by Sir Hardly Anyone
Here’s a nice one to start with…
“For 22 years, what this guy has done not just for Arsenal, but for English football, people should remember. I think they came to a moment where people just want to see someone else. It’s not a matter of if you win the Europa League, the league or this or that, if you bring a new player in, they just want someone new. If even they had won the Europa League they would have asked for someone new because that’s football.”
Gaël Clichy
Clichy was the archetypal Arsenal signing. He played for Cannes in 2002–03 season while they were playing in the Championnat National, the third level of French football. He played for them 15 times and (so the story goes, his parents) were convinced by Arsène Wenger to join Arsenal. He played 187 times for Arsenal and went from France Division 3 to the Invincibles.
Moving on, according to the Daily Mail Arsenal want to offer Jens Lehmann a continuing role in the club next season even though they don’t know who the new manager will be. This adds to the assertion that Steve Bould is going to stay at the club.
According to the Daily Canon, Arsenal have not contacted any manager currently in work out of respect for the other league clubs and don’t want to disrupt their end of season. Ivan Gazidis, they say, has whittled the list down to three who are Massimilliano Allegri, Patrick Vieira, Mikel Arteta.
According to the Week, Allegri may well turn down Arsenal. We’re not told why, but maybe he’s watched Sky TV and is shocked not by how awful is the state of the club, but how awful are the things that people on that station say about Arsenal.
According to the BBC however Luis Enrique has also been put forward as a potential managerial candidate having previously worked with Raul Sanllehi, at Barcelona.
But according to the increasingly disreputable Sky Sports Mr Wenger said that whoever was to take over the advice he would give is to “give his best and to respect the values of the club. This club is respected all over the world. I would like him to bring his own ideas, his own speech, a different way of seeing the game. It’s a chance for the players to see something different.
“But also to respect what has been built here and what people care about here as well. What you have seen with my goodbye on Sunday is that even the fans that don’t agree with my decisions they have respected my honesty, loyalty and total commitment to give myself for the club.”
Meanwhile all the other names you’ve heard before continue to float around as the potential manager.
- Zeljko Buvac
- Brendan Rodgers
- Eddie Howe
- Carlo Ancelotti
- Luis Enrique
- Joachim Löw
- Leonardo Jardim
and to that we can add two that may not be so familiar:
Zeljko Buvac – the backup to Klopp at Liverpool, who according to our friend in the know R.E. Ports doesn’t speak English, has never dealt with the media and has not managed since 2001.
Julian Nagelsmann of Hoffenheim which makes it 12 I think, all being tipped at the moment.
A month ago this was the list doing the rounds
Apparently Arsenal now have a shortlist of managers to replace Mr Wenger which has been provided by Daily Canon
- Lucien Favre
- Thomas Tuchel
- Fabio Capello
- Joachim Low
- Mikel Arteta
- Leonardo Jardim
- Brendan Rodgers
- Carlo Ancelotti
- Paulo Fonseca
- Thierry Henry
Of course some are on both lists but interesting to see how many of the top ten from just a month back have now dropped off the charts.
And just so we have a complete list going forward here it is in alphabetical order with each gentleman’s current managerial position added in brackets. All 16 of them.
- Massimilliano Allegri (Juventus)
- Carlo Ancelotti (ex Bayern Munich)
- Mikel Arteta (Manchester City)
- Zeljko Buvac (Liverpool)
- Fabio Capello (recently sacked by Jiangsu Suning after they came 12th out of 16).
- Luis Enrique (Barcelona until last year)
- Lucien Favre (OGC Nice)
- Paulo Fonseca (FC Shakhtar Donetsk)
- Thierry Henry
- Eddie Howe (AFC Bournemouth)
- Leonardo Jardim (AS Monaco)
- Joachim Low (Germany)
- Julian Nagelsmann (1899 Hoffenheim)
- Brendan Rodgers (Celtic)
- Thomas Tuchel (was Borussia Dortmund now taking a year out)
- Patrick Vieira (New York City)
And do remember I am just the messenger in all this. I am not saying anyone in particular should be the manager.
