Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit has majorly hit out at manager Unai Emery over some of his tactical decisions so far this season.
The Spanish tactician is yet to truly make his mark at the Emirates Stadium, having joined as something of a surprise successor to Arsene Wenger last summer.
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Petit is clearly unimpressed by Emery’s constant tinkering of his line up, suggesting the former Paris Saint-Germain and Sevilla boss should have a clearer idea of his best team by now and stick to it.
The pundit also slammed Emery for confusing his players with all the changes to his tactics, as the Frenchman believes most footballers are not intelligent enough to adjust to a variety of systems.
Petit believes Arsenal should be lining up with Nicolas Pepe, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette in a front three, which he says worked well briefly against Liverpool.
‘I’ve not been impressed with what I’ve seen from Unai Emery in Arsenal ’s opening games of this season,’ Petit is quoted by the Metro.
‘Emery is trying different tactical systems all the time, moving players around different positions. I can see the sense in this, but only a small percentage of footballers are intelligent enough to be comfortable in different positions and tactical set-ups.
‘I worked on the Liverpool game and I thought to myself, if I was Emery, I would play 4-3-3 – with Alex Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nicolas Pepe in the forward line. As soon as he did this, with 20 minutes to go, the game changed. It was frustrating.
‘Some have pointed to a lack of leadership, a lack of strength, but I don’t think this is the problem.
‘The problem is that he does not know his first eleven. You have to stick with your ideas. It takes time for players to adapt.
‘If you change every single weekend what you’re asking from them, that’s difficult.
‘(Jurgen) Klopp has put his vision and his personality on his Liverpool team, and so has Pep Guardiola at Manchester City – and it works. With Emery, I don’t know. I’m wondering what he wants to do with his players.’
It remains to be seen if Emery can find the winning formula for the visit of Tottenham in today’s all-important North London Derby clash.