UNAI EMERY looks to have got the measure of the Europa League. Ultimately, maybe his record in the competition is what tipped the balance in his favor when Arsenal appointed him in the summer.
This is a manager who won the Europa League three times in a row while at Sevilla, elevating them into the Champions League.
It leaves Arsenal with an interesting dilemma as to how to approach the Europa League, particularly in the Group stages. Judging by Emery’s words and mood, it will be a mixture of youth and experience, a bit of rotation and yet ultimately a little bit stronger than last season under Arsene Wenger who effectively had one team for Europe and another for the Premier League.
But I think Emery feels that if you do send out a "B team" in the Europa League - even in the Group stages - that sends a negative message for the rest of the competition. That you're not taking it very seriously. And I make him right.
Arsenal looks like a team in transition, they have got weaknesses in the squad which can potentially undermine the strengths in attack. Also, while Emery’s tactics take hold, the defense will get exposed by Arsenal playing a “high line” and the demand for the keeper to play out from the back.
It could be a season to mirror Arsenal’s start to the Premier League: ups and downs, good wins and some sobering defeats. Arsenal has got some decent youngsters coming through - including Emile Smith-Rowe - who may get some game time in the Europa League.
They can also give Bernd Leno some much-needed game time. His distribution may be better but Petr Cech is still ahead of him in goalkeeping terms. But generally, Emery will have a familiar spine running through his Europa League line-ups. He is demanding in training and there is no let up in games. It will be an unforgiving and unrelenting season.
“I have proven with my experience to know the best way to manage the players,” said Emery last week. "My idea first isn’t to change 11 players for one competition and the next competition. Each match is giving us information about how we can play.
"The first year I won in the Europa League, [you] didn’t play in the Champions League because these laws change for the second Europe League. “When we opened this possibility that, when you win the Europa League, you play in the Champions League, this I think is the key to improve the interest and possibility in this competition.”