I am sure you have been asked Tony, but who would you like to succeed as AW’s successor and why?
And before you answer a question with a question, Arteta because of his education and a certain interview given a few years ago.
1.Massimilliano Allegri (Juventus)
PRO – tactical genius, has won four consecutive doubles with Juventus which hasn’t been done…well, never while also putting four seasons of excellent European campaigns with two CL Finals and two unlucky knockouts. Has won a league title with AC Milan as well – the last one for the club – in 2010-11. Has experience of making Spurs cry – this season Juventus knocked Spurs out of CL with a 2-1 victory at Wembley. Has turned Juventus into a strong defensive unit while their attack is second best in Italy. Has managed to overcome loss of best players including a three-man midfield departure in 2016 (Vidal, Pogba, Pirlo) without any consequences.
CONTRA – his team has a slow start in the league which no one in England can afford, especially if Man City keep winning 30+ games per season. He is not well-known for his belief in young players as he prefers experienced players (Buffon, Barzagli, Chiellini, Higuain, Mandžukić etc).
2.Carlo Ancelotti (ex Bayern Munich)
PRO – has won Champions League more than anyone else (unless Zidane completes a hat-trick with Real). He has done it with two different clubs (AC Milan and Real Madrid). Worked under a very hostile atmosphere (Juventus fans called him swine before his spell started due to his AC Milan playing history) but managed to win over the fans to the extent Juventus have been considering him as a replacement for Allegri. He’s been known as a gentleman and one of the finest personalities in the football world which complies with the whole Arsenal value criteria. He’s been considered to be too nice which is both his virtue and flaw. Players usually love him and respect him. He’s worked under Berlusconi, Abramovich and Perez, three demanding owners/presidents which suggests he has strong nerves.
CONTRA – he’s had too many lost league races to be considered a good league manager, especially given that he has managed Parma, Juventus, Milan, Chelsea, Real Madrid, PSG and Bayern respectively. That’s seven big and wealthy clubs and Ancelotti has just four league titles to his name. He is more of a cup manager than anything else. Also, he’s not known for promoting young players as he prefers getting maximum from his current crop of players.
3.Mikel Arteta (Manchester City)
PRO – it’s bloody Mikel Arteta. He’s Arsene Wenger’s heir, he has a perfect hair – Mikel Artetaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! He’s been taught football things by Arsene and Guardiola, two masterminds of a beautiful passing football. He was intelligent player, playing at Arsenal in a similar role Guardiola had played for Barcelona under Cruyff, the one that requires brains and tactical knowledge. He knows most of current players at Arsenal as he was their captain. He might teach Xhaka how to protect back four and remind Ramsey why Aaron was a world-class midfielder in 2013-14.
CONTRA – he is still inexperienced in the leading role so it might be a gamble that won’t pay off. He wasn’t loved among WOBs as they prefer brawns over brains.
4.Zeljko Buvac (Liverpool)
PRO – seems to be an important man behind Klopp’s exciting football at Liverpool. Would guarantee fun, at least.
CONTRA – unexperienced in the leading role and is rumoured to be a rather introvert lad. More suitable for No. 2 than for the center stage guy.
5.Fabio Capello (recently sacked by Jiangsu Suning after they came 12th out of 16).
PRO – one of the greatest managers of all time, won Serie A without a defeat and I think he is the only manager in top leagues that has a longer undefeated streak than ours (53 with Milan). Also won Serie A with Roma which is a feat that can be compared with winning Premiership with Tottenham. Won Serie A seven times with three different teams (Milan x4, Roma x1, Juventus x2 – albeit two with Juventus were revoked) and La Liga with Real Madrid x2. His masterpiece was Champions League 1994 victory over Barcelona in Athens (4-0).
CONTRA – he WAS one of the greatest managers of all time. Wouldn’t be a good option for us.
6.Luis Enrique (Barcelona until last year)
PRO – his Barcelona won treble in his first year (2014-15) while playing exciting football and didn’t need referees’ help at all (seriously, no Busacca, no Ovrebo). He won the double next season but was beaten by Atletico in CL. In 2016-17, Allegri’s Juventus thrashed Barcelona 3-0 and knocked them out. Before that, as we all know, Barcelona got a hand from the refs to knock PSG out (0-4, 6-1).
