Unai Emery has faced the media for the first time at our training ground in London Colney.



The new head coach spoke ahead of Saturday’s opening pre-season friendly against Boreham Wood at Meadow Park. And you can read the full transcript right here:

on his first two weeks in training…

Good afternoon everybody. The first two weeks for us is to start knowing the club, knowing the players, knowing all the people who are working with us. And then to work tactically, technically and physically, to start this way and get ready for the friendly match [on Saturday]. We will arrive 50 per cent in our way.

on the Boreham Wood squad…

The main players for Saturday are the young players and the players who have been working with us. Then the other players who finished in the World Cup, they are coming for the next weeks and will go into their work with the players who are here. The first match for us to look at the performance by the players who are here.

on what he's learned so far…

First, they are working very hard. They are working with the ambition that I want. I think the quality is high here, and I think together we will work with this quality and the details in the tactics. They will go with my ideas and work with my ideas every day, and this will help them to do these things on the pitch.

on whether the squad can compete for the title…

Let’s go step by step. We need to do it this way, working and thinking with our minds. For me, the position is for the team to get better day by day, and we plan for the first match against Manchester City.

on how many more players he would like to sign…

Normally, in my career the big clubs don’t close the [door] or the moment to sign a new player. Today, we are OK. Maybe we can bring in one if there’s a very good possibility for them to help us, but the club has done a great job of signing new players and I am happy.

on whether there's a position he’s looking at strengthening…

We signed the players who we needed and only if one player is a big opportunity for us will we sign them. Normally, we are thinking about the young players, the possibility of them staying with us or going to play on loan at another team. We are also thinking about the players who were with us last year and whether we need them to stay with us. At the moment, I think the squad is complete. We will only sign another player if there is an opportunity to bring in that one player, or two players. We will only sign a player in the next month if he’s a big opportunity.

on Steven N'Zonzi…

I know him but we haven’t made a move for him.

on Aaron Ramsey…

I’m very happy with him. For me, every day, every training session, he has the ambition I want. He’s working with a quality, the type of ability that I want. I want to work with him.

on why Ramsey hasn't signed a new deal…

This is one question for the player and for the club. In my opinion, I’ve said to Ivan, Raul and Sven that I think he’s an important player for me.

on his thoughts on England, life in London and his players…

I looked at the Premier League in my career and also all the players here in the Premier League. Normally, we know it. To be here, to start to know directly and to work with our players here and also we are going to play against all the other teams, to analyse the players, to analyse their systems and their ideas. In general, we know and I think the Premier League is maybe the best competition, for the teams, in the world.

on whether he thinks tactics will change from Arsene Wenger's reign…

I want to win. The performances, every day, for work on attacking, defending, is to be competitive each match. My first idea is getting better day-to-day with our players and working hard with our players, to transmit my ideas. The system for me isn’t the most important. For me, the most important thing is to be and to create one competitive team. And then, we have the quality.

on appointing a new captain…

We’ve spoken about that. My idea is to know every player and to know, also, the personality of the players. And then, I think my first idea is to have five captains in the team. But at the moment, I don’t know the names. I need to know more and also, firstly, Koscielny is the first captain now and for me, I have respect for that. Then, we are looking at, looking for, who are the players whose personality is the best in the dressing room. We want to keep the respect for these players and to find the captain and choose very well the best player for that.

on if he's decided who his No 1 will be…

I want to work with Petr Cech, with Bernd Leno, with Emiliano Martinez, with Matt Macey, with Ospina. It’s clear that we have [a lot] of goalkeepers but we want to work in the future with three goalkeepers in the first team. Now, I want to look, I want to work every day with all the goalkeepers and then I am going to decide for [who is No 1].

on if he's spoken to Arsène Wenger about the players here…

Not yet.

on if he plans to…

Normally, when we meet every year in Nyon with the coaches, we have a conversation together. I am sure we will meet together in the next week or month or in the near future.

on if it would be helpful to get advice from Wenger…

Each coach needs to know the players. Not all the coaches have the same relationship with a player and I have my personality. I want to know with my direct opinion, with my direct conversations with the player. I have information on the players for the club, from the people around me. The information with Arsène is also important for me but the best is my direct relationship and conversations with the players.