Opinion: Why Unai Emery is a Big Experienced Risk at the Emirates
Arsenal’s surprise switch from former captain Mikel Arteta to naming Unai Emery as Arsene Wenger’s successor has come out as the biggest news this week in England aside from the Royal wedding.
Arsenal was on the verge of appointing a 36-year-old Arteta, a key member of Manchester City’s manager Pep Guardiola’s title-winning coaching team until former Paris St-German coach Emery’s name emerged yesterday.
It was definitely a plot twist that was greeted with worldwide shock and yet there is logic to Arsenal’s change of direction.
From all indications, Arsenal supposedly went for experience. Maybe Arteta was simply too much of a risk for the Gunners?
Arteta was appealing to so many Arsenal’s faithful with his combined Arsenal pedigree and the glory of sharing from Guardiola’s 100-point Premier League record-breaking success. He suddenly grew in reputation and was of serious interest to another former club – Everton – when they sacked Ronald Koeman in October.
However, a large element of risk was obviously knocking at the door of the Emirates with Arsenal appointing an unproven manager as successor to someone who had become an institution over 22 years at the club.
The club and its management had to settle for experience to the detriment of youthfulness. With an uphill battle to fight back into contention for the Premier League’s top four, Arsenal just had to go for the tested hand.
Arteta who is still very young, maybe one for Arsenal’s future, although the result of this experience may deter that relationship
He will now have to return back to the backbenches at Manchester City, after getting so close to a big coaching job.
Former Arsenal stars Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry were also linked to this particular job, even the likes of ex-Barcelona coach Luis Enrique, Juventus’ Massimiliano Allegri and former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss Carlo Ancelotti – but the winner of the race came from behind to pull a shocker.
Emery’s name drifted into the public domain late on but he will have been on Arsenal’s radar from the moment he left PSG following two seasons in which he won Ligue 1 once and four domestic cups.
He was unable to win the Champions League, conceding a 4-0 first-leg advantage to Barcelona in harrowing fashion the last term before an exit to this season’s finalists Real Madrid at his second attempt. His failure to satisfy the desire of PSG’s Qatari-owners for European success saw him displaced by German Thomas Tuchel.
And yet he has the track record that, on the surface, makes him a far more logical choice than Arteta. Although experience most times doesn’t translate to Competence or even productivity.
Contracting Emery is still a huge risk if you ask me, Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright told BBC Radio 5 live: “What’s going on at Arsenal? Where’s Unai Emery come from? I can’t get it out of my head.
“You’d have thought that by now they would have known exactly what’s going on. Emery has had loads of money to spend at Paris St-Germain and now has to come to Arsenal with £50m, with a bunch of players who have been playing in second gear.
“His coaching ability will have to get going instantly and he will have to find some gems instantly.”
But Wright added: “I wouldn’t be disgruntled as an Arsenal fan about Emery. I think the fact he’s come out of left-field when everyone’s thinking ‘it’s going to be Arteta’, that’s the only problem. If we do see a difference in intensity, drive and consistency, everybody will get onside and that’s all Arsenal fans want to see.”
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