Paul Merson has claimed that Mikel Arteta and Max Allegri should be overlooked by Arsenal in favour of Brendan Rodgers.
The Gunners are on the lookout for their first new manager in over two decades, and are believed to be confident of wrapping up their chase before June’s World Cup in Russia, and there is plenty of speculation on who will be chosen to take us into the new campaign.
Mikel Arteta is linked with a shock appointment, given he is yet to experience being the manager of a club, while Max Allegri is also strongly linked with the job, but Paul Merson has other ideas.
“Personally, I think Arsenal would like Mikel Arteta to get the job but I’m not sure the fans would have that,” he told his column.
“He has never managed before and doesn’t have much experience.
“I still think Brendan Rodgers is the ideal candidate. He plays the right kind of football and has proved he can handle the pressure of a big job.”
Merson added: “They are obviously looking at Juventus boss Max Allegri, and there are plenty of Arsenal fans who would love him to take over, I’m sure.
“But that’s George Graham football. Keep it tight and nick a goal. The Italian way. It won’t be free-flowing.
“It won’t be the sort of football Arsenal fans are used to.”
The former Gunners midfielder added that he doesn’t expect Wenger to quit managing this summer despite knowing he will stop doing so in North London.
He added: “Wenger will carry on. It’s all he knows. He doesn’t have anything else in his life apart from football. He won’t be able to say no to another job.
“Everton? It wouldn’t surprise me if he ends up there because he will think: ‘I’ll show you, Arsenal.’”
“It might appeal to him to take another Premier League job and stick it to his old club. If he went to Everton and things went well he could end up finishing above them!
“That would be a nice way of showing them they were wrong to push him out the door before he was ready.
“But I think two years at Paris St-Germain trying to win the Champions League before he retires would suit him better.
“One last big challenge like that and then he could probably move upstairs and put his feet up. I’m sure they would let him, they love him there.”
Do Arsenal need to consider a new style of play in order to move forward? Would Arsenal fans be happy to see Brendan Rodgers come in this summer?
Pat J