Paris Saint-Germain manager Unai Emery is confident of turning around his difficult start at the Ligue 1 champions if he is given the time to do so.
Emery, 45, joined PSG in the summer after guiding Spanish club Sevilla to three consecutive Europa League titles. The Spaniard replaced Laurent Blanc, who led PSG to domestic domination in his three years in charge, winning eight trophies including three Ligue 1 titles.
However, the absence of a Uefa Champions League title under Blanc resulted in the change of management ahead of the current season, although it has been far from smooth sailing for Emery.
At the midway point of the Ligue 1 season, PSG are in third place, four points behind surprise leaders Nice, while their inability to top their Champions League group has produced the daunting prospect of facing Barcelona in the first knockout stage.
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PSG’s indifferent form — they won their last match 5-0 against Lorient but previously had one win in five in all competitions — led to a public vote in confidence from chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi and speculation linking the likes of Louis van Gaal, Roberto Mancini and Fabio Capello to the role.
Still to master French, Emery dismissed the suggestion that a language barrier was to blame for PSG’s underwhelming first half of the season, but he admitted his side must kick on in 2017.
“No it’s football. Football needs time, there are good moments and bad moments. That doesn’t mean that this is a bad moment, but we have to get better and improve,” Emery said at the Dubai International Sports Conference where he was a guest speaker.
“There are two paths to success; one is in winning which is most important, and the other is to develop an idea and that idea gets done 100 per cent.
“I’m always confident of my work.”
Emery, who believes the Champions League tie against Barcelona will be “a beautiful match”, also discussed PSG’s recent signing of Germany winger Julian Draxler.
Draxler, 23, completed a €35 million (Dh133.76m) move from Wolfsburg to PSG this week and has signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with the French champions.
“The club wants to improve for today and the future and that’s an example of it,” Emery said of Draxler’s arrival.
* The National staff
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