Arsenal have no intention of getting rid of Unai Emery before the end of the season and are “100%” behind him according to David Ornstein.
Many had hoped that, should Arsenal lose at Leicester on Saturday, it would at least spell the end of Unai Emery’s time at the club. As I wrote before the game, that, sadly wasn’t going to happen.
Now, through David Ornstein, the club have clarified their position and it’s awful.
Arsenal bosses “100%” behind Unai Emery, deny considering change or talking to candidates, plan to review in summer. Kroenkes + execs offering full support, won’t react to “noise”, feel results will improve atmos & think #AFC on right path. @TheAthleticUK: https://t.co/rXXrMAtd9a
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) November 10, 2019
Ornstein confirms that Emery will be in charge for Arsenal’s next league game and that “Reports of contact being established with potential successors to Emery are vigorously denied”.
If you think that’s bad, he continues, “There is acknowledgement at Arsenal that Leicester are an extremely strong side, especially at home, and the top brass think Emery’s team showed clear signs of improved performance.”
Arsenal are also blaming VAR, apparently. Ornstein writes, “There is no attempt to hide the fact that most of their problems have been self inflicted, though they also apportion blame to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.”
He also details how the club see a long way to go in the season with 26 league games left and plenty of time to put together a winning run as long as everyone shows “patience, confidence, belief, focus, resilience, togetherness and consistency.”
With Arsenal eight points behind City in fourth, who have a game in hand (albeit against Liverpool) and closer to the drop zone, Arsenal look unlikely to seal a Champions League via the Premier League and we are only just into November.
Add to that the threat of losing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette next summer as the pair stall on signing new deals and you have to think the club are taking a massive gamble on Unai Emery being able to do something in the next six months that he hasn’t been able to do in the previous 18 – namely, improve Arsenal in the slightest.