Unai Emery Gives Lacklustre Response to Questions Over His Future

Unai Emery ​has insisted that his Arsenal players are still behind him despite a dreadful run of form that has seen them win just six of their last 19 matches in all competitions. He also refused to be drawn into speculation he could be sacked as head coach – only saying that his future is ‘today and tomorrow’.

The Spaniard is under intense scrutiny from large sections of the fanbase after a string of dreadful results, with some home supporters even calling for his sacking during their recent draw with Southampton.

With time seemingly running out for Emery, ​Arsenal next face Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League on Thursday knowing victory will secure their place in the knockout stages as group winners, with the pressure weighing heavy on the 48-year-old’s shoulders ahead of the Emirates Stadium clash.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Emery stated that, in spite of the torrid run of form, he still has the backing of his Arsenal squad.

“Yes of course [I have their backing]. They show that,” he said, as quoted by ​Football London. “When you are winning you feel the support for everybody. I believe in us, I believe in the players. I know I am going to work very hard to come back to the performance.

“I am looking forward to playing tomorrow. The good moment, the bad moment the most important for me is to show my work. Our confidence depends a lot on how we can feel in our stadium with our supporters. Teams are coming here playing fearless. We need to be strong and together. We need to show our supporters our capacity and skills.”

In regards to his future, speculation has been rife that he could be relieved of his duties following their dismal form, with Emery insisting his focus is primarily on the next match, not his position as head coach.

“My future is today and tomorrow. My job is to prepare the match tomorrow, to look only at the match tomorrow,” he added.

Numerous on-field issues have arisen regarding his heavily criticised tactics and Arsenal’s defensive frailties, but aside from that, Emery has had to deal with the ongoing Granit Xhaka situation. The club captain was stripped of his role for responding angrily to boos from the Gunners’ supporters, with his future also up for debate in recent weeks.

Granit Xhaka

Having not played since the incident against Crystal Palace, Emery revealed the Swiss is in line to feature against Frankfurt, however, opening the door for a possible return to first-team action.

He concluded: “He’s in the group and he has the possibility to play. I hope every supporter supports him. Xhaka’s comeback is going to be important for us.”

To add to Emery’s misery, the University Campus of Football Business have cancelled a scheduled event with the Spaniard – leaked by a social media post – due to a number of ‘negative comments’ aimed at the head coach. He was due to speak alongside Guillem Balague, but the Wembley event has been removed from their schedule following the public backlash.

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