When Unai Emery took over at Arsenal, we wondered what legacy he had been left. Now it is clear. He inherited a shambles.

An imbalanced squad, inconsistent star player, extravagant contracts way above market value, a highly-rated international running down his deal, a chief executive on his way out and a head of recruitment who, having made errors in a short period, is on the verge of leaving.

Emery has a mess to clean up. Worse still, there is no money available to start that lengthy process. This was not the job advertisement he responded to when Arsène Wenger’s exit was announced.

The muddled thinking at boardroom level at The Emirates has been exposed. Throughout my career Arsenal were admired as low key but smart operators. They were a club that seemed to do things in the right way, the blueprint for others to copy.

Now I am not sure how much of that was a mirage – certainly in the last few years of Wenger’s reign. Wenger’s success consistently qualifying for the Champions League evidently allowed his hierarchy to bluff their way through every season, collecting the proceeds of European qualification. Finish fourth, take the Uefa earnings. Job done. Stan Kroenke has had it easy for too long. He, more than anyone, needs to show why he bought the club. He is the owner of a global sporting institution and needs to make the financial commitment needed to get Arsenal back into the Champions League elite.