Unai Emery’s second season in charge at Arsenal has definitely not
started the way that anybody would have wanted or expected. Having
basically been given a free pass in his first season, much more was
expected from the Spaniard for the second, particularly after what
most believed to be a very successful transfer window. This however,
has not been the case. The biggest question of Arsenal’s season really
has been, have Arsenal been worse going forward or at the back?
At this point, unless there’s a dramatic turn around from Emery, it
seems more of a case of when and not if he is replaced as manager. I’m
going to take a look at the names most frequently mentioned as
potential replacements should Emery lose his job, and one or two
rather unlikely names that I think could be suited to the role.
Freddie Ljungberg: Completely inexperienced as a manager but he would
have the values of the club he learned in his time playing for them.
Freddie would be a popular appointment but definitely a big risk. What
I believe would be the biggest plus with giving Ljungberg a chance
would be his knowledge and relationships with the many, very talented
young players that Arsenal have coming through at the moment.
Ljungberg has worked with the likes of Willock, Smith-Rowe and Saka
among others at Under-23 and 18 levels which would make their
transition into the first team even easier than they made it look
already. Freddie is definitely a risk but could be worth a try.
Massimiliano Allegri: The first choice of most Arsenal supporters when
Arsene Wenger left the club, Allegri decided to extend his stay at
Juventus in an attempt to win the Champions League. After being let go
by the Italian giants after their shock Champions League exit at the
hands of Ajax, Allegri seems like an ideal replacement.
In his time at Juventus, he reached two European Finals playing a
combination of organised, conservative football but with some style
and flair also thrown into the mix. Allegri’s defensive organisation
is exactly what Arsenal need and at Juve, he seemed to allow the
creative players in the team to have the freedom to express
themselves.
I believe Arsenal are in need of a serious coach to put a proper
structure in place. The quality in the squad is not the problem in my
opinion and I do think Allegri could definitely get the best out of
what we have at our disposal.
Jose Mourinho: A very controversial choice that has grown in
popularity over time this season – definitely not someone that I would
consider as Arsenal manager. Mourinho has obviously had an incredible
career and deserves full credit for that but I do not think the juice
is worth the squeeze with the Portuguese manager.
Realistically, without spending an inordinate amount of money, Arsenal
are a few years at least away from competing for League Titles with
Manchester City and Liverpool. This is exactly why I believe Mourinho
would be a silly appointment. You cannot sell your soul for some
immediate success and sacrifice your long-term future and that’s what
hiring Mourinho would seem like to me.
Brendan Rodgers: Not a name that I’ve seen mentioned with the job but
he is a name that was floated around at the time of Arsene Wenger’s
departure. When you look at the job Rodgers is doing at Leicester,
he’s not a name that you can ignore. He’s taken a Leicester team who
were languishing in mid-table to serious top-four contenders in a very
short space of time.
He’s gotten the very best out of the likes of James Maddison and Youri
Tielemens in his spell with the Foxes and there’s no reason to believe
he couldn’t do the same with Mesut Ozil and Nicolas Pepe, who Arsenal
have definitely not been getting the best out of so far this season.
Possibly an unrealistic option but should Rodgers be interested, he
would definitely be one of the top candidates.
Rafael Benitez: Another former Liverpool manager but he is a manager
that I feel doesn’t get nearly the credit he deserves. When you look
at the team that Benitez took to the Champions League and FA Cup
success in his time at Liverpool, he, along with Steven Gerrard,
should take the majority of the credit for those victories. The
biggest knock on the Spaniard over the years is that he is too
pragmatic in his approach and doesn’t play exciting football. I
believe this is an unfair criticism as when he has had quality players
at his disposal, Benitez has shown he is capable of a more exciting
brand of football.
