Hector Bellerin has spoken to the media about the differences so far training under Arsene Wenger and Unai Emery, as we move towards the end of pre-season for Arsenal.
From the outside looking in, it’s always hard to tell how much things have really changed from one season to another. The Arsenal training videos seem to show some differences from 2017/18, but perhaps that’s just good PR. We didn’t often get an inside look at training sessions last campaign after all.
It’s therefore good to hear from the players directly, about what they think is different now. Bellerin gave his thoughts after returning from the tour of Singapore:
“It’s been very different for everyone [this summer],” he insisted. “Mr Wenger had been at the club for 22 year so obviously a lot of things have changed. Training is way different, we are working on different things that we didn’t use to with the boss.
“The coaches have different philosophies, they are completely different. Arsene Wenger was a manager that left a lot of inspiration with the players, he gave you a lot of freedom and now Unai Emery is a bit more tactical, more organised on the pitch.
“It’s different philosophies that have worked for them both of them and for us as players it’s just about replicating what they want on the pitch.”
That’s the key, of course. Wenger and Emery can be as similar or different from each other as they like, but it only makes a difference on the pitch if the players listen to their coaching and follow their advice.
Bellerin says they’re going through a bit of an adaptation period at the moment, but everyone is trying hard to make it work.
“We are getting used to it, we are working really hard to understand the way they want to train and the way they want us to play,” he said. “I think everyone is doing really well and everyone is excited. We are all working hard because everyone wants a spot in the starting XI.”
Supporters should keep their expectations in check for the moment, because no one knows how long it will take the players to fully express what Emery wants on the pitch. It’s good to hear the team are excited about the new season though, and hopefully they can turn that excitement into a few big early results.