Conte? by Dan Smith
Todo Fichajes has published a story that Arsenal have contacted the representatives of Antonio Conte about the possibility of being our new manager if a vacancy becomes available. Reports are Conte would be interested if an offer arrived by October.
Although it’s refreshing to believe Stan Kroenke has a plan in place if Mikel Arteta cannot improve our form (we didn’t have a plan when Mr Wenger or Emery departed) it’s worth stressing that this Spanish source doesn’t have a great reputation for their rumours proving to be credible.
Which was my initial thought when I heard this speculation, it’s credibility.
Is it credible that a coach who could have his pick of jobs would gamble his reputation by taking charge of the worst Gunners squad in 25 years?
Make no mistake, the 52-year-old is in a powerful position. A TV pundit at the moment, he knows he would be on a short list if a Real Madrid or Man United were hiring. He’s not like our last two managers, so grateful for a high-profile position they would accept their employers’ limitations.
Is it credible a man who walked away from Inter Milan due to their financial restrictions would then work for owners with even less ambition?
The Italian has a reputation for falling out with his bosses the moment they don’t agree with his outlook.
He has always had a strong enough personality to back his own ability, walking away from Juventus, his national team, Chelsea and Inter at the height of his powers.
At each of those jobs he was a success.
Yes, he can improve individuals on the training pitch, but he likes to know he will be financially backed. He won’t come to the Emirates unless he knows there would be a realistic chance of competing for the title. Something the Kroenke Family haven’t been able to create in the 13 years since Stan Kroenke stepped onto our board.
Is it credible that the job specification since Mr Wenger would change from cheap options who are yes men, to suddenly paying one of the biggest salaries in world Football?
Is it credible that a 74-year-old suddenly changes his ethos and starts caring about his team winning things?
Conte doesn’t need the money nor a job for the sake of a job.
This isn’t a coach who is going to settle for challenging only for the top 4 and living in London. He’s a winner who has standards.
When he was linked with Spurs most Gooners laughed at the assertion that the latest Serie A Champion would join a team who had finished 7th in the Prem and who has zero chance of being champions.
As expected, Conte told Daniel Levy as much.
So why would Arsenal be any different?
Be Kind in The Comments
Dan
He might have come to Arsenal if Arsenal would have told that you will get 150 Million to spend this summer which Arsenal gave it to Arteta..
what if he was told 150 million was for 6 players?
I’m with kedar on this one ,we didn’t need the 6 players ,for me Ramsdales the new right back (forgot name )and Odegaards transfer money could have gone towards a world class AM ,so 80mill .
The CB was needed and the 2 cover lads we got in look good business .
Personally for me I would have gone all out to get Rogers in and I’m sure he would have jumped at the chance to manager a big club again , but conte would have been better than none ,I mean Tony pullis could do a better job than Arteta ATM .
but a world class AM wouldn’t join us
1- capable keepers in the under 23s
2-Fekir (probably would have cost the same as Odegaard)and he is world class ,Odegaard is not and never will be .
Any world class player would come to this club but not with Arteta in charge ,as seen by our summer transfers .
3- You forgot chambers and AMN and AMN was retained for the sole purpose of playing RB so that leaves us with 4 RBs on the books still ,over kill to the extreme
Questions..
1) If Leno got injured who would have covered for him?
2) Name the world class AM available for 80M willing to play for a club not fighting for CL?
3) Are you suggesting that AFC should spend an entire season with Soares as its main/ righback?
Not every time you need AM to play attractive football and win matches
Klopp doesn’t use Number 10 or designated AM but still his team play creative football and won league also
You need right player as per your system but the problem is Arteta doesn’t have his own system
And my point being mark is if we had a top manager then we would be able to bring in top tier players which was the point i made in my first post .
Kedar NOT in a million years would he come here unless it is a Ridiculously sum of money
I dont know where this idea of cheap options came from. Is it a narrative to proof a point yet to be made? If at all..
I dont think Unai was a cheap option, nor Arteta. I dont think cheap was the agenda but planning and building imo.
What was a cheap option – yet less to be cheap and more because the owners had no clue/idea – was to not hire the right staff around the manager and football director.
