It is not as if i would want to encounter such
a situation but the world is one filled with uncertainties! Although a great
fan and believer in monsieur wenger but like any other situation when and if
faced with a sudden possibility one needs to understand the immediate solutions
at hand.
“Le Professeur” (Mr. Wenger) like any other human
being also has his advantages and demerits and in some situations (i) feel he
is too much of a believer of his principles; that he allows himself to forego opportunities
which could help the club to move forward but overall, :) he is a great coach
and an even greater brand ambassador of arsenal football club.
coming back to our candidates....we have
19 of them (yeah...i will consider all of them....as Gus Poyet ...is
managing Sunderland in 19th but was coveted by various premier league teams much
higher not much earlier) and even our long ball man Tony Pulis although he is
just warming his coaching chair in Selhurst Park. I will like to quickly put in
a shortlist and the apparent reasons for the same.
Some
of them will not make the cut (or will not be considered) –
Chris
Hughton – As a
former Spurs player and coach is enough reason for not being considered but
apart from all that I like Chris but do not think that he has in him to coach a
big club. Reasons were quite evident in Tottenham and Newcastle and he
continues struggling in Norwich.
Sam
Allardyce – It is
straightforward and obvious that Big Sam has a certain philosophy completely
alien to Arsenal’s thinking. Long ball or a direct style of play is not in our
DNA and we are in no way going to change that. The tactics employed with nine
behind the ball in White Hart Lane and then win the game has never happened at
the Emirates and will not be welcome.
Tony
Pulis – The same
argument as Big Sam’s holds out for Mr. Baseball cap. Tony is a more ardent
proponent of direct style of play than Big Sam. I cannot ever see him in an
Arsenal badge sitting and formulating team strategies.
Mark
Hughes – Mark
Hughes appointment will ask a lot of questions than offering an answer.Mark has
yet to fulfil his potential. He had an opportunity at Manchester City although
I personally think he got a lot more flak than he actually deserved but there
is also a case in critics arguing that he could also not make the best
utilisation of the squad that City possessed. And that was proved (maybe) at QPR.
If you see at both Man City and QPR he had owners/resources at his disposal to
make or build something to take the clubs forward but he somehow wasted and was
kind of confused. The early signs at Stoke are not encouraging although one
must say it is definitely a Work in Progress at Stoke and not that easy as they
have been so used to one style of play.
(Martin
Jol) & Rene Meulensteen – I personally do not have much knowledge about Mr. Rene Meulensteen
(other than him being Alex Ferguson’s deputy) and endorsement from our great
Dutch ex saying he is a world class coach. But he had only 16 days at Anzhi Makhachkala
and it is kind of strange even if Anzhi Makhachkala were pruning their budget
to get the coach sacked in 16 days. Anzhi hierarchy must have seen something to
do the same especially if the club is at a financial loss for terminating
contracts at such short notice. Also I
infer his CV was floating in the market since he left United and he had no
takers. But the initial impact as a joint coach has been minimal at Fulham and
we have to see what he brings to table and how does he cope with the managerial
struggles. Martin Jol is a good coach but I guess he looks like someone who is
on the wane and unable to motivate his players. I think he is more suited to
Dutch league and should do well in one of the big clubs there. At
this moment Martin Jol is no more a Fulham coach.
Alan
Pardew – He is a
feisty character but one who divides opinions for some reason or the other. He
has a good coaching CV and one needs to find his mentality managing a Top
competitive club (no disrespect to my fellow Geordies).
AVB – Coaching Spurs is a good enough
reason not to be considered although we have history which suggests otherwise
(George Graham!). But his mentality to manage a Top club is a big question
mark. He has never had a second year at a top top club. He definitely had a
tough time in Chelsea and Arsenal will even be tougher with all those years of
Champions League guarantee as a minimum and the expectation of winning the
Premier League. Also AVB is stubborn
with his coaching ideologies and sometime tactically inflexible.
Jose
Mourinho – He is
the one who will definitely bring the trophies but it is more about ethos and
culture matching with Arsenal’s. Also his flair and style do not suit the
Arsenal way although many would argue that it is better we get someone who
guarantees trophies but he will soon rub the fans the wrong way and it is
almost certain he has the habit of ruffling a few feathers in the Arsenal board
especially with their ardent outlook with regards to the clubs future course of
action.
David
Moyes - His style
does not suit our system. He is too old school at times but a good coach
though. Also one needs to see his tenure in Manchester as he may well settle
into the same.
May
not fit the bill now but good candidates to be considered in the future -
Manuel
Pelligrini – He is
man with definite credentials and well respected. One has to see his impact in
the Premier League which is quite different to the La Liga But a good
candidate.
Malkay
Makay – I like him.
