This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
As quoted by The Daily Mirror, former Arsenal man Jermaine Pennant has insisted Unai Emery shouldn’t carry all the blame for the team’s struggles this season.
What did he say?
The Gunners boss has come under-fire in recent weeks amid a series of poor results and performances that have seen the north London side reside in eighth place in the Premier League.
Reports have suggested Emery is now on the brink of getting sacked by the club, but Pennant has insisted the responsibility for the team’s misery shouldn’t solely rest on the Spaniard’s shoulders – instead suggesting the players have to stand up and acknowledge their own failings.
He said: “The players have got to look at themselves because there is only so much that the manager can do. He can give instructions and pick the team, but he can’t pass the ball for you. And some of the goals they are conceding is not due to the manager. That comes down to application.
“That comes down to knowing how to defend properly. It’s the fundamentals like seeing the correct pass and knowing where to be and where not to be. That’s down to the players. They need to look at themselves and be more energetic. Defend like every game is a cup final. Instead they’re half-hearted like they’re trying to get Emery sacked.”
Responsibility
Make no mistake about it, whilst the buck will ultimately stop with the manager, the players have hardly covered themselves in glory either. How can Emery legislate for something like David Luiz’s shirt-pull on Mohamed Salah at Anfield, or Sokratis’ monumental mistake in trying to play out from the back against Watford? Those are individual errors that can’t be rectified in any coaching manual.
Whilst Emery has chopped and changed formations, the players used this season have largely been the same. The team hasn’t been flooded with multiple new signings that can naturally lead to a sense of disjointedness. Modern footballers appear to be so quick to down tools and throw their manager under the bus – just look at the Gunners’ London rivals Chelsea and the way they have dealt with bosses they weren’t fans of.
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Perhaps it’s time for the Arsenal players to stand up and take some responsibility instead of hiding behind Emery’s struggles.
Meanwhile, Arsenal fans are fuming with reports linking them with Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
