Tim Cahill, Future Arsenal Coach? By Dan Smith
If Tim Cahill’s appearance on Sky Sports Super Sunday was an advertisement for a coaching position at Arsenal, he couldn’t have done more. He was like Ian Wright in how gushing he was over our win at Old Trafford.
Of course a lot of it might be his friendship with Arteta from their days at Everton, this could just be someone supportive of their mate.
Yet you know when you go for an interview and as much as you are asked details about yourself, there’s always the key question about ‘what do you know about the company’?
That’s the interviewer trying to get a range on how passionate you actually are, are you serious enough to have taken the time to do some research?
Well, Mr Cahill seemed to know everything about the Gunners. Where they were, how they have improved, the direction they are taking. Unless our manager had been staying round the Australian’s house talking non-stop about us, this was impressive.
The former midfielder then drops into the conversation that he has now completed his badges, spent 6 months at Everton’s academy and has ambitions to get into some coaching. Sky is hardly a bad platform to tell the world you’re after a job.
His interactions with Roy Keane has got thousands of views on social media as well as on JustArsenal. A lot of that was Keane just being grumpy because United had lost. I actually like him as a pundit, but he lost this verbal exchange.
In any profession, they say don’t mix professional with personal relationships. Arteta might feel he wants to work with someone not afraid to disagree with him which some friends won’t do (although clearly Cahill is an opinionated bloke who won’t be intimidated). At the same time, he might like the idea of someone sold on his ethos.
One of the first things the Spaniard did when becoming our boss was to hire Steve Round, who he would have known from his Goodison Park days, so that shows he’s open to working with people he trusts.
After making 55 staff redundant, maybe Arsenal are not hiring at the moment, but don’t be surprised to see Cahill on your TV screens more. His worst-case scenario is Sky Sports have found a new pundit. But if he’s serious about coaching full time, it wouldn’t be a shock if it’s in North London.
After Sunday, he’s certainly made friends with lots of gooners.
Dan Smith