He is expansive & courageous. He is the one with an eye for the future. He
needs to be given time.
Steve
Bruce – My opinion
about Steve Bruce is that he is best suited to manage a mid – tier club. He has
done well in patches. He is doing a decent job at Hull. Will he pull Hull away
with something different this season – I doubt. But he is one who has done some
excellent business in getting players of value especially at Hull which shows
he has learnt from the past.
Gus
Poyet – He is also
one with an eye for the future. His true acid test is indeed Sunderland. Let us
see if he continues with his Brighton turnaround in Sunderland and can he bring
some exciting football to the Stadium of Light. He has been linked with some
big Premier League clubs in the past and that shows his potential. Will he save
them from relegation and still play attractive football something similar to
Roberto Martinez achieving at Wigan; we will have to wait to find out.
The
Outsiders from the shortlist but worthwhile considerations -
Brendon
Rodgers – I rate
Brendon Rodgers as a good young coach with a lot of potential. Brendon has done
a wonderful job at Liverpool. I expect him to continue with the same. He has
done well at Swansea and taken forward the same at Liverpool. Initial reaction
is that he has not been fazed by the big club situation at Liverpool and helped
them perform well. The good thing has been the Liverpool team has improved in
many areas and is far more consistent.
Pau Lambert - I like Paul’s character and
belief. He is also someone who thinks in nurturing talent from within. Aston
Villa is ample proof. Paul has done well
at both Norwich and Aston Villa. Personally, I feel he will make the cut in a
big club or a club close to being Big. I would suggest him to Tottenham or
Everton or even Newcastle to see, how he copes with expectations and
pressure.
My
Top 4 shortlist at present to replace Arsene -
They all believe in putting
the ball down and passing through the field. I think that is the Arsenal way
and they (club) do not want to change that identity. My top 4 in order are -
Mauricio
Pochettino – I
personally feel he is the best bet to replace Arsene and take the mantle at
Arsenal. He has all the qualities that Arsenal is looking for – a great coach,
motivational - good at building a team spirit and togetherness and belief in
our goals, very good technical game, high energy & pressing game, he also
has a keen eye for talent and buys
players well, he is a believer in nurturing talent as is proven in Southampton,
does not court controversy, consistent with his teams performances, his teams
play passing football, has a good balance and fluidity between defensive
solidity and attacking prowess. The only thing that goes against is he not
being able to communicate in English J (which needs to be investigated
further as he has a good base of English talent performing ever so well for
Southampton at present). Mauricio also has perfect blend of managing in Spain
and England.
Roberto
Martinez – He is
also a rising star with the required pedigree to manage a club like Arsenal. He
is doing well in Everton and has a style suiting a passing philosophy. He has
also brought on a lot of youngsters and backed them to succeed. He is also more
technical and tactical and especially good at utilising the “Loan System”. He
encourages creative football with special emphasis on man management skills
coupled with good motivational and coaching skills. Roberto has worked
previously in tough environments with a weight of expectations and done a good
job.
Michael
Laudrup – He is a
one of the best with a philosophy most suited to or nearest to our style of
play. Michael also has one quality which the other three in the shortlist do
not match quite closely to and that is to buy a bargain and convert them to
world class footballers or providing a platform for the same. Although almost
all of his purchases are from Spain is a point to be noted but it is working
well. It is quite similar to Arsene and Arsenal’s philosophy in his earlier
years. He will most certainly manage a big club and he has in it to do
that.
Steve
Clark – Steve has
claimed to be a Jose Mourinho prodigy but one with a more expansive outlook
given his varied background. He owes a lot of his tactical, technical,
physical, psychological knowledge of the game from a manager’s perspective to
the “Happy One”. Peculiar to Clark is the experience gained working closely
with various characters from different footballing philosophies like Bobby
Robson, Glenn Hoddle, Mourinho, Ruud Gullit, Luiz Filipe Scolari, Gianfranco
Zola & Kenny Dalglish. He has done well in his first instance as a
coach at Wet Brom. They play good football and are not intimidated by any
opposition as we saw at Old Trafford. And yes he has one thing very different
to Mr. Mourinho ...no unnecessary touchline antics.
Conclusion
In the present scenario
Mauricio, Roberto & Michael look the best bet to take over the mantle at
Arsenal and lead to bigger glories. My conclusion is that the best bet is a
tight rope between Mauricio Pochettino, Roberto Martinez and Michael Laudrup
and my personal top 3 is in that order too.
The best bet without doubt is
Mauricio Pochettino currently managing Southampton and is something of a
revelation to the Premier League. He has been good and can be trusted to do the
job.
Although without a shadow of doubt long may
continue Mr. Wenger with his good job at Arsenal!
