There has been plenty of talk about the managerial position that is quite likely to be left at Arsenal at the end of the season, with many believing that this will be Arsene Wenger’s final year at the helm.
After 20 years of Arsenal, having joined back in 1996, it is understood that Wenger may finally choose to step down as Arsenal’s manager this season. That of course means that the Gunners will need a new manager to fill the void and legacy that Arsene Wenger has left behind as a result of the past 20 years of Arsenal football club. No matter what your opinion is of Le Prof, you have to admit that he will leave a legacy at this football club and whoever gets the managerial job will have a big position to fill.
Arsenal’s most linked candidate for the job seems to be Bournemouth’s Eddie Howe, although there have also been links to Atletico’s Simeone and Germany’s Low. Howe however seems to be the favourite, although he is still yet to convince former Arsenal player Ray Parlour.
In a Sky Sports report, Parlour was quoted as saying: “He has certainly done a great job [at Bournemouth], but I just think it maybe a little bit too big for him at this time of his career. I think he has to go to the next level after Bournemouth, maybe like an Everton, or someone like that who is going to be challenging for the top six. And then maybe move to the top four level, but Eddie has done nothing wrong and he is learning the game still and about players and systems and the way to play.”
I must admit I do see Parlour’s point and although Howe has achieved plenty of success on the south coast, leading the club from the depths of League Two to the Premier League since he took the job in 2008, perhaps he wouldn’t be ready for a top job in club football, as well as on the European stage. But in my opinion, Arsene Wenger was also a relatively unknown quality when he came to Arsenal in 96 and so perhaps Arsenal will stick with their approach for the Bournemouth boss.
Parlour however reckons that the other name being linked with Arsenal, Diego Simeone is far more suited to the Gunners situation. Parlour said: “Certainly in a few years’ time, maybe he [Howe] will be a good fit, but at this current time maybe a [Diego] Simeone might be more suited to Arsenal when Arsene Wenger does call it a day.”
If the likes of Simeone or Low were to join Arsenal it will be a major sign of intent and having such a manager at the helm would keep the Gunners on the board of having an elite manager alongside the likes of Conte, Guardiola and Mourinho. However realistically I’m unsure if either of those names would be up for joining Arsenal. Low may fancy a change of scene and move into club football and at Arsenal he could implement the same tactics that have brought Germany such success in recent years. Diego Simeone on the other hand has built a project at Atletico and made them a more competitive side alongside Real Madrid and Barcelona, leading them to domestic success as well as positioning the club as a major European force. There’s no doubts about the qualities of both managers, but I still wouldn’t be surprised if Arsenal make Howe their prime candidate for the position, solely based upon availability come the end of the season.
By AH
Can’t believe we even put the two of them in the same sentence. Given a choice I doubt any AFC supporter will prefer Howe over Simeone. OK, maybe few but totally insignificant.
Even Howe wouldn’t have started Ox and Iwobi, put Alexis up front and benched Giroud, Perez, Xhaka, Cech (although Ospina was brilliant) against PSG
Only a complete moron would do something like that
I don’t understand why change the gk when the back 5 is jist settling down, even though ospina was brilliant, we didn’t know this prior to kick off
Coquelin + Cazorla
Coquelin + Xhaka
Cazorla + Xhaka
Xhaka + Ramsey
To be honest Coquelin aND CAZORLA IS not doing it for me. Two games now to saints and PSG and we have started slowly and have been totally dominated by the opposition. At this rate our luck will soon run out.
Xhaka Ramsey will be fantastic. Xhaka cazorla was great then Wenger changed it inways only him can.
Yes. Xhaka Cazorla seems to make the most sense to me. But Arsene sometimes likes to depart from the logical just to confuse or even spite his critics. He may even do it again if he gets heavily criticized for it.
When I saw the lineup I thought……. “Fine Arsene, but if you want to depart from proven performance and logic then it had better work.” And it did not of course.
Does anyone know any reason for the strange lineup? Injuries? Fitness? Personal problems?
More like Mental health but who cares? We got a point away to a very good team. They are unbeaten in 39 Champions league Home games. ?
I can’t understand why Alexis continues to play as striker? To my recollection, he has not scored a single goal when played in that position. He has also not run behind the defence a single time when played in that position :/
Does Watford ring any Quasimoto sized Bells ????
? ?
Who else can do it? (Theo was injured else I am sure he would have started upfront)
Playing Sanchez up front looks like a better option than playing a rookie upfront who clearly is not on the same wavelength as the rest of the team. Giroud probably has fitness issues else he has always been wenger’s first choice CF
Every great/good team needs to be flexible to play different formations and we need too and I am happy we are trying it. Clearly the team has played enough football to know how to make the best use of Sanchez when he plays up front but somehow has struggled to adapt.
Yes it is not working now doesn’t mean it is stupid. I am sure a lot of thinking goes behind changing formations and playing someone out of his comfort zone.
Let us for once hold the players accountable. It is not Wenger’s fault that our midfield got stream rolled.
Not defending Wenger but it is high time the players respond.
Lucas Perez could, and he’s available.
Never liked simeone”s playing style. Very defensive that he makes jose”s park the bus look attacking. Also his off field antics are not that enjoyable. But having said that any day simeone over howe
Hahaha, Most folks on here bust my balls when I have a moan, but you guy’s are taking the piss right now! ?
It’s like 39 games since PSG last lost at home in the champions league and that lost was against a very ripe Barcelona.
It’s all about the results at the end of the day and getting a point away at PSG was a very good one.
No one gains extra points for playing fancy football or for scoring a 30 yard screamer in off the bar! ? lol.
Yes, the starting lineup was kind of shocking but in the end, Ospina saved the day and Sanchez scored the equaliser in a game where we could have easily lost in a very embarrassing way.I just hope that lady luck keeps smiling on us… Well, actually on Arsenal, because my luck is absolutely ? at the moment! ? ?
Yup haven’t been following PSG but they honestly are a level above us. The guys just dominated midfield and there are few teams who can dominate our midfield. Made Cazorla and Ozil look ordinary.
Giroud is being eased back- Wenger clearly is wary of running him to ground. So very soon we will go back to Giroud/Perez at CF and Sanchez on left wing. Plus Understanding between Mustafi and Kos will also develop and with our goal keepers we should be better at the back.
Ox has lost the battle to Iwobi and barring injuries it will be Iwobi/walcott who will be fighting for the wing position.
It’s amusing how some people call Giroud crap one day and then question his omission on another. Our play is generally one dimensional with Giroud up top as the target man. An alternative was to bring in Vardy and wreak havoc- that didn’t work and Perez is the best we have but he will need time and only time will tell if comparison’s to Vardy make sense at any level !!!
Well last night has left me stunned and numb at how bad Arsenal were especially in the first half. Ospina was a revelation in goal after conceding early on which he could do nothing about although many of us fans were wondering why he was there in the first place, well he fully justified his place in the team. Olivier Giroud, well the less said the better but i’m sure there have already and will continue to be plenty of expletives about him over the rest of the week regarding his sending off and the same can be said ofr most if not all of the players who took to the field for Arsenal.
P.S. as for Eddie Howe or Diego Simeone, i would prefer Simeone for his no nonsence approach though his style won’t suit Arsenal and would take some time to change things around. Howe is not ready for a club as big as Arsenal and tbh I don’t think either will be installed as manager.