Arsenal boss Unai Emery has focused on club's ‘poor’ defensive record in pre-season, reveals Darren Burgess

New methods: Arsenal boss Unai Emery has worked hard on the team's defensive approach
REUTERS
James Olley9 August 2018

Arsenal's director of high performance Darren Burgess has revealed new boss Unai Emery has focused pre-season training on improving the team’s defensive record ahead of their Premier League opener against Manchester City on Sunday.

The Gunners conceded 51 League goals in finishing sixth last term, their worst record since 1984.

Emery arrived in May with five new assistants as part of a radical overhaul of the club’s medical and performance departments, the latter headed up by 44-year-old Burgess, who joined from Port Adelaide last year.

And Burgess told Fox Sports Australia: “Most people recognised that our defence was poor last season. We conceded a ridiculous number of goals, which Arsenal hadn’t done in maybe 35 years, so one thing [Emery] has been working on is making the team better organised in that area.

“It remains to be seen how successful that is but that’s an area he’s focused on. He’s very particular on player positioning, depending on where the ball is in certain areas of the pitch. His sessions are very intricate in that regard.

“Like Arsene [Wenger], he’s a workaholic: he’s always watching film of training or the opposition. He’s never not analysing, even in the lead up to friendly games. He’s unbelievably passionate and the training sessions are extremely up tempo and full of instructions and hands on. He’s passionate about playing football a certain way and he really wants Arsenal to play that way. It’s been great getting to know him.”

Emery has had players working double sessions in a bid to improve their fitness and it is understood the club’s internal data suggests the players are leaner and fitter for the start of the campaign than in previous years.

Arsenal's director of high performance Darren Burgess
Arsenal FC via Getty Images

“Players are open to change,” added Burgess. “They’re enjoying training, not that they didn’t before. Hopefully, the results will flow from that. There’s also been changes to the place physically and the players have bought into that, along with training.

“It’s been a real challenge to learn a new way of doing things, especially for me, having just learned Arsene’s way and now being in the process of learning Unai’s way of doing things.

“A lot of people have commented on how different it feels, even visually around the place there’s been change. But it’s been good so far, pre-season has finished, so now all roads lead to Manchester City and that first game.”

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