ARSENAL legend Martin Keown has pleaded with the club’s chiefs to “make the decisions that need to be made” on Unai Emery’s future.
The Gunners are now seven matches without a win after losing 2-1 at home to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League last night.
Unai Emery is on the brink at Arsenal after a seventh game without a winCredit: Reuters
Gunners legend Martin Keown has urged to board make a decision now on the under-pressure manager’s futureCredit: BT Sport
That’s Arsenal’s worst run for nearly 28 years, when George Graham oversaw an eight game winless run.
Despite the Emirates being half-empty for their latest failing, the full-time whistle was met with a huge chorus of boos and jeers.
And even before that, a number of “Emery Out” signs were held aloft by disgruntled supporters.
Keown, who spent 13 years playing for Arsenal and helped them to three Premier League titles, insists the Spaniard has lost the players.
Now he believes the fallen North London giants must axe Emery or risk “plundering” further due to their “relegation form”.
Speaking on BT Sport, the 53-year-old said: “We just witnessed an absolute shambles of a performance in that second half.
“The team selection, the team motivation, the substitutions, the performance – everything was missing here, it was a dreadful performance.
“I think you have to go back, the fans turned, many years ago, on Terry Neill, 37 years ago. I was at the football club when it happened. Things got very toxic within the club.
Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo is the favourite to replace Emery ahead of former Arsenal legends Mikel Arteta and Freddie Ljungberg
“I think we’re getting close to that again. Is he able to motivate this team? He seems to have lost the players. The direction of the team, the desire seems to have ebbed away.
“I could question players, [Granit] Xhaka stayed on the pitch, perhaps should’ve gone off, [Shkodran] Mustafi couldn’t get off quick enough.
“The substitutions that he made, the players that are sitting on the bench. You’ve got [Nicolas] Pepe there, [Alexandre] Lacazette to come on, you’re trying to get back into the game. It’s not enough.”
Keown believes Emery, 48, may well decide to walk out on his own.
But if not, then the Arsenal board need to make the decision for him.
He added: “I think maybe the manager is in a position where he might feel he has to step to one side now. Serious questions really need to be asked. This is as bad as I’ve seen it.
“I know change was needed. Wenger was at the football club just a little bit too long but now it looks as if the club have got to go in a different direction.
“This is relegation form. Do the club really realise how tricky this is now going to be?
“Decisions have got to be made.
“The football people at the top of the club, make the decisions that need to be made otherwise Arsenal are going to plunder further down the trouble.”
Eighth-placed Arsenal travel to Norwich City this weekend without an away win since September 19.
They are already eight points off the top four and need at least a point in their final Europa League group match in Standard Liege next month to reach the knockout stage.
Arsenal boss Unai Emery shockingly claims ‘we have improved’ after dismal defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
