By Sir Hardly Anyone
Let’s face it, with a crowd like that at Arsenal the next manager is going to have to be immediately successful, and either very popular with the crowd, or a person who does not care one jot what others think of him.
For the situation, we have now is similar to that in on this self-same day in 1974. The crowd had totally turned on the manager (Bertie Mee) and the captain (Alan Ball), and were jeering quite a few of the Arsenal players.
There were differences of course – the jeering happened in the ground because there was no social media as an alternative outlet, but the newspapers of the day were the same as now – utterly anti-Arsenal – and they stoked up the feeling.
But there was another difference too. Because on this day in 1974 the league table looked like this…
| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | F | A | G.Av | Pts |
| 14 | Coventry City | 14 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 20 | 24 | 0.833 | 14 |
| 15 | Carlisle United | 15 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 14 | 0.929 | 13 |
| 16 | Leicester City | 13 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 17 | 18 | 0.944 | 12 |
| 17 | Chelsea | 14 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 16 | 23 | 0.696 | 12 |
| 18 | Leeds United | 14 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 16 | 16 | 1.000 | 11 |
| 19 | Queens Park Rangers | 14 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 13 | 17 | 0.765 | 11 |
| 20 | Tottenham Hotspur | 14 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 17 | 21 | 0.810 | 10 |
| 21 | Arsenal | 14 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 15 | 20 | 0.750 | 9 |
| 22 | Luton Town | 15 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 22 | 0.591 | 9 |
Yes we were heading for relegation and were below such footballing luminaries as Coventry City, Carlisle United, Leeds United, QPR, and I guess I can add twice champions Tottenham Hotspur. Only the mighty Luton Town kept us off the foot of the table. The crowds were down to 25,000 by that time, and would slip down to around 17,000 before the season’s end.
(Maybe when the Arsenal Supporters Trust talk about what a soulless stadium the current ground is, they should remember some of the days we spent at Highbury – although perhaps they are not old enough to have been there at that time.)
Anyway, it took until the summer of ’76 for Arsenal to persuade Mee to retire, and yes we then got a new manager, Terry Neill. The problem was that although he lasted until the end of 1983 (six and a half seasons) he only won us one trophy – the FA Cup. Changing the manager turned out not to be the way to bring the success the fans desired.
Which shows that kicking out one manager, which according to the newspaper men down at the Toppled Bollard public house in Wapping Swamp is the only solution, it doesn’t always work. It hasn’t worked thus far in replacing Wenger, and in fact if you go back through the history of Arsenal, most of the time it fails.
In fact the only time that replacing the manager worked in terms of getting trophies was in the 1930s and 1940s.
Chapman (2 league titles, one FA Cup) was replaced by the temporary manager Joe Shaw (winning the league in his only season as manager), who was replaced by George Allison (2 league titles, one FA Cup) who after the war was replaced by Tom Whittaker (two league titles, one FA Cup).
But then on his sad death while still manager Whittaker was replaced by Jack Crayston, then George Swindon, and then Billy Wright, none of whom won anything at all. Not a sausage. 1953 to 1968. Nothing.
After that Mee won three trophies, (Fairs Cup, FA Cup, League), before taking us towards relegation, thankfully narrowly avoided. Then we had Neill, Howe and Burtenshaw, before we got George Graham.
Which tells us one thing: most Arsenal managers since the glorious 1930s and 1940s, when we had four in a row who all won the league, have won either nothing or very little.
Of course, you could argue that what we need to do now is get through the next three or four managers quickly so that eventually we can find a winner, and I suppose that is one way of doing it. But given the way the media and crowd are in relation to Arsenal I suspect most of the top men either won’t fancy the task or will be quite happy where they are.
