Sokratis admits Arsenal are struggling for confidence under Unai Emery

By Mirror: Wednesday, November 20th 2019 at 21:36 GMT +3 | Premier League

**Sokratis cuts a dejected figure during Arsenal's draw with Crystal Palace last month.** [Courtesy]

Sokratis has opened up about Arsenal’s lack of confidence under Unai Emery.

After Europa League heartbreak last season, the hope was that in their second season under Emery the Gunners could push their way back into a Champions League spot.

But the North London side are languishing in sixth place in the Premier League table after dropping points to Crystal Palace, Sheffield United, and Wolves in recent weeks.

It is a small comfort that they aren’t doing as poorly as rivals Tottenham Hotspur who sit in 14th and have just had a dramatic change of manager, dropping Mauricio Pochettino and hiring Jose Mourinho.

Yet frustration at the Emirates has been boiling over of late, with fans venting their disapproval at performances and using captain Granit Xhaka as a focal point. The vitriol is so high that Arsenal seem prepared to move their combative midfielder in January.

Speaking to Arsenal Player, the Greek centre back said: "The team needs confidence and calm to show the quality we have.”

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“It is a season that has a difficult moment, but we have still a lot of time and we need to improve, we need to play better and of course we have the time to do it. We also have the quality to do it,

“When the results are going good, it is of course very good for the team [that the players are all close] because it gives us confidence.”

**Unai Emery's future as Arsenal manager is in doubt.** [Courtesy]

Arsenal fans are sure to agree with their defender, but confidence and calm are unlikely to come if results don’t improve. “I think we can get [into the top four] because if we find one or two games where we can play very good and have a good result, after the team will take confidence and after that we have the quality. The quality is here but I think we need confidence.”

Arsenal return from the international break with winnable games against Southampton and then away at bottom of the league Norwich City.

Six points from those two games will be sure to restore some confidence before the busy Christmas period, while the January departure of Xhaka should help bring that calmness the Greek defender wants for that all-important Champions League push.

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