Granit Xhaka Refuses to Back Unai Emery and Questions Arsenal's Progression After Chelsea Thrashing
Granit Xhaka declined the opportunity to back Unai Emery as the man to take Arsenal forward after the Europa League final and says he does not know if the team have improved under the Spaniard.
After squandering the chance to finish in the Premier League's top four at the end of the season, the Gunners then wasted their last chance at Champions League football with a resounding 4-1 loss to Chelsea in Baku.
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Emery is set for a rebuild this summer but how much cash he will have available after the Champions League failure is unclear.
Following the Europa League disappointment, Xhaka refused to back the former Paris Saint-Germain boss when asked if he thought the side had improved under him. As quoted by Metro, he said: "I don’t know. I’m not the right person to give you an answer about this."
Xhaka did confirm that Emery took the defeat to heart and did not speak to any of his players in the aftermath of the game. He added: "Him [Emery], the players, nobody speaks in the dressing room.
"He [Emery] was disappointed of course. I think we know how we played. We know we lost the game. It is not about shouting everything if we lose.
"You can say a lot now but it is not the time to explain why and what happens. I think it was a big chance for us and we didn’t take it."
Emery did have to contend with a modest budget last summer after some significant recent investments in the squad under Wenger. Missing out on Champions League football means he'll be restricted again to a reported £45m total, while Aaron Ramsey has left for Juventus.
