Why today would be right day for Arsenal to sack Unai Emery: Our view

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Arsenal boss Unai Emery is a man under pressure.

Arsenal have a big decision to make and the power brokers at The Emirates should make it today.

Unai Emery has to go, and this is the right day to do it.

Why does he have to go?

Arsenal appointed Unai Emery as a replacement for Arsene Wenger and viewed the Spaniard as the club’s big hope for future progress, or at least a steady pair of hands.

At present he looks like neither.

There is no progress for an Arsenal side which sit 17 points behind leaders Liverpool after 12 games and nine points back from second placed Leicester.

Leicester’s progress themselves makes a mockery of claims Emery needs time. Brendan Rodgers has transformed them in a matter of months.

There is clear unrest among players at The Emirates, and supporters have had it too. He’s already lost the fans.

The Granit Xhaka situation is a farce of his own making, and so many conflicting decisions have been made over Mesut Ozil that it has overshadowed their season.

Why today?

Tomorrow, or Wednesday, or Thursday would be fine, but if Arsenal are going to fire Emery, they need to do it as soon as possible.

And there is clear benefit from doing it early in the international break.

It would give a new manager maximum time to bed in and start preparing, and getting to know and work with the Arsenal players.

Arsenal’s fixture list after the international break is kind too.

They face Southampton (h), Norwich (a), Brighton (h), and West Ham (a).

It’s an ideal run to give to a new manager looking to get off to a fast start and get the feelgood factor back to The Emirates.

In mid-December the fixtures get tougher, with the Gunners facing Manchester City (h), Everton (a), and Chelsea (h). That would be a tough run for a new manager to jump into.

The timing makes perfect sense for Arsenal to do it now, and it sends a decisive message, that the Gunners are not tolerating mediocrity.

If they keep Emery, Arsenal will probably pick up a few points over their soft upcoming fixtures, before returning back to reality when the games get tougher, and being back to looking directionless under the Spaniard.