Something which is now being done. With that, conte would be more likely to join if this becomes a club with a vacant position
Yet if so, conte isnt the natural heir to the role imo
they both were on less money then Wenger making it a cheap option
whereas if they went out and got the very best they would pay a Wenger like salary
my main point though is do you really think Emery was the very best we could have got ?
Would he have got the Man City or Chelsea job?
I think Emery was bought in to stabilise the club and get us back into top 4 but his brand of football was off putting and he failed miserably,I know fans will say he was one point off 4th place but he had 4 games left to get that point so for me that was a big fail .
Again Artetas style of football seems to be following the same pattern but even worse not getting the points Emery put on the board .
Dan
Emery was totally the wrongperson
To lead us on from AW
He was a good 2nd tier manager
He should have gone in the summer and we could have started fresh rather than October November
MA again is the wrong manager for us but again of we will sack him October November
Hence why I think it wrong to start again mid season unless you are a chelski who have quality players to take up the mantel and a top coach to work with them
Would conte be the right person ..damn right but why we he come to a club who are not capable of fighting for the league let alone top 4
My bet with you is looking a bit thin for.me now
Alanball08 when Willian ripped up his contract somebody ask him WHY? I don’t want to say anything but I was not happy that is why I am leaving I was not happy WHY? what is going on at our beloved Arsenal
Very true that at the end of Wengers project he was on more than Unai and Mikel
But in 1996 at the begining of it all Wenger was on £500k a year. Today, with inflation on the same bases Arteta should be on £1m a year. But inflation doesnt correspond so smoothly to the football world. TV deals, Brand deals, sports deal, airline deals, fashion deals… (look at United, sponsored by a Kitchen Manufacturer….)
Arteta is on just less then what Unai was on at approx £5m a year.
Ole is on less than AF and Mourinho, LVG but it isnt about saying cheap option.
I only point this out because I am hearing ‘arsenal went with the cheap option’ slot from ‘fans’ but this is said less on knowledge and more on agenda…
I like the fact that we dont overpay and encourage them to earn more by doing more (and hopefully winning trophies). If Arteta was on Wengers salaries we rightly should be marching down to the Emirates with pitchforks.
So, my point being paid to encourage to do more, value for money. In truth our club allows managers the opportunity to manage a world known football institution and leave a history.
Unai almost did, but he couldnt and i agree, his tactics and probably his communication (I respect the fact he learnt a whole new language when coming here) let him down in the end.
I think he is a good manager. Looking at some of the past City managers, I think Unai could of managed City. Not today and not after Pep that i agree.
I didnt personally want Unai yet i took the time to read his book el maestro and i respect his career yet his style just wasnt in our dna. I wanted Ancelotti and even before Mikel I wanted Ancelotti but il give Mikel my support and time, mainly because I get what we are trying to do.
For the first time since moving to Emirates it feels like we have a strategy which factors in external issues (like the cash of chelsea, city, psg…)
I’m curious to learn, why do people think Conte is the right man to lead our club? Are you also considering the immediate need or someone who will be here in 5 years time? Is your objective just the immediate or long term?
Tom
I totally agree with you that I thought Ancelotti was tailor made for us to take over AW which I beleive the top brass made a major mistake in dismissing AW 1 year in to his Contract
Either don’t give him the 2 years or honour the last year but sacking him mid way through shows the total shambles from the people running our club. by the way AW should have been moved upstairs and retained for his knowledge, contacts and most of all passion for the club
Why we need conte; he is a short term manager but a true winner
And we need success to kick on.
We need the younger players to have a taste of it so they Want more and I am worried MA can’t deliver that short term
Will he come …will be totally surprised and shocked he takes up the offer, if there is an offer on the table
I respect your call for short term view on matters. Some fans are afraid to state otherwise, maybe because they know deep down we need some long term stability.
I think now a manager that comes in to a modern day football club needs to follow the projection of the clubs plans. These days a manager averages 3 -4 years in the role so expecting the manager, like Wenger to run the rooster is less likely. It will be interesting to see how Liverpool will cope without Klopp because he feels more like the old model, but then again some managers demand such position.
Conte might be this but I don’t know if he will settle for falling in line with the clubs objectives. Last thing we want is him not favouring new investments….White Longoka…
Dan, he at least deserves to be called “Mr Emery” for consistency with “Mr Wenger”.
