Thierry Henry says Arsenal got it wrong with Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has branded Aston Villa manager Unai Emery a "tactical genius" and believes he deserved to be given more time when he was in charge of the Gunners
by Matthew Cooper · The MirrorThierry Henry believes Unai Emery "would have been a success at Arsenal" if he had been given more time.
Emery took over at Arsenal in 2018, replacing legendary manager Arsene Wenger after his 22-year stint in charge. However, Emery was sacked after just 18 months in charge and replaced by former Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta.
And while Arteta has transformed Arsenal into genuine Premier League title challengers, Henry believes Emery would have done the same if he had not been axed. Since leaving Arsenal, Emery has won the Europa League with Villarreal and guided Aston Villa into the Champions League.
Speaking ahead of Villa's 1-0 win over Bayern Munich, Henry told CBS Sports: "He's a tactical genius. He always goes out there and makes sure that his team has an advantage tactically because that's how he operates.
"We all know what he did in Spain [winning the Europa League four times with Sevilla and Villarreal]. It's no disrespect to what Mikel Arteta is doing and he's doing extremely well for Arsenal, but I just thought that if we kept him a bit longer he would have been a success at Arsenal.
"He did show it straight after when he left the club. I have massive respect for him."
Fellow pundit and ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher added: "I think he's fantastic. I think he's one of the best coaches in European football.
"He's had great success in Europe, not in this particular competition but in the Europa League specifically with Sevilla and Villarreal. I would say in the English Premier League we have Pep Guardiola above everybody else and he comes second.
"He's not at one of the biggest clubs and when you think of the effect a manager can have on a football club... I always believe the manager is the most important person at a club and he is testament to that.
"That was a team who were flirting with relegation [when he joined] and within a couple of years they're in the Champions League. It's phenomenal what he's done."
Emery's stock will only continue to rise after he masterminded one of the greatest night in Villa's recent history. After winning on their Champions League return vs Young Boys, the visit of Bayern was their first chance to go head-to-head with one of Europe's heavyweight.
And after a tight contest at Villa Park, Jhon Duran delivered the knockout blow to secure a famous victory and send out a massive statement to their Champions League rivals.
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