Unai Emery urges Arsenal fans to "be realistic" about its decisive season

Unai Emery has urged Arsenal fans to be "realistic" as the season approaches for his reign at Emirates.

Emery showed encouraging signs in his first year as a driver, guiding Arsenal to a fifth-place finish, but they finally missed out on their goal as they missed a spot in the Champions League for a third consecutive season.

And the 49-year-old will be the first to agree that the expectations for 2019-20 are even bigger, even though he's working with a tight transfer budget and that it's hard to see them fighting for the title, because Manchester City and Liverpool are so far ahead of the rest.

Emery only got a three-year contract when he replaced club legend, Arsene Wenger, and the contract features an exit clause next summer, which means that this season will be considered a breakthrough for him.

The Spaniard said before the friendly match between Washington Real Madrid against Real Madrid, in the early hours of the day: "We must be realistic and the distance between Liverpool and Manchester City [a lot of] points.

"We want to reduce that, we want to be more competitive. We have to improve defensively but without losing offensively, because the first idea we have developed with this team is to be offensive.

"Sometimes, it's true that we had trouble defending ourselves and taking the opposite direction. Sometimes we took that balance last year. Our challenge is to continue to produce that. And with other teams we know, we are realistic. For now, Manchester City and Liverpool are very strong, but we want to make our way.

"Being in the top four is the same difficulty as Tottenham grows up, Chelsea also kept his players [other than selling star man Eden Hazard] and can keep the performance. Manchester United was behind us last year but they have a lot of potential as a team.

"We have to believe in our own way, we have to believe in our process, believe in our players. We have very good players, very good young players, we want to engage two or three players to help us and make our way. "

Emery finished at one point in the top four and lost the final of the Europa League, which also offered a pbadport to access the Champions League. Missing the event was a blow for Arsenal.

There has been less money to spend with a transfer budget of £ 45m, which means that their biggest name, apart from the Brazilian Gabriel Martinelli for only £ 6m, will be Real's midfielder Madrid, Dani Ceballos, who should be loaned.

It will be harder for Arsenal, like Leicester, Wolves and Everton, all ranked in the top six, but Emery wants to look ahead regardless of who pursues him.

"I think we have made progress, it is not enough for our first goal, but it's our way," he said.

"I think the development of some players was clear and I want to continue this year. In general, our goal will be to win a few titles and, overall, our first goal is to qualify for the Champions League. But we need this process and we do it.

"We need to reduce the difference with Chelsea and Tottenham. We must remember that there are only two and one points behind them [respectively].

"It's not enough, I know it's not enough, but we can be positive to step one step further in our way of succeeding and competing with them and fighting for the top." four in the Premier League. "

Emery was in good shape during Arsenal's pre-season tour of the United States, relaxed and working with his players. His English has improved – they have left his regular translator at home.

No one can deny that it has always been difficult to follow a legend like Wenger. But it was sometimes difficult to understand what Emery's team was supposed to be: a possession team, an urgent team or a counter-attacking team.

However, the former coach of Valencia, Sevilla and Paris Saint-Germain aims to give the team an increased identity while improving tactically and inculcating its methods.

Emery said, "First of all, I respect all the good things that Wenger was doing here. I want to continue good things and also change some tactical things and philosophy to progress.

"My idea is the same: I want a team with a good positioning, a good combination between players and a good experience in all situations, able to attack and play with great intensity.

"I like energy, I love being protagonists and this way is a process. I think we can take a few games last year where we can see that it's our philosophy, our match, the intensity we want to create 100%.

"At other times, we could not do that. But my challenge, and our challenge, is to continue to develop with individual players and with tactical goals to achieve, and through them, achieve the best performance. "