When Arsenal appointed their successor to Arsene Wenger, the move was a signal that big changes were about to happen at the club. Since Unai Emery has been in charge, big changes are something he has thrived upon. He has already made three signings, with more to follow, and allowed some of the ageing talent to walk away on free transfers.
Those who have seen Arsenal on a regular basis for the past couple of season will agree that big changes are needed at the club to bring a spark. You only have to look at the 2017/18 Premier League table to see that Arsenal are falling behind the other big clubs.
They ended the season 12 points off a top-four finish, and 14 points behind North London rivals Tottenham. While many don’t know what the actual answer is, pretty much everyone agreed that the club needed to do something drastic to change what was happening.
In came Unai Emery, the first of many big changes and he has brought three new players in with him so far. The players he has brought to the club are not huge money signings or players who are expected to be top-class players in the league. Instead, Emery has looked to make small changes with the hope that those tweaks turn into one big culture change.
It is expected that he will bring in more players, with another two or three coming in before the season starts. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him add a similar number next season, as he looks to bring in his own players and change the culture at the club.
The way Emery is working will take time, though, and both the fans and the board will need to allow Emery this. When Arsenal take to the field for the first time in August, the team put out by Emery will not be his finished article; that will take a couple of years to get right.
Arsenal no longer have the pulling power or ambitions to attract big-name signings. Instead, they have to rely on small changes and upgrades in every position, and a gradual process of change.
The top four will be the first target that Emery has to achieve, although if he manages to do that in his first season, many will see that as an overachievement. The Gunners are 2/1 in the latest football betting for a top-four spot this coming season, so the bookmakers do think they have a chance.
However, at the club, there is a much longer plan being played out right now, and the top four this season would be a bonus, not a necessity. Arsenal are no longer able to pull the strings like they used to. It is now time to make small changes, and plenty of them, in an attempt to get better. Unai Emery looks like that is the tactic he is employing, and while it looks capable of working, Gunners fans should be prepared to be patient with this approach.