CONTRA – his short spell at Roma was a major failure. He tried to recreate Barcelona there and spectacularly failed in doing so. He even lost the Europa League qualifiers to obscure Slovan Bratislava side. He failed to find winning ways when MSN (Messi-Suarez-Neymar) weren’t thrashing opponents on their own which suggests he has limits we can’t afford to gamble with.
7.Lucien Favre (OGC Nice)
PRO – interesting manager who overachieved in Germany and France. He has had a very successful spell with Borussia Mönchengladbach where Granit Xhaka was his protege. He has done a solid job with Nice. Promotes young players.
CONTRA – was sacked at Borussia after five consecutive defeats. Five consecutive defeats at Arsenal and he’d end up roasted in the media.
8.Paulo Fonseca (FC Shakhtar Donetsk)
PRO – has done well with Shakhtar but they lost to Roma this season on away goals after missing a lot of chances in the first leg. He has managed to knock out Napoli in the group stage which says a lot.
CONTRA – as I said, Shakhtar didn’t cover themselves with glory in Rome.
9.Thierry Henry
PRO – he is a club legend, the best player in the Arsenal history and all-time top scorer with a record that might remain intact for eternity.
CONTRA – his behaviour as a pundit has been appalling and I don’t think players would be pleased to see him on the dugout. He’s been working with Roberto Martinez at Belgium anyway. Inexperienced as a leading man and wasn’t exactly the best Arsenal captain ever either.
10.Eddie Howe (AFC Bournemouth)
PRO – he is young. Has managed to keep Bournemouth in EPL for three years now.
CONTRA – please no. He’s another overrated British manager who will never be good enough to manage Arsenal or any other big club. David Moyes in disguise.
11.Leonardo Jardim (AS Monaco)
PRO – won the league with Monaco ahead of Qatari FC while playing exciting football and promoting young talents who were eventually sold for astronomical prices. He can keep things tight in the best (?) manner of Portuguese football but can also play exciting football with two strikers which is very important for us given that we have Lacazette and Aubameyang, flanked with Mesut and Micki. My favourite for the position (when I ask my head, that is; when I ask my heart, it’s Mikey Arteta).
CONTRA – he might be tired of watching his league rivals buying his best players/spending zillions he can’t spend. Sometimes his Monaco looked tactically naive (as seen in CL group stage this season or v Juventus last season in the semifinal).
12.Joachim Low (Germany)
PRO – another gentleman on the list. Father of the German football revolution since 2006 till today. Won World Cup and knows German players to the bits. Neutrals worldwide love German national team for the first time ever and it’s all thanks to Löw’s football vision.
CONTRA – nose-picking habit. He has been out of club football for a long time.
13.Julian Nagelsmann (1899 Hoffenheim)
PRO – he is very young yet brilliant. He’s apparently turned down Bayern which must have been first case of a German rejecting Bayern since 1969. He has punched well above his weight with Hoffenheim.
CONTRA – he is yet to taste a level of expectation Arsenal would offer. He might be too young for Premier League lions, wolves and hyenas.
14.Brendan Rodgers (Celtic)
PRO – his Liverpool played exciting football. He managed to introduce young players like Coutinho and Sterling, revived Sturridge’s career for some time while replacing Suarez with Firmino, a relatively unknown talent from Hoffenheim.
CONTRA – he has failed to win a single trophy with Liverpool. He spent too much money on players he allegedly didn’t want (Balotelli).
15.Thomas Tuchel (was Borussia Dortmund now taking a year out)
PRO – knows Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang very well from his Borussia days. Their best campaign was under Tuchel. Tuchel prefers exciting football, similar to Guardiola’s. Won German cup with Borussia Dortmund.
CONTRA – apparently, he is tough to work with. Sven Mislintat and Tuchel don’t like each other. Also, Tuchel is a prime candidate to take over at PSG.
