Unai Emery has denied that he struggles to communicate with his Arsenal players.
The denial comes following comments from teenage sensation Bukayo Saka, who admitted after the 3-0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt that he finds it easier getting instructions from Freddie Ljungberg than Arsenal’s head coach.
“It helps so much [to have Ljungberg there],” said Saka, who played under the Swede when he was Under-23s coach at the Emirates last season.
“Sometimes when I don’t understand, when the coach is trying to communicate with me, I have a better communication with Freddie, he speaks better English.”
Saka’s comments only added to suggestions that Emery can struggle to get his instructions across to his squad at the training ground.
Arsenal legend Alan Smith recently revealed that he had been told some Gunners stars were being left unaware of exactly what was being asked of them by their head coach.
"I have heard whispers that some of the players find their manager’s instructions confusing,” Smith wrote in the Standard. “That they do not really know what he wants them to do.
“If so, that does not bode well. A clarity of purpose is essential.”
But Emery is adamant that is not the case and insists that he has no issue speaking to his players.
Getty Images“I think no,” he said, when asked if communication was a problem at London Colney.
“I have conversations particularly with Bukayo and Freddie does the same with individual players, not only with Saka.
“Also I spoke to Saka alone in my office and prepared sometimes some videos [for him]. I have also done videos with English players, Spanish players, German players, French players.”
From his very first press conference as Arsenal boss, Emery has spoken in English when addressing the media.
He had an interpreter with him at all times last season, but now feels confident enough to speak to the press on his own.
The Spaniard admits it was a struggle during the early days of his tenure in north London but says things are now getting much easier as he continues to get a better grasp of the English language.
“Last year on my first day I spoke to them (the players) very bad, worse than today,” said Emery. “But I have [continued to speak] English and now I think better.
“My English is, from one to 10, maybe a six. But at six I think the players can understand me. But if not, some help is good.”