Arsenal boss Unai Emery insists he has the full backing of his players as more and more questions are being asked of whether the Spaniard is the right man to lead the team back to challenging for major honours.
Emery took over from the long-serving Arsene Wenger in 2018 and led the Gunners to the Europa League final – eventually losing to Chelsea – in his first season in charge.
Champions League football remains the main focus for the club, however, with Arsenal not having competed in Europe’s premier club competition since the 2016-17 season, and poor results this term have many calling for Emery’s head.
Fans and pundits have pointed to a lack of a clear plan at the Emirates, with there still no set formation or preferred starting XI under the former Sevilla boss, while players’ body language has also sparked debate as to whether he has lost the dressing room.
When quizzed at a press conference as to whether he felt the players still believe in his vision, he replied: “Yes, of course. They show that. As a coach, each moment in my career is difficult. This is a very good job, but also a very hard job.
“My future is today and tomorrow. My job is to prepare for the match tomorrow [against Eintracht Frankfurt], to look only at the match tomorrow. After the last match (2-2 draw with Southampton) we were disappointed – and the supporters also.
“My only focus is to show tomorrow our performance and connect with our supporters. We know our supporters are disappointed. It’s really, really our focus [to connect with them]. My wish is tomorrow that every supporter helps the team and helps the players.
“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 [thing] for me is to show my work.
“When you are winning you feel the support from everybody. 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.
“The players need to feel [supporters] backing them.”
Emery was also asked whether Granit Xhaka – recently frozen out due to an altercation with fans – would be returning to the squad.
“He’s in the group and he has the possibility to play,” the head coach said. “I hope every supporter supports him. Xhaka’s comeback is going to be important for us.”
