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Cascarino: Emery speaks in riddles

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Tony Cascarino has slammed Arsenal manager Unai Emery, questioning whether he has the ability to motivate his players after another disappointing result at the weekend. 

The Gunners left it late to salvage a point against struggling Southampton on Saturday afternoon, and Cascarino has suggested that Emery lacks the necessary man management skills to be a success in north London.

Writing in a column for The Times, he said: “I think there is a problem with Unai Emery’s communication. It is not just that his grasp of English isn’t great, but that he is not clear in what he is trying to say.

“I listen to him and he is speaking in riddles — I quickly lose interest.

“When I listen to him speak to the media, I find it very hard to imagine him going into the dressing room and delivering clear, motivating messages to his players.”

Is Cascarino right about Emery?

Whatever the root cause of Emery’s issues may be, the fact of the matter is that he is struggling immensely, and unless something drastically changes in the very near future, it surely won’t be long until he is out of a job.

Cascarino is probably right in the sense that Emery doesn’t exactly strike you as a great motivator. His laid-back style and occasional hesitancy in a language he is still getting to grips with doesn’t initially inspire confidence.

That being said, many other managers who have English as a second language, and who speak in sweeping philosophical generalities in the press, have succeeded in the Premier League before.

As an Arsenal fan, what would surely be more concerning is the continued disregard for a logical and consistent selection policy.

On Saturday, for instance, the Gunners started with seven defensively-minded outfield players on the pitch against a side in the bottom three.

No wonder they struggled against the Saints, and to have 12 shots to Southampton’s 21 at home, as per the BBC, is nothing short of criminal.

You can’t help feeling that the writing may be on the wall for Emery.

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