Upon reflecting on Unai Emery’s time at Arsenal, it has now been revealed that one aspect of his management really irked his players.
The Athletic have now been comparing Emery’s tenure at Arsenal to his current success at Aston Villa.
And it seems that the overriding difference between the two was the willingness of both the club and players to be sculptured by Emery’s vision.
Perhaps Arsenal weren’t entirely willing to let Emery make the changes he needed, nor were the players always willing to listen.
And as this report reveals, Emery’s training regimes were really starting to annoy the Arsenal players.
Emery would work 12 hours a day at Arsenal, often designing training sessions that were very long.
And that would particularly annoy players when spending two/three hours on the grass the day before a game.
MORE ARSENAL STORIES
However, it seems to be the case that the Aston Villa players are willing, and they are now reaping the rewards.
It shouldn’t be seen as a case of Arsenal players being arrogant whereas Villa’s aren’t, rather two different clubs, in two different evolutions.
Unai Emery annoyed the Arsenal players with his untimely training sessions
Fast forward to now, and Mikel Arteta has crafted an Arsenal squad that seems to hang off his every word.
The playing personnel has massively changed since the Emery era, and he would perhaps have more luck with this current crop of Arsenal players.
Unai Emery is said to have accepted a key mistake he made at Arsenal in the past, but he’s certainly making good at Villa.
And it’ll be a particularly spicy affair when the two meet at Villa park on the 9th December.
Arsenal fans would probably be happy to accept a draw right now, such has been Villa’s progress.
But with Arteta such an ambitious character, he’s unlikely to agree.
And speaking of ambition, Arsenal are now said to be exploring a quite extraordinary transfer for next summer.
One that would make them comfortable favourites heading to any side in the Premier League.
It remains a shame that Unai Emery didn’t fare better at Arsenal, but he has still had positive effect on many of their young players.