Arsenal news: Unai Emery will need up to two seasons to fix this team, says Gary Neville
Neville thinks that numerous underwhelming transfer windows could take around four transfer windows to untangle
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.It could take Unai Emery up to two seasons to get Arsenal playing the way he wants them to, in the opinion of Gary Neville.
The Emery era began with a disappointing 2-0 defeat by Manchester City on Sunday, as his new look Arsenal team struggled to adapt to his expansive philosophy.
And Neville thinks that numerous underwhelming transfer windows will take a couple of seasons to untangle.
“I don't think this is short term,” he said on Sky Sports.
“The recruitment has been so bad here over the last three or four years, it's going to take two or three, maybe four transfer windows to sort this out.
“Emery is a great coach and he needs three or four transfer windows.
“I don't care who the coach would be, you could bring Pep Guardiola in here, even with the biggest transfer budget and one of the best coaches in the world, it's going to take him more than that.
“It's too early [to judge him]. He's trying to rewind 20 years of culture, training, the mindset of everything and what you saw today was Emery, who is the head coach of the team, but a performance of a team who were still playing the same way.”
Neville also has his doubts about whether Arsenal’s current crop of players will be able to adapt their game sufficiently.
“I watch those players and they look one-paced to me, they don't look like they're accelerating the game,” he added.
“You look at City going forward and the speed that's in their game.
“Emery will want a lot more intensity in his team and to be fair, these players have played in their comfort zone for the last two or three years and Arsene Wenger has been the fault of that, according to everybody, but the reality is the players have now got no-one else to look at.
“He'll get rid of those players if they don't start playing at a higher intensity. I think they started quite early in the second half but it's far too early to judge him. He definitely needs three or four transfer windows to make this team his own.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments