Following the sacking of Unai Emery, 5 names have been circulating around twitter from journalists all over the world this morning. Let's have a breakdown on each one, and try and understand who would be the right man for the tetchy job.
Mauricio Pochettino (vacant)
Perhaps the most unlikely appointment, yet the one the fans want the most, ex-Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino is one name that is being suggested by many. Although trophy less, his progression on the other side of North London is admired, notably the Champions League final of last season. However, he himself had admitted multiple times that he would never manage Arsenal, so I see it extremely doubtful that an agreement can be found between him and the Arsenal hierarchy. If manageable, it would reminisce the transfer of Spurs captain Sol Campbell to the Gunners back in 2001, and would possibly be the most fitting man for the job regarding the other candidates.
He would bring an attractive style of football, attacking play and potentially a more solid defence, pleasing the Arsenal fans (of course, if it brings points home) however this remains to be seen following the disorganised back line towards the end of his Tottenham tenure. It is a risk not knowing which side would be brought to N5 if he was to take charge, but an extremely interesting and controversial risk at that.
Current odds: 9/1 (Sky Bet)
Massimiliano Allegri (vacant)
An interesting name being highlighted by Sky Sports in England and the Independent most notably, Allegri has been out of a job since he was released from his duties at Juventus at the end of the 18/19 season. He was a hot contender to replace Arsene Wenger back in 2018, however of course lost out to Unai Emery. A proven winner, Max took Juventus to 2 Champions league finals in 2015 and 2017, losing to Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively - failure to win on the biggest stage of all was a major reason why he left his job.
Another reason was his tendency to concede late goals. Juventus would go 1-0 up, and would sit back, shut up shop and defend for the remainder of the game, often conceding inevitable late goals just as Arsenal have been doing this season. Personally, this is a reason why I see this potential move as a poor fit, unless a different approach is taken due to the demand of new players, fans and staff. An interesting choice, nonetheless, and one that could potentially bring much needed silverware to this Arsenal team.
Current odds: 1/1 (Sky Bet)
Nuno Espirito Santo (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
From what I have seen this morning, the majority of Arsenal fans are viewing that heavy link as particularly underwhelming, considering the other names being thrown around. Despite this, his transformation of a Wolves side promoted into the top flight only in 2018, bringing them back into European football in such a short amount of time whilst playing good, high energy football is totally admirable. He has his side currently in 5th position, just one point above Arsenal, and sure for qualification into the next round of the Europa League.
It is said that both parties are "extremely interested" (Mohamed Bouhafsi) and that contact has already been made. With his relationship with Raul Sanllehi and Jorge Mendes, the appointment looks increasingly likely, yet I don't see it going down well with the Arsenal faithful. A risky one.
Current odds: 5/1 (Sky Bet)
Mikel Arteta (Manchester City Assistant)
By far the most experimental name on the suggested shortlist, Arteta knows what it means to play for Arsenal, having had a role as a player for many years, and also being the captain. Currently at City, he has had experience working alongside Pep Guardiola and has been rumoured to have had heaps of impact on the development and confidence of players such as Raheem Sterling. This potentially makes up for the lack of managerial experience under his belt, and Guardiola suggests he would make a great manager in the future, saying "I said after a few months of working together, this guy will be a manager sooner or later. He is already a manager, he behaves as a manager, so that’s why we are satisfied to have him here." (The Metro)
He would most certainly bring a style of football, and have this team playing 'the arsenal way' - slick passing, attractive, attacking football. This would go down extremely well with the fans, so long as he brings along with him the much-needed results to help turn the current mess at the club around.
Current odds: 6/1 (Sky Bet)
Carlo Ancelotti (Napoli)
A man on potential thin ice at his current club, with Napoli perched in 7th place in Italy on just 20 points (15 behind hot title rivals Juventus) and only one win in their last 5 in the league, his job could become vacant just in time for Arsenal. But would the club want him? The Italian side are in awful form, with fans turning on him following just 2 wins in ALL competitions since the end of September. That is worse form than Unai's Arsenal, with squads who should be performing at around the same level.
He is a proven winner, with 3 Champions Leagues, and titles in all of Europe's top 5 leagues. Of course he was managing Real Madrid, Chelsea, Paris-Saint Germain, Bayern Munich and AC Milan, who all had far better squads at the time of his managerial career at each. It therefore remains to be seen whether he could bring the same level of success to a struggling and desperate Arsenal, baring in mind his current situation in Italy.
Current odds: 14/1 (Sky Bet)
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