After a rather disappointing run filled with losses and draws against smaller teams, Unai Emery was finally let go of over at Arsenal FC. There was a point last season where Emery was considered a much-required savior for the club because of a stunning 22 - game unbeaten run that put them (temporarily) in a Champions League spot. That uptick in the form changed as soon as the North Londoners lost 3-2 to Southampton. Eventually, they started losing and drawing matches and the spark of the unbeaten run was completely gone. The team ended up 5th on the PL table and shy of the coveted Champions League spot that was thought to be well within its clutches. Things have gone further downhill from there. Arsenal has managed 0 wins in the last 5 PL games. Even in the UEL, Arsenal lost to Eintracht Frankfurt despite having an optimal line-up and that was the straw that ultimately broke the camel’s back. Unai Emery was relieved of managerial duty not long after. Now naturally begins the speculation as to who will take over as manager(in a more permanent role), especially with rivals Tottenham Hotspur landing Jose’ Mourinho as their manager. Here are some Potential Picks for the managerial job.
#5. Nuno Espírito Santo
Current manager for Wolves, Santo impressed everyone in the football world with what he did as manager. Wolverhampton had just won the English Championship and he stepped over and turned that into a stepping stone. Cut to a 2018-19 season, Wolves ranked 7th in the PL after not even playing in the competition for 2017-18. Even currently, after a bit of a rough start, Wolves are in the top 6, beating out the dreaded Manchester City in a clean sheet. Players like Jimenez, Dendoncker and Adama Traore(just to name a few) showing impeccable form. He has done something incredible for Wolves, making them a force to be reckoned with. It’s no wonder that Arsenal will try to go for him. Arsenal will probably be able to offer a more lucrative contract and the team has some fine young players. It won’t be easy to entice him, given what he’s achieved over at Wolves even ranking above Arsenal currently but given the benefits, Arsenal might be adamant towards recruit him.
#4. Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti is one of the best managers of his generation. He’s one of the most decorated managers out there, having won the UEFA Champions League thrice, even breaking Real Madrid’s dry spell in the tournament. He’s won the Premier League before with Chelsea and even at Napoli he has been decent (although the current season has been lacking). He’s been known to be a tactically strong and versatile manager and has often made work with multiple different formations throughout his career. This versatility and fluidity with multiple formations might help Arsenal quite a bit given how varied their range of players are. There’s also the fact that he can get big players in the team and has won the Premier League before. That experience could be very valuable to a team that is struggling at the moment.
#3. Brendan Rodgers
Brendan Rodgers is clearly one of the best managers in the Premier League right now. Even after losing marquee defender Harry Maguire to Man United over the transfer season, Leicester City is 2nd on the table, performing even better than before. His style of play, favouring possession and passing and how he’s handled defense has been impeccable, with players like Soyuncu and Ndidi (on DM) really proving a wall of a foundation for the team. Since Arsenal’s defence currently is noticeably weak and the possession stats and utilization leaving a lot to be desired, Brendan Rodgers would be a great fit.
The big problem here is that while he’s been reported to be considering a job at Arsenal, it’s clear that he’s achieving something special with Leicester at the moment. The team is showing an incredible amount of gusto and spirit this season, with Jamie Vardy even at the top of the goal scorers. There is seemingly no strong reason for him to leave unless for personal preference and a lucrative contract from Arsenal.
#2. Mauricio Pochettino
The recently sacked Pochettino might shift to another side of North London in the future. He’s been considered to be a great coach for what he did over at Tottenham, leading the North London Club all the way to the finals of the UCL for the first time. Very few people have achieved something of that magnitude. He made Tottenham into a fearsome team after Harry Rednapp improved the team drastically. Unfortunately due to a string of losses this season and the team shift down to the bottom half, Pochettino was let go of in favour of Jose Mourinho. Pochettino has shown a lot of cleverness as a manager, including a sense of clever when it comes to tactics and a lot of versatility and adaptability in vulnerable situations. The fact that he reached such heights last season despite no new signings was an incredible achievement in and of itself. Arsenal will surely try to recruit him given what he’s shown to be made of in the past couple of seasons.
#1. Massimiliano Allegri
The ex- Juventus manager was bound to make this list. Allegri is a veteran manager of Serie A where he has won the league several times. He won the league with both AC Milan and Juventus. He even won four consecutive Italian doubles with the latter. He has been praised for how intelligent he’s been when it comes to tactics and for building on Antonio Conte’s formation and playstyle at Juventus. He has been able to mold Juventus into an extremely strong defensive side with the likes of Bonucci and Chiellini. Allegri went to the UEFA Champions League final twice with Juventus. He even nearly managed a comeback against Real Madrid in the 2017-18 season, despite being 3-0 down in the first leg. He has mustered up quite the legacy and his tactical prowess and defensive knowledge would surely benefit Arsenal given how they’ve been criticized for their backline. Arsenal would be able to offer a lucrative contract to Allegri but the team would have to fight a little to recruit him given his pedigree over a rather short period of time.
