It’s pretty hard to find the perfect candidate to replace a man that’s been the head of a club for close to 22 years. Arsene Wenger has been more than a manager at Arsenal, in fact, he’s been like a general overseer. He’s taken control of all footballing operations, financial aspects and of course recruitment processes.
The man is undoubtedly Arsenal’s greatest ever manager and whoever’s going to replace him, will have some big boots to fill. There have been a number of names branded around, but only a few have the potential to live up to expectations.
Here’s who should be the next Arsenal manager.
First, let’s go over who wouldn’t be a good replacement. Brendan Rodgers was the bookies favourite for a while, but he’s not the man for the job. He’s a man that relies on having a marquee player, for example, Luis Suarez nearly carried the Scotsman to a league title a few years ago.
Thierry Henry’s name has also been suggested, but the Frenchman has next to no coaching experience. In fact, he only has the assistant role to Roberto Martinez on his CV. Now, let’s move on to the name of Mikel Arteta, just like Henry, he has no managerial experience except for being part of Pep Guardiola’s coaching team.
Patrick Vieira is currently in America overseeing NYCFC in the MLS and seems quite committed to the cause. In fact, he should use that job to prepare himself for a role in Europe on a future date.
Now, we’ve taken care of the pretenders; it’s time to get into the actual contenders. First of all, Luis Enrique is one of the best coaching talents in world football. His treble-winning season at Barcelona has established himself as one of the most successful managers in modern history. However, some put that down to him having Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar in the same squad. Rumours suggest that the Spaniard wants a £15m annual wage, on top of that, he’d want a massive transfer budget. Those are two things that the board wouldn’t be willing to compromise on.
Then there’s Carlo Ancelotti, a man that has unrivalled European pedigree. In his career, the 58-year-old has won the UEFA Champions League on three separate occasions, that’s three times more than Arsene Wenger. He’s a winner that relies on fluid attacking football and experienced leaders on the pitch. At the Emirates, he could transform the Gunners into a title-winning outfit. But the only question is, is he modern enough to survive in the Premier League?
Those two are good candidates, but the best man for the job is Massimiliano Allegri. The Italian has been described as an updated Antonio Conte with more ruthlessness. The 50-year-old can boast four Serie A titles to his name, with a fifth soon to be confirmed. Allegri is tactically flexible, good at rotating and a firm believer in defensive solidity, all aspects Arsenal have suffered from in the past.
Under the tenure of Massimiliano Allegri, Arsenal’s current crop of players could go from 6th to 1st in the twinkling of an eye. Allegri has pedigree, class and a disciplined style of coaching. Arsenal needs the Italian for success and Allegri needs the Gunners to solidify his legacy.
