One of Arsenal’s important first-team players has suggested that Unai Emery ‘should’ve changed’ the team’s tactics to prevent the side’s collapse against Watford.
According to Football.London via Sky Sports, Arsenal ace Ainsley Maitland-Niles has questioned the tactics Unai Emery uses with the Gunners, this comes in the aftermath of the north London club’s collapse against Watford last weekend.
The Englishman hinted that Emery’s ‘persistence’ to play out from the back ultimately cost the side a victory against the Hornets.
Maitland-Niles’ selection of words also suggest that the youngster doesn’t believe club captain Granit Xhaka’s claims that the Gunners were ‘scared’ of the Hertfordshire club in the 2-2 draw.
Arsenal superstar Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang did all he could to ensure three points for his side by bagging a first-half brace. The Gabon ace’s hard work was undone by costly errors from centre-back’s David Luiz and Sokratis.
Sokratis’ half-hearted attempt to play out from the back allowed Manchester United academy graduate Tom Cleverley to get Watford back into the game.
Former Chelsea star Luiz then brought down playmaker Roberto Pereyra with a reckless challenge that provided Quique Sanchez Flores’ team a golden opportunity to equalise from the penalty spot.
Here’s what the 22-year-old had to say on his boyhood club’s tactics under Emery:
“Words can’t describe how I feel about it.
“I don’t think so [that the team was scared], I think we tried to play the way we played, we should have changed it instead of being so persistent and trying to play out from the back.”
Surprisingly, the versatile ace also added that the entire team discussed the error of their ways after the match:
“We’ve spoken to each other as a team and the manager has also spoken to us.”
“We know we’ve done wrong, we can all hold our hands up and blame each other if we wanted to, but we’re a team and we take the responsibility as a team and be even better.”
Maitland-Niles isn’t the only Gunners star to voice his concerns about the team’s risky playing style, The Sun reveal that senior Arsenal players have also questioned Emery’s tactics.
Despite being considered as a top six club, Arsenal have one of the worst defences in the league.
With the side struggling to keep things in check at the back, it’s hardly a good idea for Emery to get his defenders to focus on playing out from the back rather than just simply shutting out the opposition.
