Journalist Ian McGarry has sensationally revealed on the Transfer Window Podcast that Arsenal have made contact with the representatives of Massimiliano Allegri.
Pressure is mounting on Unai Emery after Arsenal’s disappointing 2-2 draw against relegation candidates Southampton on the weekend.
The Gunners have now failed to win their last five Premier League games which has seriously dented their hopes of mounting a challenge for a top four spot this season.
Here’s what McGarry had to say on Arsenal’s apparent hunt for a new manager:
“The representatives of former Juventus boss Max Allegri, who Duncan (Castles) revealed a few weeks ago is living in London and learning English, have been contacted by Arsenal with regards to the possibility of taking over at the Emirates.”
“We can also tell you that an unscheduled board meeting between the Arsenal directors is due to take place in the next 48 hours to discuss the current plight and the possible replacement of Emery as head coach.”
Allegri would be a fine candidate to replace Emery, the Italian left Serie A champions Juventus this summer, and has been on a break from football.
With McGarry hinting that the expert tactician is learning English and that he’s been living in London, it seems as though he would be the best option to take the reins at the Emirates.
Former club captain Mikel Arteta has been heavily linked with the position but Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola hinted to press, as per the Independent, that our ex-midfielder would be staying at the Etihad until the end of the season.
Does that mean that Allegri is now our main target? Or does it mean we are stuck with Emery until the summer?
If it’s correct it’s great news. At least he will sort out our hopeless defence.
Arsenal should appoint Max Allegri as a replacement for Unai Emery and i bet Arsenal board will never regret on the decision. We are tired of Unai now.
Sacking Emery should not be a difficult decision to take,
Emery is one of this club’s all time biggest mistake.
After the previous regime, every blind man could see what needed solving was the defense.
Emery had just one frigging job!! Just one frigging job!! Fix the defense and then we can compete. Rather the man came in, turned tinkerman, tinkered with everything from the goalkeepers up to the strikers on the pitch, twists and shuffles formations, ruined the stability the club had attacking-wise.
Now even after he’s gone, he will be leaving a bigger mess for his replacement who needs to come in and stabilize our midfield, attack and defense.
The man is a bad joker, so bad at being a joker he’s even worse than Jared Leto’s joker.
Transylvania’s spanich point sucker
All my instincts tell me that Allegri will never take the job while Scrooge Kroenke owns us. I would love him, make no mistake, who would not! But even IF this rumour proves true – and hardly any of the constant rumours on this site ARE true – I just cannot envisage Allegri accepting, UNLESS HUGE SPENDING MONEY IS MADE AVAILABLE. Any one who thinks it WILL be made available, please look outside your window and count those flying pigs flying above you! In the “please God that I’M WRONG” hypothetical situation becoming true and that Allegri DOES take over, you all have my full permission to shoot me down and I WILL BE THRILLED TO ACCEPT ALL THOSE LOVELY BULLETS. WE CAN ALL DREAM!!!
Jon I don’t even want him. I saw too many Juventus game to know he’s no different from Emery, they both ruled their farmers league.
What we need right now is someone who knows the English league, someone who understands the football and the relationships between English fans and their clubs not another risky manager.
No doubt if it’s a proven manager, I’ll accept. Yes folks will say Allegri has nothing to prove. Oh Allegri has a lot to prove.
If anyone’s definition of proven world class manager is by winning a certain league then I’m sorry, Emery is a better world class manager compared to Allegri then, he also won their farmers league and even won European cups.
Both of them are a big no to me.
By now, you’d know I do have my reasons for taking certain stands and views on certain issues. If he comes though, he’ll have my support and backing, but I won’t expect him to deliver jack.
