It's never too early to judge this Arsenal defense

We are in 2023. Theresa May remains confident in the resolution of the problem, Donald Trump continues to bang about his wall and people still say it is too early to judge Unai Emery.

Back at the moment, this "too early" mantra – which already governs discussions about the Gunners' new boss – has some credibility. The Spaniard took over after the 22-year reign of a controlling and ruthless Imperial leader. To put the gunners back to their best level would never be a night job.

It's nice to see a Premier League coach have time and patience, and it's refreshing to see hysterical Arsenal fans call for calm. In fact, many of those who have protested against Wenger now overcompensate so much for Emery that you suspect he could burst into their homes, lay a thick stool on their kitchen floor and say they were shrugging. shoulders although he makes replacements at half-time. "

But all this tolerance collapses in one aspect of Emery's performance: Arsenal's defense. In the summer, he lost nearly 70 million pounds on a new goalkeeper, center back and defensive midfielder – a brand new defensive backbone. He had eight months to train them, as well as the Arsenal defensemen.

A new backbone and eight months to work with them – you would expect to see signs of progress in defense, is not it? At least a hint of improvement or vision. But the Gunners are still as shambolic on the defensive as they were in the dark days of Wenger.

They are worse, statistically: after 25 league games, they conceded 34 goals last season. They have already conceded 36 goals after the same number of league matches under Emery. He managed less clean sheets than in the equivalent number of games.

Sack Wenger
Rent Emery. 6th
Buy a new £ 100 million defense. 6th
Undefeated in 23. 6th
Emery had a positive impact 6th
Aubameyang scored 14. 6th
Start Ozil.6th
Leave Ozil on the team
Bench Ozil.6th

Arsenal FC.
We improved the FC.
New Era FC.
Wenger was our problem FC.

– Solskjaer ™ (@SolskjaerFC) February 3, 2019

Emery, who has spent a season without a league win in Sevilla, has maintained the tradition of defeat outside Big Arsenal: a 5-1 defeat to Liverpool. The Gunners currently have the seventh defensive record in the Premier League. What is the absolute fridge going on?

His defensive decisions are disconcerting. In the summer, he lent to the promising and versatile Calum Chambers. Without Chambers having to call on the inevitable injury crisis, the Gunners rely on Emery's summer purchase, his biggest summer, Stephan Lichtsteiner and the adorable but ridiculous Carl Jenkinson.

The gaffer dropped another agent into the winter window. The Gunners are painfully in the back, he did not recruit a defender, but the attacking midfielder Denis Suarez. And here's one thing to keep the Gooners awake at night: Unai considers Shkodran Mustafi as one of Arsenal's most reliable defenders.

When the new boss was unveiled this summer, we were told he was hired to bring order and structure to the team after Wenger's more artistic and mercurial approach. It is said that when Emery was interviewed for the position, he arrived with a large file containing a forensic badysis of each member of the squad, detailing their qualities, their weaknesses and how he would improve them individually and collectively.

And yet, Emery seems more and more puzzled on the sideline. This dominant and lurking presence has disappeared. Instead, he remains confused and confused, resembling a Mediterranean cousin of Alan Partridge, who has just been told that he will not get a second run.

The exact number of "series" ordered depends on the motivation of Stan Kroenke's club to return among the greats. The Gunners seem nailed for a sixth place this year. It will then be up to the club hierarchy to decide whether or not the man who will spend the summer transfer.

In the meantime, he needs to show his vision of the team a bit, as Ole Gunnar Solskjær has done in just ten games at Old Trafford. United fans can already see the vision of their boss ad interim – they even invented a name for it (#Oleball). He does not need to play the "too soon" card that was easily handed over to Emery.

Chas Newkey-Burden – you can follow him on Twitter here