
Didn’t believe the rubbish spewed by the AFTV usual suspects and pundits that they were prepared to give the gaffer 3 or so seasons to turn things around.
Utter bollocks.
Wow – I actually completely agree with you for once!
I thought the general consensus was that Emery would need time and that this season would be tough. We’re in February and only 1 point off 4th but some people still find a reason to moan.
Yes, some performances have been bad and Emery’s tactics have been bizarre at times but Arsene pretty much begged us not to forget the values and traditions of this classy club and to support the team unconditionally… Fat chance.
I agree that we are a messy bunch of fans and that it would be rash to sack Emery so soon, but there are very worrying signs over the direction he is taking the team — and he should feel the pressure from every possible direction (rather than knowing he’s got a free pass for a few seasons). Seeing our most talented players on the bench more often than on the pitch, and seeing Emery’s absurd over-reliance on defenders to create rather that our creative midfielders, many are worried that Emery’s end game is to generate a team that works… Read more »
Supporting the team unconditionally isn’t the same as supporting the manager or any individual unconditionally. It means supporting the team as a whole. If the manager is holding the team back with this negative and ineffective back 3 formation, then why on earth should we support him? I’ll always support the team as a group. Individuals though – that is conditional on their performance and attitude. I mean, give him until our season’s effectively over at least – this could just be a glitch after a solid start. But if he doesn’t change his tactics fairly soon my benefit of… Read more »
The claim that Emery fields 12 defenders is very laughable. I believe what he fields is 3 CBs, 2 WBs, 3 CMs, and 2 STs. 3-5-2. People kept moaning about the negligence of defensive awareness during the Wenger era, and this coach comes in, inspects the catastrophe that we have as defensive players, and tries to set up teams that could offer protection for said catastrophe, while trying to be threatening going forward. This is Wenger’s team. Emery has overachieved in my opinion. Imagine Wenger against this premier league where everyone had spent to improve themselves (bar Sp*rs who don’t… Read more »
When Wenger started he used the defence that was here as the foundation for attacking footlball. My hoe was a defensively minded coach could come and and do the reverse- add a solid back line to an overwhelming attack.
Instead he’s playing almost exclusively defensively minded players and weakening our attack with only marginal improvements at the back
What the side need (really what emery needs) is a comprehensive victory. Emery is clearly under a lot of pressure after the dismal away performance and our awful January… a loss to bate tonight is likely the end of his time at arsenal.