Unai Emery; The New Era

Despite the news going on at the top of the club with the CEO and ownership, the work on and around the pitch has been positive. For the first time in a long time, it is exciting to speculate, anticipate, and watch!

The systems that were put in place on the coaching and director levels, namely Sven Mislintat and Raul Sanllehi, will be our rock as we enter into this new era of the Arsenal. Their introduction to the club with the end of Wenger’s reign will hopefully allow them to grow into roles as a reestablishment occurs.

Unai Emery has already had a positive impact on the squad, judging on summer reports and the preseason matches. The player purchases and promotions have actually built on the squad from last year. I can’t help but feel that focus is created by competition between a mixture of established players and youth. The versatility of tactics used in the preseason matches is very impressive. Many pundits/bloggers are worried about figuring out the system and starting eleven, but I am happy to see a variety of tactics within Emery’s structure to get the most out of the players specific to the competition. The top of the modern game will be an application of 2-4 preferred formations and an ability to adapt to match at hand when considering rotation between competitions.

It’s good to see Ozil wearing the captain’s armband through some of the fixtures. The last few years were meant to be building around him. Giving him the opportunity to acknowledge and thrive in that environment as a leader could be the push that he needed to get to the next level. The rest is on him. Emery has mentioned having multiple captains, which is a great way to employ accountability and distribute desire while establishing himself as the new manager.

Our first two weeks will truly be trial-by-fire, with matches against Manchester City and Chelsea. For me, four points from the first two matches would mean that we’re in for a real treat this season. However, simply showing true progress will keep the fan base on-side without dampening the prospect for the season. Taking four or more points from these first two fixtures would set us off with some heavy momentum.

Unai Emery; The New Era