Which brings me back to the only viable candidate I can see. I’m setting aside Jose Mourinho for the reasons I discussed yesterday. Although if you want to support him the one thing you can say for him (apart from the fact that he would be expensive to hire, play negative football and be expensive to sack) is that he doesn’t care a toss about what the fans or media think. Actually what you can also say about him is that he wins stuff. Not always, but sometimes. League three times with Chelsea in seven years, Serie A twice with Inter, La Liga with Real Mad. Trouble is that number series is declining because after the 3, 2, 1 we get 0 with Man U. Maybe he is burned toast – apart from the facts that most of his clubs do badly after he leaves.
So as the alternative there is Freddie who has managed Arsenal under 15s, Woflsburg (as assistant coach), Arsenal under 23 and now Arsenal as assistant coach.
Could he do the job? Who knows – he was sacked, as what the whole coaching, team at Woflsburg, but maybe that wasn’t his fault. At least the crowd at Arsenal would stay off his back… for a few weeks. The media, however, would go on the attack on day one.
And that’s really all the next Arsenal manager has before the blogs and media start on him again, and some of the people in the crowd follow on.
WBI
Wenger Back In
If its Jose, i am sad to say that i will suspend my support.
No one is bigger than the club, but a club ownership that would directly troll its fanbase by appointing its arch nemesis is club that is smaller than its constituent parts.
I could get no joy out of any success Mourihno would bring and i question his ability to bring success at arsenal. he spend a half a billion at Manchster united and left them mid table. Emery can’t turn this team into a negative, reactive spoiling team so how can mourninho?
Wenger gave us Cavier and Sausages and now emery gives us dog food, I couldn’t swallow the regurgiated vomit that jose would serve as caviar.
i hope the club see sense. Freddie, Arteta, Henry / Bergkamp, or brendan rodgers.
Anyone but the special t*rd
Sorry, but arsenal is not the only club where supporters want instant success from their manager. It’s general with fan sentiments all over the footballing world. Referring to Unai Emery, I sincerely believe that even if he were to be given 5 yrs to turn things around the result would be the same. Look at our Arsenal, almost 18 months down the line there doesn’t seem to be any semblance of improvement in any department of the team. Poor defence, no cohesion in midfield and lack of coordination in the attack, even with the near world class players on offer. Is it not obvious that the problem at Arsenal right now lies in the coaching? What ambitious clubs do at this point is to change the coach until they find the right one. Liverpool acted until they settled with Jurgen Kopp. That’s how it goes!
Of course Yes, Mourihno success lies in spending which is an predictable. Freddie and Arteta can bring success at Arsenal.
You cant base replacing the manager on past history…like most opinions we are ruled by social media and supporters are all very brave with their crtiticism hiding behind a computer screen.
If we are to sack Emery then do it now and dont wait to the end of the season it can only get worse
…give Freddie the job to the end of the season…this will certainly improve the atmosphere at the Emirates and the progress made in the introduction of the young ones will continue whilst the style of football will surely improve with the quality of players we have in the squad.
If Freddie makes a hash of it then cynically there will be more top class managers available at the end of the season
i think what every Arsenal supporter want is win,we need resultats more that nice football,we need trophies,we need to come back to UCL all that needs a very experienced coach who managed all that.Jose Mourinho is the qualified one at this moment.lets not look back the history we see the future
With this current crop of Arsenal, Wenger would do better than Emery. Am not sure whether Jose can the Job well either, may be someone like Alegri.
Jose his tactics are outdated hence we need one who can use the current tactics successfully,Emery is not that bad but the Wolves manager eSPRIT sANTOS would be be succeed at the helm with Ljumberg as assistant to ensure that core values are uphold
I personally will counsel Arsenal Football against hiring Mourinho.
At best, hire Freddie Ljungberg for the reminder of the season should Emery receive the SACK
And then hire a proven coach, someone who can get the best out of his players like the current coach
of DORMIUND OR AJAX.
Allegri Massimilo i have my doubts.
I would like to see Freddie be given the chance but perhaps under the guidance of Arsene for this season to settle down the ship.
