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Unai Emery discusses tactical switch but rules out pairing Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Unai Emery insists he is open to adapting his tactics at Arsenal – but says he will not be pairing Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang against West Ham.
The Spaniard has used a 4-2-3-1 formation in each of the Gunners matches thus far, with Aubameyang leading the line and Lacazette starting on the bench.
On both occasions the Frenchman has been come on in the second half, but on both occasions has led the line with ex-Dortmund hitman Aubameyang moving out to the left wing.
Doing so from the start against the Hammers at the Emirates has been mooted as a possibility as Arsenal look for their first points of the season, following the 2-0 reverse to Manchester City and the 3-2 loss at Chelsea.
The duo are close friends off the field and have been keen to stress that they can play together.
But playing from wide isn’t something that suits either forward, both of whom prefer to play at the point of attack.
And Emery, when asked whether he would change his formation this weekend to accommodate the duo as a partnership, had some bad news for the pair.
“At the moment, no,” said Emery when asked if they would play together. “At the moment, I think we need to have the control with the possession, with the positioning on the pitch, with more players inside.
“And after this possession, to do the attacking moments and defending moments with this balance.
“But, it is one possibility to continue in our progress and in one moment to try also to play with two scorers. In the last match of the pre-season, against Lazio, I did it with Lacazette and [Eddie] Nketiah.
“But also, this position also for the players, they know that in one moment we can do that. But at the moment, no.”
Emery insists he is happy to change his style based on the opposition, but insists that he will always look for his side to ‘control’ the match – regardless of formation.
“My idea is first control, but the opposition want the same. With this control, you can be near to win and then know when you need to change the rhythm.
“I know we need intensity in every moment in the games. This control is to not let the opposition play. For example in the two first matches, we didn’t have the control enough; only in some moments, but not like what we need to find to win.
“Saturday is another match, tactically it will be different. It will be demanding and I want to have more control to find the win in this match.
“We are working on different situations tactically. In the first we are playing with four at the back, then we have two and one, and one and two.
“With two and one, it is like a 4-2-3-1 and one, two, is for a 4-1-4-1 or a 4-3-3. We have players who train in this system.”
The Chairman of Agbele Sporting, Hon. Ponmile Omidiji, has rejoiced with and extended warm felicitations to the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Remo Stars Football Club, Hon. Kunle Soname, on the occasion of his birthday.
This was contained in a statement personally signed by Omidiji and made available to journalists in Ibadan on Sunday.
The statement reads: “It is my greatest pleasure to felicitate with you, the man of the masses and a philanthropist par excellence, on your day of birth.
“You are a morale booster and a great motivator to this generation. You always utilise any position you occupy for the benefit of others. Indubitably, you are a good man and worthy of emulation,” he added.
Omidiji also seized the opportunity to commend Hon. Soname’s contributions and tireless efforts towards the development of football in Nigeria and beyond, noting that such commitment is truly appreciated.
He offered heartfelt prayers for the celebrant, praying that Almighty God would continue to bless and protect him, that God’s grace would abound in his life, and that all his concerns would be firmly in God’s hands. He further wished that the world would always be kind to him.
Christian Chukwu, former captain and head coach of Nigeria’s national football team, the Super Eagles, has died at the age of 74.
The football icon passed away in the early hours of Saturday, though the exact circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear at the time of reporting.
The news of his demise was confirmed by his longtime friend and teammate, Chief Olusegun Odegbami, who spoke to Channels Television. Odegbami, who played alongside Chukwu in Nigeria’s triumphant 1980 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) squad, expressed deep sorrow over the loss.
“I just received the news that between 9:00 and 10:00 this morning, ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu, MFR, my bosom friend and teammate, one of the greatest football players in Nigeria’s history, has passed on,” said Odegbami.
“Babuje, Emmanuel Okala, MON, gave me the sad news a few minutes ago. May ‘Onyim’ find peace with Our Creator in Heaven and console his family,” he added.
Born on 4 January 1951 in Enugu, Chukwu carved a legendary career in Nigerian football, notably captaining Enugu Rangers to numerous domestic triumphs and leading them to continental glory in 1977 with victory in the now-defunct African Cup Winners’ Cup.
He made history in 1980 as the first Nigerian captain to lift the African Nations Cup trophy following a 3–0 win over Algeria in the final held in Lagos.
Chukwu went on to contribute to Nigeria’s football success off the pitch, serving as assistant to Dutch tactician Clemens Westerhof during the Super Eagles’ victorious 1994 AFCON campaign and their debut appearance at the FIFA World Cup the same year.
As head coach, Chukwu led the Super Eagles to a third-place finish at the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia. His tenure as national coach lasted from 2002 to 2005, ending during the qualification phase for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
Nicknamed “Chairman” for his commanding presence on and off the pitch, Chukwu also played a role in Nigeria’s youth football development, working as assistant coach during the 1985 FIFA U-16 World Cup, which Nigeria won in China.
In 2019, he battled prostate cancer, which affected his mobility. A public appeal for support was launched, and Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola stepped in to cover his overseas medical expenses, reportedly donating $50,000 for his treatment.
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim believes Marcus Rashford was unable to see football “the way I see it” before the unwanted England striker was shipped out of Old Trafford.
The 27-year-old Rashford fell dramatically out of favour with the Portuguese boss and spent seven weeks on the sidelines until he was loaned to Premier League rivals Aston Villa during the transfer window.
“I couldn’t put Marcus to see the way you’re supposed to play football and to train the way I see it,” Amorim said on Thursday.
“And sometimes you have one player that is really good with one coach, and the same player with another coach is different.
“I just wish the best to Rashford and to (Aston Villa coach) Unai Emery, and they can connect because he’s a very good player.”
Amorim, whose team face Leicester in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday, said his focus now is on turning around a wretched season.
“Guys, in the summer… like we said before, we are fighting for our jobs until the summer,” he said.
“So, I am just focused on these games. Thankfully about Marcus he is in Birmingham now with Unai, so you can take these questions to another coach. We are just focused on our players at the moment.”