That’s the difference most fans don’t see, right now I’ll rather take a tactically good coach in the EPL even if he’s not a big team manager over another Emery 2.0 Italian release
I agreed with you some days back about Pochettino being a top manager despite winning nothing at Spurs but I must disagree with your view on Allegri. Btw if you’re talking about walking a farmer’s league didn’t Emery lose the league title to Monaco when he shouldn’t have?? That feat was almost repeated by Dortmund last season and even if Bayern were poor for most part they still managed to prevent it. It’s not only about winning it. Its about how you win it relative to the teams in the league. Lets forget abput the Itlaianeague since youve written it off. Allegri got Juventus to the UCL finals twice and that is something great because a lot of his players were past their prime though they were still good to an extent. He lost to Barcelona and Real Madrid in those finals.
The man is great tactically with a good defensive system. Don’t write him off because of his style. I don’t want Allegri because of his style not because he isn’t world class which clearly he is. If he lands in the right teams he’s going to be a problem.
Klopp has no EPL experience before. Signing for Liverpool, today he is doing fine
Eddie with due respect Italy is not a farmers league! Allegri is a fine and well proven manager but he is a pipe dream whether you love or loathe him. He ain’t coming to us and that’s all that matters where he is concerned. I reckon Freddie or Arteta will take over.
Though I’m up for replacing Emery. Max Allegri is a big no for me.
This man is just the Italian version of Emery. I don’t know how many of us followed his Juventus team games, tactics and style, if you did then you’ll know he’s just the Italian speaking Emery.
Hell no, I’ll rather we get Benitez if possible instead. Too similar to Emery, hell I can say they’re carbon copies of each other, both did well with mid table teams, went to the teams ruling each leave without competition at the time and won the leagues. Both tactically depressing when it comes to playing football.
At this point we are, I think what we need is someone who’ll come over with brand new ideas and out the team together and not another tinkerman or reactive manager
We are stuck with Emery. Arsenal’s traditions are deeply rooted on patience as long as its profitable for the club. Remember that they where not close to fire Wenger, but you forced them. Emery will run down his contract probably a review done at the end of the season to decide if not to extend his contract.
Some do not want Allegri, Arteta. Most do not want Unai. Others did not want Brendon (when available) and Jose. So I suggest we go for player – coach, why not Ozil for that role till the end of the season?
No wonder you call yourself a loose cannon!
And who takes over while Ozil is having a nice restful nap? 😂 🤣 😂 🤣
Agreed! In other words who takes over FULL TIME. OZILS BEEN NAPPING FOR FIVE SEASONS PAST.
As said already Arteta and Allegri are ahead of the qeue with Arteta being the front runner
Lacazette is refusing to sign a new Arsenal deal as long as Emery is at the club. Talks are slightly further advanced with Aubameyang’s reps about a new deal, but he’s rumoured to be in the same boat as Lacazette. At this stage very few if any of the players support
Other senior players such as Bellerin, Ozil, Torreira and Luiz are all very much in the Emery out camp. Torreira in particular is considering leaving the club. Pepe feeling very disillusioned about lack of game time. Xhaka will be sold.
From Twitter
It looks like its Emery or half the team, then? Hmmmmmm?
He’s lost the dressing room already
How the f##k do you lose a dressing room ?……….it`s not like mislaying your car keys, it`s a big room for christ sake!
There are a few people with the credentials to manage the Arsenal team and Allegri is one of them. I must be done soon. Preferably on the basis of a win. That way the new manager can come in related to a positive situation. Please do not bring him in after a loss. That would be psychological stupidity. If Arsenal beat Frankfurt then bring him in immediately.
I’m unconvinced that Allegri is the answer…. Arteta is higher risk but with more potential. I just can’t immagine Allegri competing with the likes of Klopp and Pep…perhaps I’m wrong.
Don’t sleep on Allegri. His style doesn’t suit us but he’ll be great for another team. He’s better than Emery too
This.
Arteta – higher risk, but bigger potential, plus knows the league, the language, etc.
The only question mark when it comes to Arteta is his authority over players in a top club, but that will always be a gamble until he joins one.
Klopp was a gamble for Dortmund when he joined from lowly Mainz, Poch was a gamble for Spurs, Zidane was a gamble for Real, Pep was a gamble for Barca, Nagelsmann was a gamble for Hoffenheim etc
What I’m saying is there have been a lot of successful gambles over the past 10 years and not many of them had the privilege to be an apprentice and learn under the best like Mikel did…
Talent is more important than experience. It will all come down to whether Arteta has world class coaching ability. That is the question it will boil down to. If he truly has that ability then he is more than likely to succeed and win trophies sooner rather than later.
