AUSSIE Darren Burgess, Arsenal’s director of high performance, gives Fox Sports’ Daniel Garb a fascinating insight into life after Arsene Wenger as the Gunners prepare for the new season.

Wenger appointed Burgess to the role at the start of the last season, with the former Port Adelaide, Socceroos and Liverpool fitness guru regarded as one of the best in the business.

With Arsenal heading into the season with a new coach for the first time in over 20 years, Burgess has provided a glimpse into the changing structures Unai Emery has put in place at the North London club.

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DANIEL GARB: So what’s it been like, Arsenal haven’t had a new manager in over 20 years, what’s the pre-season been like under a new boss?

Darren Burgess with Arsenal's Danny Welbeck. Source: News Corp Australia

DARREN BURGESS: It’s been a huge change, maybe not as dramatic for me because I’ve only been there for a year but it’s certainly been different in a number of ways. Firstly, we’ve got a whole new coaching team considering Unai has brought in five new assistants all with different skill sets but also in the medical and performance departments as well, so yeah it’s been a real summer of change and very different with differing philosophies on training and how to work and how to prepare. It’s been a real challenge to learn a new way of doing things especially for me having just learnt 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.

DG: What are the things he’s tried to change and that he’s pinpointed need changing without wanting to disrespect the former manager?

Burgess describes Emery as a ‘workaholic’. Source: AFP

DB: Most people recognised that our defence was poor last season we conceded a ridiculous number of goals around 50 or something which Arsenal hadn’t done in maybe 15 years so one thing he’s been working on unsurprisingly is making the team a bit more solid and better organised in that area. Obviously 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. Not better or worse to the previous way but certainly different.

DG: What’s Unai Emery like as a person, how would you describe him?

DB: Like Arsene 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 got a very dry sense of humour and is 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.

DG: And have you noticed a freshness around the place? Again no disrespect to Wenger but change after so long in any industry usually brings that initially…

DB: Yeah, well what we’ve noticed is that the players are open to change. They’re enjoying training under the new manager 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.

DG: Just on last season and Arsene leaving what was that environment like through the tough times and also when he departed how emotional was it?

Wenger was under enormous pressure at the end of his Arsenal tenure. Source: Getty Images

DB: In the lead up to him leaving the pressure was really intense and he handled it as well as anyone I’ve seen. There wouldn’t be a day go by when there weren’t people outside the training ground, at every home game the abuse he copped from home fans was pretty harsh at times so it was fascinating watching someone go through that and then maintain unwavering belief in the players. When he left it was really emotional, on a personal level he embraced everything that I tried to bring to the club and he was really easy to work with and open to suggestions so I can only imagine what it was like for people who worked with him for 20 odd years. That last game against Burnley did feel like a tough time for many staff, the fans and him. The bus back from Huddersfield was tough for sure.

DG: And on you personally — back at a Premier League club for a second stint after your time at Liverpool, how much are you enjoying being in the biggest sporting league in the world?

DB: It’s an interesting one, Dan. You try and go about your day as you would with the Parramatta Power or Sydney Swans or Port Adelaide and treat everything the same but every now and then for example having 40,000 come to training sessions and games in Hong Kong and have people flood the hotels you get an idea of the enormity of the club. For me it’s just great to work in elite football and have a say in anything from transfers to game stats to filling up the gatorade on game day it’s just fantastic to be involved at this level at a club like Arsenal. Being a football lover it’s just great, it’s be even better in the Champions League but hopefully this time next year I can talk to you about that.