Looking at Unai Emery’s CV he had the highest number of trophy wins of any manager in Europe for the three seasons, before he joined Arsenal. He was out of work and prepared to take on the job of following Arsene Wenger, when many others weren’t, given the situation at Arsenal. However being only appointed as head coach, with no say in transfers in and out to build the team he wanted, plus the communication issues, Emery was doomed to fail given the lack of support from the Board.
We should go for Luis Enrique and give him what he wants
Conte didn’t walk away from Chelsea. He was sacked after his tactic was cracked by other EPL managers and Chelsea was said to have lost £26.6m only in paying off compensation to Conte/ his team/ legal fees as per the Chelsea’s latest accounts
I wonder whether the likes of Mourinho and him deliberately caused problems after one season, to get huge severance money. He’d also likely need someone in the mold of Mirko Vucinic, Diego Costa and Romelu Lukaku
Nonetheless, he might want to join us because our manager always has less pressure to win major trophies, as compared to other big clubs. Although I believe our fans are the most fickle and the most toxic ones in EPL
my point was he is quick to fall out with owners the moment they dont match his ambition
eg, wont be a yes man in press conferences
He and our owner simply wouldn’t work
Maybe. Serial winners like Tuchel and him might be disliked by the club owners due to their arrogant vibes, but they’re proven to be excellent motivators
most managers fall out with Roman though
He’s high maintenance. He would require a healthy transfer budget, and would require complete control of transfers. One of the reasons he turned down the mights Spuds was because he wouldn’t work with the newly appointed Paratici.
It makes sense if Clubs offer managers 2 year contracts with clauses.
So if they dont deliever the required result, they can be sacked without paying huge compensation.
I dont mind if we sack arteta now. The narrative of having a long term project and sticking with an under performing manager is not feasible nowadays.
what should keep any manager at a club is the results. getting 3 points week in week out. Being competitive
If we sack Arteta now that will be fine by me.
Look at Serie A for instance.
Managers are being rotated in serie A.
Mou: Managed Inter and Roma
Ancelloti: Managed Juve and AC Milan, Bayern, Real Madrid, Everton, Chelsea.
Ranieri: Managed Napoli, Fiorentina, Parma, Roma, Inter, Juventus, Sampdoria, Cagilari, Leicester, Valencia, Chelsea etc.
Ranieri over 15 clubs.
clubs should be quick to axe any under performing manager. Appoint another, sack him if he under performs and appoint the next.
If I’m not mistaken, Tuchel got two years contract from Chelsea. Before it was extended, due to top four finish and UCL trophy
I don’t think Conte would like a short-term contract like that though. Because he always got huge lay-off package, due to the lengths of his contracts
With this current squad, Arsenal can make a significant impact provided the team is led by someone who understand the game. Conte understand the game, but I’m worried if most of the players with adjust quickly to his style of play. Arsenal has a very good squad, but the problem is Arteta
based on what ?
this squad finished 8th so what additions have excited you to the point you think we can we can make an impact ?
Hi DS
I think the natural progression of the current young players, and the addition of MO, Sambi etc should make a impact this season. I think it’s wrong to look at league position as the only indicator of progress, I think we got more points than the previous season (6 points behind 4th spot). IMO I think odegarrd will be a really strong player for us this season ( now that he is settling at one club). And the fact we don’t have European football has to help
The final league position and points total. But you never know 🤞
The squad finished 8th because of Arteta. The guy has limited knowledge of the game. Compare Chelsea and Arsenal team and tell if there’s any difference. The only difference is the coaching staff
there’s no doubt that Edu/Arteta were willing to do or say anything in order to secure the finances for the off-season window, as it was their insurance policy, in many respects…how ridiculous would it be for our largely absent owner to green light such previously unheard of expenditures unless there had been a considerable shift regarding expectations, from a time frame standpoint…personally, I believe that was a grave mistake, as this bounty, along with a few of our younger blue-chip prospects, were our only real hope of wooing someone of some import to the club…now we created a situation where, if things were to continue in a backwards trajectory, we would have to pay enormous severance packages then hire a new administrative team, who would likely have limited resources available, to put their respective stamp on the squad, without selling off our best and brightest
Why wouldn’t any manager love the Arsenal job ? Arteta proved you can steer the team to the basement of the table and the board is 100% behind you, get paid well and no pressure on your shoulders seems like a dream job 🤹
Kev, particularly for an out of work manager, who probably misses being totally involved in the game. His ego may see it as a great opportunity to turn around a high profile club like Arsenal, to restore its credibility in the football world. This would be a greater achievement than Chelsea and put Conte in the frame for any job he wants.