16.Patrick Vieira (New York City)
PRO – he is a club legend, someone who captained Invincibles. Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal hadn’t won a trophy without Vieira and Bergkamp before FA Cup 2013-14. Vieira was a constant piece of the puzzle in all three Wenger’s title winning teams – 1997-98, 2001-02, 2003-04.
CONTRA – he opted for Manchester City as his English home, it seems. He is still inexperienced at the biggest level.
My Top 3:
1.Jardim,
2.Allegri,
3.Arteta.
Josif nice work! Really can’t argue with Allegri. He has the best ‘in game’ management, but there is something daring and exciting about Arteta. Allegri will attract players and is a respected ‘front of house’ type.
Allegri was also suspended for a year for match-fixing.
Not for me, thank you very much.
No human being is perfect. Josif has done a wonderful job of shortlisting potential AFC managerial candidates. Of course upholding the Club’s values will play a very significant part in making a final selection. The fans are waiting for the AFC Board to play the next hand.
And so jjgsol, your first choice is?
I don’t think Allegri will come to Arsenal, he probably be at PSG.
Tuchel will probably end up at Arsenal.
Josif, real nice.
Wow 16, seems a good starting point, I don’t consider 3 applicants for a job o pool widely then narrow it down.
Ever towed the party line. See: Alexis, he got paid, got us a replacement and hasn’t helped our rivals. I never got annoyed about it, I was disappointed, but he made his decision based on the failure to Qualify for WC. He probably blew up at everyone South American style and the truth hurts. Why put your guys into something to watch it undone by some moron. I can absolutely relate.
I don’t think Henry is a fool, I do not think he dreams of managing any other club. So he knows what he does.
I like Arteta, but we need someone who will ruffle feathers, a tactician and a motivator. He has observed two greats so has Henry, in fact he’s played for Arsene, Lippi, Ancelotti, Guerrilla, and the list of pretty fine France managers having won every cup going.
Allegri I think turned his head on the fixing and likes experience and developing players. Selecting a few developments players amongst a plethora of experience. It’s Italian hence the pace of the Italian game.
Tuchel isn’t coming, I don’t fancy Enrique or Hardin.
Bit let’s swing it, because the Apple may have fallen a little away from the tree. And Arsene’s collapse May bring the investment we have surely needed.
Check this out.
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/03/06/arsenal-legend-thierry-henry-josh-kroenkes-preferred-candidate/amp/
IWIT
It is the only thing. Vieira isn’t the type and the reason he went City was because he wasn’t given the chance to stay on. And I doubt Thierry chose to go with Sky over coaching at Arsenal, no he got Belgium.
Hazard matured, Vertongen improved, Lukaku started scoring and so on and they qualified first and then Martinez went and backed it.
I pray the Apple fell far from the tree, Josh swing it. Often a child will revel against oppression, when that opposition fosters good things you get…..
Sometimes I can’t tell whether it’s the telekinesis or he reads……
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/702092/Arsenal-Arsene-Wenger-Tottenham-Harry-Kane-stadium-Emirates
Excellent article & excellent comments by @Josif – shouldn’t you be writing for untold?! Do you have a Twitter account we can follow?
Arteta for me! What better education to start a carrier?
Thierry Henry is legend granted but sometimes you meet your legends and find out what complete arseholes they are. Patrick Kluivert is a complete shitbag too
Now that Allegri has ruled himself out, I’m leaning towards Arteta, despite his lack of experience.
He’s spent 2 years working with Pep, and the previous 5 years at Arsenal. So, he has learned from two legendary Managers. In my opinion, City play the type of football that we aspire to, and that tips the scales in Arties favour for me.
Also, we have to realise that the end of Wenger is the end of the AFC system of administration over the past 11 years (since David Dein left). Therefore, the football club will be looking for a young, modern motivational coach, with none of the additional baggage that Wenger carried.
For what it’s worth, if Bould does stay, I don’t think he should be Assistant Manager. Maybe he takes up a specialist Defensive coaching role, perhaps one which he aspires to, but has been repressed under Wenger.
Unfortunately, Sky are now pushing the Arteta possibility, so maybe it’s all fake!