Emery is done – I think that is a clear cut fact.
Who to get in is the problem… right now I would go for Allegri but I also think Vieira could make a big name for himself at Arsenal and turn things around. He is such a big name in our history that most of the fans remember – the glory years of Wenger before his downfall. Vieira also has that big mans aura around him that people respect and I think that is needed in the changing room right now.
I’d promote Joe Montemurro from the Women’s team on a temporary basis at first till Christmas.
Jose cannot bring anything to arsenal. He’s just after a job, any job wherever it’s available; my arsenal should be dat club. He is everything antithesis of arsenal. He will cause more trouble in arsenal dat will be difficult to overcome . Can arsenal foot Jose’s penchant for Spending nd Buying players? He doesn’t believe in nurturing players not even academy players. Trouble nd more trouble is all I see if Jose is contracted by arsenal,. Allegri , Fredie, Ajax present manager, Arteta are better choices Dan F Jose Mourhino.!! Shalom.
No point in referring to the 30’s or 40’s. Most of what’s trying to dump UE can’t imagine a world before Sky and the EPL. Generation ‘I want it ALL and I demand it NOW’ are busy with their tactics of abusing players and the manager and whinging about everything. Disgusted at Untold for indulging this nonsense. Supporting the manager?? Doesn’t seem like it.
Get rid of Emerry before it is too late! Probably already is! Any arsenal away game you can bank on it as a draw or a loss. He has made this team a relegation team now
Bringing back Wenger is not the answer . I current problem is the parlous way that we defend and that was never Arsene’s strongest suit.
If we ae to change and I believe that we should then I believe that it must be a pragmatic decision taken over a period of time and as such a temporary appointment of Freddie might well be the only way to go.
It may well be that a target might well be with a club and the pay off for Emery and his crew plus the bribe to get a man away from his club could be too much for our not notably profligate board.
The target of Champions league is looking doubtful at the moment and a loss to Leicester may well push it further away . Like Custer I do believe that the enemy is circling and the trip to the midlands may well be his last stand.
Except for the invincibles season and 49 unbeaten, yep, Arsene didn’t do defence
There are a few coaches with the nous to manage teams into winning machines. The coaching class of Roberto Martinez, Brendan Rodgers and Graham Potter was super in its delivery at Swindon. Martinez with Henry have done a great job for Belgium.
The basis of Roberto Martnez’s style is Johan Cryuffs phylosophy. Brendan Rogers followed that in Swindon and subsequently. It is not to far from Arsene Wengers style.
Wenger off course mastered the holistic approach including diet, training method and life style. Michael Arteta would also have a lot of this in his pocket book together with the added value of another Cryuff’s graduates Guardiola.
For the time being however Emery is doing a good job and I have no doubt he will turn the team into ‘his way’. I will support our current coach in every way I can. He’s Arsenals coach & has my loyalty.
In the words of Don McLean Long long time ago .The years that followed were his downfall.
‘In fact the only time that replacing the manager worked in terms of getting trophies was in the 1930s and 1940s’
I’m thinking you’ve forgotten the impact Arsene had on his arrive at our club.
Probably the most successful switch of manager in Prem history.
@Tony, the discussion on sky sports all day has been about referee errors and VAR. Maybe you need to remind them of the oath they signed to keep mute on ref performance.
No matter who Arsenal FC hires, the manager will be condemned whenever there’s a bad result. The players morale are at all time low because of toxic fans. Unai Emery don’t see any light in the tunnel if the fans start to insult him. And they want to bring in Mourinho? They really think he’s gonna take such bullshit from fans? He is a walking time bomb. He will destroy the club and legacy of Arsene Wenger. If Emery leaves, there are plenty of better options. For me personally, I would rather keep Emery to see out the season with respect. We are not a club like others. We are unique, special and honourable. 20 years of Arsene Wenger’s sacrifice will be for nothing if we don’t stick to our path.