'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
For the majority of Arsenal fans around the world, Arsene Wenger is all they have known. After having managed the club for 22 long years, the Frenchman finally stood down, albeit under some understandably necessary pressure from the board.
Nevertheless, Gunners fans have a new era to look forward to after former Paris Saint-Germain boss Unai Emery was appointed as the new head coach at the Emirates.
"It's a big challenge but in my career, every year I grow up with new challenges," he said at his first press conference. "For me, the challenge is a dream come true."
So what can the Arsenal players and fans expect from the 46-year-old man who hails from the Basque region of Spain with 10 trophies to his name?
#1 Emery's Tactics: Pressing over Possession
Since moving to the Emirates Stadium, Wenger lost his technically gifted players who were champions of direct football and moved to a philosophy where he relied on the players' technique on the ball. Possession became a way of life and the Gunners used to top the possession charts in England until Mauricio Pochettino and Pep Guardiola arrived.
Emery, on the other hand, prioritises winning the ball back with high-intensity pressing. Nevertheless, he understands that possession football is one of the key facets of this squad and he intends to marry the two philosophies.
“I like to win the ball back as quickly as possible,” Emery said. “It’s about two things: possession and pressing."
No game sets a better example than PSG's win over Barcelona where the team's intensity was too much for the Catalan club as they fell to a 4-0 defeat. Of course, the second leg was a different matter altogether but, in that game, the players did not adhere to Emery's instructions and were overwhelmed by the occasion.
Arsenal have been guilty of being almost lazy in winning the ball back in the opponents' half and Emery might change things for the better. It bodes well for players that work hard off the ball - such as Danny Welbeck, who has lost his way since his move to Arsenal.
#2 Attention to Detail with Video Analysis
If there was one thing Wenger was infamous for during his time at Arsenal, it was the fact that he gave little attention to using video analysis as a tool to train players for games. Wenger was steadfast in his philosophy of having his team play the game their way and dictate the game using their own imagination.
As a result, Arsenal's style of play has degraded in recent years to the point where players have had little to no direction in their style of play. More often than not, Arsenal players have been far too static on the pitch with the exception of just a couple of players who have tried to seize an initiative.
Emery is a different breed. The former Valencia and Sevilla boss would pore over videos for hours so he could condense it into one hour for his players. Neymar reportedly complained to the higher-ups at PSG that far too much time was being spent on video analysis.
“Emery put on so many videos I ran out of popcorn. He’s obsessed by football, it’s practically an illness.” - Joaquin
He will be happy to see that he won't have egotistical players to deal with at the Emirates and the current squad will look to absorb everything he says - considering the lack of analysis they did themselves in the past.
His video analysis helps his team focus on aspects where the squad can grow as a team - be it positioning on the pitch on and off the ball and how to work with teammates in defence and attack with precision.
#3 Ability to Bring Through Youth Players
This is where Emery is probably one of the better candidates for the Arsenal job. His managerial experience at some of the biggest European clubs with a proven track record is not the only reason why he was picked by the Arsenal board.
What impressed them the most was his own knowledge of the Arsenal youth players. When he made his presentation to the decision-makers, they were amazed at how much in-depth knowledge he had on each player - especially the youngsters.
"He knew more about the Arsenal squad and every relevant detail about their career path and injury histories than people who had been at the club for years,” said a source according to The Sun.
“They’d no idea where he had gathered his information but they were mesmerised by the vision he put before them.”
In recent years, even though his job was easier at PSG than it was at Sevilla and Valencia, he still did manage to develop some young players. For example; Adrien Rabiot - a long-term Arsenal target if you judge by the rumours - was just an ordinary midfielder when Emery took over and he has since become a purposeful box-to-box midfielder.
Other players who have benefited from his guidance at PSG are Presnel Kimpembe who, at 22, is already a better choice to play in defence than captain Thiago Silva.
Look even further back in his career and the likes of Juan Mata and David Silva spent some of their crucial years developing and honing their skills under the guidance of Emery at Valencia while the same can be said of Ivan Rakitic at Sevilla.
At Sevilla, he had Monchi bringing in the right players where he developed a squad that won three consecutive Europa League titles. Without a big budget to work with, Emery will depend on club scout Sven Mislintat and head of football relations Raul Sanllehi to bring in the best youth talent to develop.
