It’s now becoming a stale, tired and repetitive story. Arsenal football club have found themselves in turmoil on and off the pitch for the last two or three seasons. Brick by brick, it’s mighty reputation has crumbled, damaged by indecision and gross mismanagement. Just recently, the outgoing manager Arsene Wenger, cited a lack of unity from supporters as one of the reasons for his departure.
Anyone thinking that Wenger’s decision to leave would help ease the tensions and provide stability were sadly mistaken. It appears that the kingmakers within the Arsenal hierarchy can’t agree on the best candidate to replace the Frenchman. So much for unity. However, rumour has it that Sven Mislintat appears to be tasked with finding the solution to the sizeable problem of replacing Arsene Wenger.
It’s no surprise that ‘Diamond Eye’ as he is often referred to, will have a huge say on the incoming boss because he of his extensive knowledge and experience, he has connections in most Countries that embrace the beautiful game. He is extremely well versed in Europe, particularly in the Bundesliga and he will have paid particular attention to the various teams, players and the managers already in the post from his days with Borussia Dortmund.
Arsenal CEO, Ivan Gazidis is no fool and although he is said to favour Ex-Arsenal skipper Mikel Arteta, it’s a move that could prove to be a personal disaster for him, if that choice were to end in failure. Stories about clashes and differences of opinion concerning the candidates for the manager’s job have been somewhat exaggerated but as Arsenal look towards a future without Wenger, the club will look for a candidate able to bring stability and also one that will retain the attacking values of Wenger.
Raul Sanllehi, head of operations, is a Luis Enrique fan and the two are thought to have strong ties. His pedigree, on paper at least, is very attractive. He is apparently willing and is definitely available, which would rule out a huge fee but according to recent reports, he wants £15 million a year.
Gazidis, for whatever reasons, has apparently identified ex-Arsenal skipper Mikel Arteta for the role. One can only assume from this that Gazidis has been injected with some sort of Tottenham serum and as such wants Arsenal to fail in the worst way possible. Arteta, like Viera, Henry and Bergkamp are just beginning their coaching careers and although an appointment of this nature would be popular with fans, it is no guarantee of success.
Football is littered with the names of world-class football stars who never had the same success as managers. In fact, the more average their careers, the more successful they became. Not always true but Wenger himself, was at best, average. Ferguson was nothing special and Mourinho hardly set the World on fire. Zinedine Zidane of Real Madrid has the benefit of the first team that is crammed with stars and a bench that would find its way into any other team in the world.
So if Arsenal go for potential and on the cheap, they may find themselves with a whole new set of problems after as few as six or seven games. Gazidis also stated that the successful applicant would have to have some interest in developing younger players, which I interpreted as a drawing in of the purse strings and thus ending any idea of lavish spending.
Mislintat prefers the vorsprung durch technik(Advancement through Technology) approach, looking to the German league to supply a technical revolution in the form of Julian Nagelsmann or Domenico Tedesco. Only yesterday, another name emerged from Mislintat’s little black book of possibilities, Ralf Rangnick, who is currently the director of sports of Bundesliga club RB Leipzig. Although Rangnick is highly regarded by Mislintat, a younger candidate with more recent experience of management is preferred.
Dominico Tedesco is an exciting young manager but without any notable level of successes, yet he is seen potentially, as a man with a great future ahead of him in World football. For those unfamiliar with Nagelsmann, he took over as manager of Hoffenheim in 2016. At that time they were in the middle of a relegation battle. He managed to steer them to safety by winning 7 of their 14 games and the following season guided them to 4th place.
He also secured their first appearance in the Champions League and at 31 years of age, he certainly has ambition, potential and longevity on his side. So out of the three, Julian Nagelsmann would seem to be the top target and number one name on the list, but that appointment will depend on Arsenal’s offer, intent and ambitions. Mislintat working closely with Nagelsmann seems like the golden ticket that could rejuvenate a tired Arsenal side and one which could restore them to the lofty heights of Wenger’s early years.
However, don’t rule out the ambition of Gazidis who is desperate to be the ‘David Dein ‘ of this new era and his desire to be the man that restores the glory years at the Emirates. There is a candidate closer to home that Arsenal could look at in the short term.
Newcastle’s Rafa Benitez has performed miracles at St James Park on a shoestring and with little or no support, which all sounds familiar.
He is a fantastic motivator, is solid tactically and believes in attractive football. Benitez is also a calming influence, apart from his uncharacteristic rant about Alex Ferguson in 2009, which I personally loved. Normally, Benitez is the epitome of a rational, intelligent and driven football coach with the ability to make silk purses out of the odd sow’s ear.
He has somehow managed to deal with all manner of distractions and off the field issues, whilst securing Newcastle’s status in the top flight.
While some are extolling the virtues of Eddie Howe and Sean Dyche, Benitez appears to be a forgotten man but in football circles, he is an exceptional manager who can still cut it against the best in the Premiership. Arsenal’s recent defeat to Newcastle was no accident or fluke. Yes, the Gunners were below par but a well organised Geordie side outplayed and out fought the North Londoners under the Spaniard’s guidance.
Arsenal are now conducting tentative negotiations with a short list of preferred candidates and a decision will be in place at the end of the season, possibly before. The incoming manager will need time to assess the squad and target new players with the assistance of Mislintat. It appears that the head of recruitment has a huge influence on the club and its future direction. He can be considered one of Arsenal’s best off the field acquisitions for many years.
