Mikel Arteta was seen as a wildcard when Arsenal started to look for a replacement for Arsene Wenger but after the original favourites including Max Allegri and Julian Nagelsmann ruled themselves out, Arteta looks to be the front-runner to be the new Arsenal manager.
Sky Sports reports Arsenal will be meeting Arteta to discuss his appointment as manager at Arsenal in the coming weeks.
Max Allegri ruled himself out of the job by saying “I’ll be at Juventus next year if they don’t sack me…” and the Director of Football at 1899 Hoffenheim confirmed Nagelsmann’s future, saying “Julian Nagelsmann will be our coach next season, 100 percent.”
The 36-year-old is currently an assistant coach at Manchester City and has been heavily praised for his work there.
Arsenal fans are responding very differently to the inexperienced manager with some fans viewing the ex-Arsenal captain as a risk that will pay off and others believing his lack of experience could take the club to new lows.
We asked one Arsenal fan, Yaseen, what he thought of Arteta joining the club as the manager and he said: “I really think he lacks the experience to take on a team that needs a complete re-shuffle” and that “it shouldn’t be his first job”
Another fan we asked, Harry, believes he is the right man for the job and said: “I like the idea of it… he has a good philosophy he wants to bring in. At this point a risk is needed”
His appointment would be a bold move for an otherwise conservative board at Arsenal. Some critics are claiming the board want greater control over direction the club is taking which they lacked under Wenger, meaning Arteta will have less power over Arsenal’s success or failure.
After Arsenal’s chairman, Sir Chips Keswick, was heavily booed at Arsene Wenger’s last home game it is clear that more board control is the last thing Arsenal fans want.
Only time will tell whether Arteta will even join Arsenal and whether he will be the manager that Arsenal need him to be. Whether he overcomes his inexperience and brings a fresh set of tactics or succumbs to his critics will depend hugely on the upcoming transfer window, so stay tuned.