From KS&E’s perspective the current slide in Arsenal’s fortunes may have woken them up to the desperate situation. If two eight place finishes, loss of European revenue and currently sitting in last place doesn’t do it, nothing will. Kroenke has given money for transfers over the last two seasons and if the current management doesn’t improve the Club’s standing, he will act by replacing them with people of confirmed capability to do so. He has shown with Raul Sanheili that he can react when he has to, particularly if the value of his asset appears to be threatened.
The part of the article regarding Spurs is highly inaccurate. Conte very nearly joined Spurs. The deal broke down over Conte’s salary and his desire to bring his entire staff with him.
A spurious article which even the writer admits is based on nothing tangible at all! So why bother, I therefore ask?
for people to read and comment on
Which ……you just did lol
I commented only on the sad fact that you thought it worth writing, which it is NOT!
AS YOU KNOW PERFECTLY WELL DAN, AS YOU IN EFFECT SAID YOURSELF, IN THE ARTICLE THAT YOU ARE NOW LUDICROUSLY TRYING TO DEFEND YOURSELF HAVING WRITTEN.
1)We signed all our best youngsters down to long term deals
2) Partey, Tierney, White,Abameyang, Odegaard, Saka and ESR are top 6 players.
3) Lacazette, Guendouzi(permanently), Leno, Kola,Mari, Chambers, Bellerin(permanently), Niles, Nelson and Eddie will likely be gone leaving plenty of free wages and spaces for the new manager.
4) the club spent 150 million this summer and we now have alot of bases covered positionally. Next summer we can focus on a world class cm and and world class cf.
5) the Emirates
6) we are ARSENAL
Because any result he will get, will be an accomplishment sinbce Arteta is about to relegate the team.
It is an easy job to get credit for, with good salary.
He was apparently sold a 3 year project when he signed now the club have backtracked and are now saying it’s a long term project because they know Arteta as been backed and can not lose face and is learning on the job .
Why would Conte come to Arsenal? I doubt if he would, although if by a miracle he did he would shake up the mediocrity that pervades our setup. It’s hard to believe Arsenal/Edu did not sign either Houssem Aouar or Nabil Fekir or another top player. After spending £150 million we have no creative midfield. I just hope that after all that money we can miraculously start playing some quality football, which has not happened now for two seasons.
Any article against the manager. Remember, tough time don’t last but tough people do. Arteta keep your head up and focus on your project
Not after what MA and Edu did, I don’t think he will consider coaching the 20th place club who spent 150 million without getting back to him and pushed away from the players that he may consider in his plans.
Only Veira or Henry may join if they don’t mind working with the current people in the club.
Why are some people on here very happy to always denigrate our team? I get incensed to read things like on the cheap! Can’t some people stop reasoning on the cheap? Where did analysis go? Surely does anyone in their right mind believe that Arsenal will end the season bottom of the table or be in relegation places? Why should some people turn Conte into a world bester? True he is a good manager but not in the class of Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola, Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger, Jose Mourinho, Max Allegri and some few others. Why should anyone imagine he is too good for Arsenal?
I wish to advise those who have made it their pastime to bash our club to stop it. It is no longer criticism but destructive talk! Why would any Arsenal supporter take pleasure in that? It is like a child mocking a sick parent! It is simply obnoxious! Instead of proposing solutions some people are inadvertently discouraging individuals who wish to join the club and put it right. What mentality is that? I am sick and tired of such negativity! Why don’t such people propose solutions? Those same people will be cheering and clapping when Arsenal wins just two games in a row!
I have observed a general trend of intellectual laziness where many people don’t want to analyse situations and just speak out of impulse. This is very unfortunate! Any serious individual should have attempted an assessment of why Arsenal has been in its current predicament. One of the obvious reasons is the illness and injuries of some players. The second is the acquisition of new players who have yet to gel in with their colleagues. It is a well known fact that many new players take a bit of time to adapt to their new environment as well as the coach’s tactics. That is why Arsene Wenger rarely brought in more than 3 players at a time. He even openly spoke against it. The third reason is that we were made to start with a team that had just been promoted and was still full of vitality and then we had two of the best teams in the league presently.
