ARSENAL legend Tony Adams has backed calls for manager Unai Emery to be sacked following their 2-2 draw at home to Southampton yesterday.
Emery was bailed out by Alexandre Lacazette’s 96th minute equaliser against a struggling Saints side who haven’t won since their 4-0 triumph over rivals Portsmouth in September.
Alexandre Lacazette scored two but Arsenal flopped against SouthamptonCredit: AFP or licensors
The Gunners are without a win in six matches and Adams believes the time is right for Emery to go.
He told BT Sport: “I’m just smashed to bits with the performance. At one point Ozil was sweeper, getting the ball off his keeper and trying to run it through everybody.
“The boos are deserved – it was a terrible, terrible performance, very disjointed, no defending in sight.
“That’s a really poor performance and I don’t want any coach losing his job, but the club’s not going forward, it’s not progressing.
“I can put a team together that’s more organised than that!”
Arsenal dropped to seventh after yesterday’s draw, leaving them eight points off the top four and the pressure mounting on Emery.
Their defence has been criticised for the majority of the season and they have conceded 15 goals in their previous seven games.
It is a worrying sign for a club with top four ambitions and Emery’s decision to play five defenders and two defensive midfielders against a side who had conceded 29 goals in 12 matches did not go down well with the supporters.
Southampton had managed just 13 shots in their three previous matches combined. They had 21 against Arsenal.
Another former Arsenal defender, Martin Keown, believes the club should appoint Mauricio Pochettino following his sacking from rivals Tottenham.
Keown said: “I have a lot of admiration for what he did at Tottenham, the way he nurtured those young players and he didn’t spend a great deal of money.”
It would be a controversial move from Pochettino to head to the Emirates but Adams doesn’t believe he is the answer.
Arsenal face another tough challenge when they take on Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League on Thursday, with a point being enough to secure qualification from the group stage.
Unai Emery cut a frustrated figure on the touchline yesterdayCredit: Rex Features
Unai Emery ‘understands the supporters’, telling press he is ‘disappointed’ & ‘frustrated’ after Arsenal draw at home with Southampton
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
