A THREAD ON EMERY, WENGER AND MESUT OZIL
Ever since Emery's assumption of the position, we've been trying to figure him out. Players are asked about him. Media writes about him. Recently, a biagrophy was published. In the light of all, what do we make of the new coach of Arsenal?

His reliance on video analyses is well-known. His attention to detail and study of opponents also constantly come up. Some players he previously coached talk about the detailed instructions they were handed prior to the games. Some say that they would go in such detail that at

times, would be hard to grasp.
Some Arsenal players talked about these extensive descriptions and guidance when asked by the media. Xhaka said "We know what to do each game." sparking some conversation about Wenger. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2018/11/04/granit-xhakas-transformation-unai-emery-arsenal-game-changer/

"In training, he will physically move players into the correct position, focusing their bodies and minds on the intricate demands of their roles in his system."
Mustafi also referred to this, saying that he is trying to find a balance between detailed instructions and freedom.

During the last international break, Emery gave an interview to Marca, where a question was directed to him about Wenger.He said
"I don't have time to watch and analyse players. I am more of a tactician. Wenger, for example, was someone who saw pure football, more of the player."

But the thing is both are quite the extremes. Every individual player brings something unique to the table and they are not /should not necessarily be tactically programmed machines. Detailed instructions on exactly what to do may work better with small teams with many workhorses

but big players need a certain level of freedom to express themselves. A great coach is one who can establish a balance between a good game plan, while providing a space and chance to those players to thrive and manifest themselves. Young players need more of a guidance while

gifted, established ones are the magic providers of a well-functioning team. If you try to dictate every aspect of their game, these players either do not respond well, or lose what makes them special in the first place.

Emery and Neymar clashed in PSG in that regard, and the

club decided to sack the manager. He talks about the challenge of managing big players in his biography. It is another debate what went on between Emery and Neymar, but recently, he made similar headlines with his comments on Mesut Özil, and I find his treatment of him alarming.

The thing with Mesut Ozil or any player of his ability is that they cannot and should not be turned into a tactical workhorse. And Emery needs to address this by balancing his approach, because tactics, by themselves, are not enough to win against greatest teams with world class

players who transcend the best of game plans to counter them, with that surprise factor which makes them difficult to win against. You never quite know how and when the magic will hit you.
11 workhorses in a team is an ideal management for a small club lacking the best of players

but tactics by themselves get you only too far. Emery is described as a "control freak obsessed with details" by the media, but he should work on this obsession to control every aspect of the game and analyse his own players' strengths as much as the opposition's.

He brought a welcomed change after Wenger who was criticised for not preparing well enough tactically and relying on magic (it was difficult in a team with only a handful of players capable of producing that magic; so eventually that failed.)
Emery is his opposite but he is on

another extreme and is now killing the magic. I believe those way-too-detailed and ever-changing scripts based on each opponent is one of the reasons behind the slow starts to the games by the Arsenal team. Players look like actors trying to remember their lines, unsure and slow

in the first half until they eventually grow into their roles in the second half.

But a middle ground does exist. A good game plan should not kill the magic. Emery can still be tactical while giving some space and freedom to the players.

In the end it seems his treatment of Mesut Ozil will show us which way that will be.