UNAI EMERY is out of ideas and out of time as clueless Arsenal were found wanting again at a half-empty Emirates.
And it has reached the stage where it almost seems cruel to allow him to continue in the job which has exposed his managerial limitations.
Unai Emery looked decidedly fed up with his Arsenal team – just like the thousands of fans who stayed awayCredit: Alamy Live News
Frankfurt celebrated two goals from former J-League star Daichi KamadaCredit: AFP or licensors
The suffering Spaniard looked a picture of misery as he watched the latest horror show unfurl in front of his eyes.
He stood rooted to the spot as two second-half goals from Japanese international Dalchi Kamada condemned his team to a seventh straight game without a win for the first time since 1992.
It means they are still not certain of Europa League qualification in spite of winning their first three group games.
It would still take a five-goal defeat away to Standard Liege next month to deny Arsenal their place in the European knock-out rounds for a 20th consecutive year.
But you cannot put anything past this crumbling team.
And you certainly wouldn’t bet in Emery still being in charge for the trip to Belgium in two weeks’ time.
Arsene Wenger never presided over such a miserable run of results during his entire 22-year tenure.
But Emery is taking the club into uncharted territory and surely knows that the writing is on the dressing-room walls.
The fans have already long given up on him. The official attendance for last night’s game was 49491 but the reality is that there were more than 30,000 empty seats as disillusioned season ticket holders voted with their feet.
The only noise during a dismal last 45 minutes came from the small group of Eintracht fans who had beaten the travel ban imposed on them by Uefa.
It was only at the final whistle that the home supporters finally found their voices to deliver their verdict on the manager’s efforts.
Emery has tried so many permutations in recent weeks that it has become virtually impossible to predict his starting line-up any more.
Yet it is safe to say that no-one saw David Luiz and Granit Xhaka in central midfield coming when the manager was discussing his options ahead of this match.
In the 32 days since Xhaka last played for Arsenal, they had played five games, won none, conceded 11 and allowed 94 shots at their goal.
So maybe it wasn’t a total shock that the handful of fans who had bothered to turn up were in a more forgiving mood than they might otherwise have been.
The empty seats at the Emirates Stadium said it all as the ground looked less than half fullCredit: Reuters
Clueless, gutless Arsenal shrugged their shoulders as their defending let them down once againCredit: Rex Features
Arsenal fans waved ‘Emery Out’ signs around the groundCredit: Rex Features
There was barely a murmur when the PA system announced the return of the former skipper and a few even cheered the Swiss international who must have wondered if he would ever play for the team again.
But Emery needs all the friends he can get right now, especially one with a point to prove.
For while Xhaka might not be the most talented player at the Emirates, few can match his commitment and work-rate.
Not only that, he also delivers a mean dead ball, with his set-piece ability proving a constant source of early opportunities for his team-mates.
It was Xhaka’s 16th minute corner which was inexplicably headed right across his own goal by Frankfurt’s Danny da Costa for Gabriel Martinelli to bring a sharp save from Frederik Rennow.
A minute later, Xhaka picked out Martinelli again for a header which was cleared off the line by former Manchester City defender Gelson Fernandes.
And when Martin Hinteregger applied a misdirected header to another Xhaka free-kick, he was only spared the embarrassment of own goal by another crucial intervention from keeper Rennow.
Aubameyang also headed a decent chance wide after Joe Willock got in his way and Bukayo Saka was thwarted by another decent save from Rennow.
Granit Xhaka even appeared to grin after the final whistleCredit: BT Sport
But just when it was beginning to look like yet another of those nights for Arsenal, Aubameyang supplied the breakthrough they so desperately needed with his tenth goal of the season.
Martinelli’s low cross in first-half stoppage time eluded Saka but fell perfectly for the skipper to swing his right boot and send the ball crashing into the net via the keeper’s boot and the underside of the bar.
Suddenly Arsenal sensed a much-needed opportunity to end their dismal run and they could not have asked for more accommodating opponents than an Eintracht team who did not appear to realise that they were up against a team deep in crisis.
But confidence is so low at the Emirates right now that even the most mediocre adversaries fancy their chances against Emery’s strugglers.
For 45 minutes the visitors barely crossed the halfway line and seemed almost resigned to an early exit from the competition.
But the moment Kamada was allowed to cut inside Sokratis to score with Eintracht’s first shot on target, you just knew that things were about to turn very nasty for Emery.
And so it was to prove in the 64th minute when Willock’s clearing header dropped at the feet of the lurking Kamada to drive through a crowd of defenders for what must surely be the final straw for Emery.
No fans at The Emirates for Arsenal’s Europa League tie with Eintracht Frankfurt
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