There is no manager who is available who can satisfy all Arsenal fans…
If arsenal are serious they should go all out for pochettino.
I had £150 on Allegri before they employed EMREY he living in London and I think this time Arsenal might just get it right
I really don’t like rooting for one coach or another just because they have won trophies in the past, because Emery too has 3 Europa League trophies to his name, and is in complete shambles now with Arsenal.
We should look at what kind of tactics a coach uses, his mentality and whether it fits our current squad and our current requirements.
We need a coach who can strengthen our defensive organization, improve our players one touch passing and reaction times, and also their body positioning when receiving the balls, train our attacking players to make good runs into space letting our creative players do their job, and also develop some mental fortitude to withstand pressure and tough situations on the field. Then we can build from there.
Any manager who can do that is welcome by me, regardless of his past accomplishments. Accomplishments can be deceiving as there are many factors involved like squad strength, budget allocation, etc.
Personally, I want the new manager to bring a solid one-touch passing oriented style to Arsenal, no wasted movements, no sideways passing, direct one touch ball playing. We waste so much time when we have the ball it’s ridiculous.
Allegri, though is an accomplished manager, I would rather go with someone like Nuno or Arteta as they are in the EPL already. Especially Nuno has done a wonderful job at Wolves, both defensively and offensively. And listening to Nuno speak about his football philosophy and style of play, is quite impressive. Wolves play style really reflect what Nuno says, and he would definitely improve our defensive organization. His one idea that really impressed me is controlling the game even without the ball, through effective defensive organisations and creating trigger points in the field where we can press and win a ball and be at a greater advantage than the opposing team. That doesn’t sound like gegenpresing all over the field like how Klopp does, but pressing with offensive intent and purpose, at vulnerable areas. Sounds like something Arsenal could really do with as we have abysmal positioning in the field.
And Arteta would be fine by me too, as he played as a holding midfielder at Arsenal, and would certainly work on our frailties in that position, and also would help make our midfield better, as he was a midfielder all his career and understands what it takes. Our midfield is more problematic than our defense if you ask me, so Arteta would make a logical choice in that regard. Also being an assistant to Pep is something of an allure too.
I can’t believe having to pay out 4 million is the reason they are reluctant to fire him. In the big scheme of things it’s chicken feed when you consider the damage keeping him could cause, not least losing our top two strikers who as yet have not signed extensions. Losing them creates a huge financial whole to fill.
I, too, support Mikel over Max for all the reasons already mentioned. However, ANY coach will have my full support unless he screws up like Emery is doing.
It really does not matter who our next Manager is because he will be taking over a squad which is low in quality and mental strength.How does the new man unload the likes of Sokratis,Luis,Mustafi,Xhaka, Torreria and Ozil to pave the way for the new blood we desperately need at CB and DM?.This is the question any Manager with ambition will ask when interviewed for the job be it Allegri or Arteta etc.Apart from perhaps Torreria,who does not have the physical presence to be a success in the EPL,we are likely to be stuck with these players for the duration of their contracts.Faced with this situation and in the knowledge that the Board will be reluctant to spend n the January window,how can we convince any prospective Manager to take over?Okay by offering a salary of 5/6m I hear you say.I very much doubt if the job which carries with it high expectations,will appeal to many established Manager’s who are currently working under a lot less pressure.For these reasons I expect the Board to make an interim appointment by promoting Ljumberg,assisted by Bould and Mertz until the end of the season, if indeed they decide to pay off Emery.
I would love to take allegri but I don’t think kroenke will be able to give him the money demanded
I just saw that Freddie can only take over for 3 months maximum.. something to do with not having the correct licence.
The waiting is a bummer! Every time I look online or put Sky sports news on the tv, I think this is it, it’s going to be announced that Unai’s gone, and…… nothing!!! 😠