Arising from the above it is rational that we give our team the benefit of doubt and see how it performs in the next six games. After that time one would be justified to lose patience but still that is not an excuse for cynical comments!
dude we have finished in our worst position in quarter of a century and just lost our first three games without scoring a goal
of course some fans are going to be negative
I agree some fans will be negative. However as DR points out this has become almost relentless. Virtually every day there are articles and comments denigrating the team and the manager.
There are far too many taking cheap shots at the manager simply because they have a platform. There are very few articles and comments that offer balanced criticisms and practical solutions.
There are even fewer that suggest patience is required given the circumstances of the start of the season.
I agree with DR, this club does not need so many of these fair weather toxic fans. We need more positive forward thinking fans who will support the team and help them overcome what is a difficult period.
of course conte would join.
you are creating some fantasy where our club is being oppressed by some evil owner when reality is we are among the leagues top spenders year in an out.
we have finished 8th is successive seasons and are currently dead last with zero goals in 3 games after spending +150M. wtf
you should be excited by the prospect of luring a confident competent manager that has had great success. you are not because you still believe in arteta the fantasy. rookie manager rides in on a horse and wins trophies. it is not happening at all!
team is going nowhere, please lets get conte!
Conte would want to compete with the others
Spending 150 million on 6 players won’t win you a title when Chelsea and City are spending 100 million on one
I believe Kroenke didn’t tell them to spend that on 6 players.
If Arteta can sign one player with 50M and Raul can sign one player with 72M, it means Kroenke never give them exact player to sign on say amount.
He only give them money to buy players and not on amount of players they should buy with it.
Is good if you hate Kroenke but don’t make us believe your shit as if Kroenke gave a number of players we need to buy with certain amount.
“Oppressed by some evil owner”? That evil owner gave Arteta £150mil to spend, but Arteta cannot turn things around after heavy expenditure. Don’t blame the owner, rather blame the coach
Was that £150 mil change directly from Stans pocket of loose change was it?
Don’t think so..it was what the club had raised and set aside. Yes Stan owns the club but under a self sustaining model so it’s not as if he has given us one red cent in reality. He has taken money out though;).
Conte might come if a good project is sold to him but I doubt we have the project that would appeal nor the funds to placate his desire to assemble his own players.
*All my thoughts are my own and not made to I’m any way leverage propulrity amongst the JA forum members. Terms and conditions apply.
It doesn’t matter whether it comes from his pocket or the team. But he made sure that the money is available. Don’t shift the blame from Arteta to Kronke
Arteta wouldn’t be in place if it wasn’t for Stan. Who else who truly had ambition to win things would hire a ‘L’ plate manager and then not get rid quick smart as soon as it could be seen by most nearly all;) that he wasn’t up for the job.
Look at the root of the problem sometimes and not the shiny leaves!
I agree that Conte would probably want something better than Arsenal. He even got bored with Juventus. But where does that leave us? Do you want to say that we have the football manager and director we deserve? Isn’t Arteta a lucky man, his job safe in the knowledge that none of the other contenders would be brave enough to take it on. It also means that long suffering Arsenal fans will be suffering for a lot longer.
Joe
It is inevitable that as some.point MA will be shown the door
The arsenal is still a name that has prestigious. We have a history from the past but the future holds much uncertainty.
The leadership within the club seems flimsy to say the least looking from the outside in.
People would always want to come and manage us because of who we are, weather they would be of the right calibre for us is another matter.
That’s true Alan but the rate of free fall decline we are and have been in these last god knows how many years our stock is dwindling. So while we have our name and past glories to live off that should the current decline persist will soon be a distant memory that holds no water any longer.
#sadButTrue
Agree that someone or a consortium needs to come and turn this around before it becomes endemic. Would not want to live long enough to see the weeds growing between the cracks in the concrete at The Emirates.
Arsenal are a huge club, with high quality players, let’s be honest arsenal players individually are some of the best in the premiere league (this is proven by their performances away from arsenal with their national teams), we have a top Quality stadium all that’s needed is a manager to give the team fucus and direction