There is some strange news coming out of Bosnia, where the Liverpool assistant coach Zeljko Buvac has reportedly been taking a “break” from his post at Anfield in a strange “leave of absence”.
But PravdaDL are saying that Buvac has actually been in secret talks with Arsenal. The UEFA and Liverpool journalist released this tweet this morning.
The Bosnian news agency that broke Klopp and Buvac were to take over at Liverpool (the day before Brendan Rodgers was sacked) have this morning broke a story that Buvac is Arsenal bound as Wenger’s replacement.. #LFC #AFC pic.twitter.com/tW7riTaZ0f
— Chris Williams (@Chris78Williams) May 1, 2018
But Liverpool are maintaining that Buvac has just taken a sabbatical for “personal reasons” but a Sky report maintains that it has nothing to do with a new job.
They said: Reports emerged on Monday morning that Buvac, also nicknamed ‘the brain’ by supporters, had quit his role as Klopp’s assistant just two days before the Champions League semi-final second leg against Roma.
But Liverpool say that is not the case and Buvac is spending some time away from the first-team environment, between now and the end of the season, for personal reasons.
It certainly sounds like an interesting choice if true. The Gunners have also been with Jose Mourinho’s assistant coach Rui Faria, who has worked with Jose for 15 years and helped him win numerous trophies over his career.
I wonder if this one is true though….
Would you be happy with Klopp’s assistant if we couldn’t get the man himself?
Admin
This appointment may make arsenal look petty, unfocused, desperate, mediocre and lacking ambition!
Arsenal are a big club to appointment deputy manager as full coach!
Hmmm Wenger was unknown when he joined us, just saying.
DAT was in d days of old…Arsenal should show bigger ambitions.
Arsene Wenger was only unknown to parochial British football followers and journalists. He had won the French league with Monaco plus cups in France and Japan.
Exactly. Wenger won Ligue 1 in his first season in charge.
Buvac, known as “The Brains” behind Juergen Klopp’s less than intellectual leadership, is however not going to be an Arsenal manager since:
a) he has never managed
b) is too much of an introvert
c) speaks only German except for his (I presume) Serbo-Croat mother tongue.
Nothing to see here people. Excellent man, and surely has the capabilities, but he’s not going to start his managerial career as the manager of Arsenal FC.
He’s now 5/2 favourite.
The English lingo would only be a problem if he doesn’t pick it up, I’d be very surprised if he hasn’t been taking lessons before this season even. If he took a sabbatical like reported and rumours are true, he has plenty of time to brush up on what he has learned so far. As for introvert, I couldn’t tell ya because I’ve never heard the man speak. Never managing before, well he was a player and as a coach he knows what is asked of a manager, so long as he knows tactics and team dynamics you can say there is a first time for everything.
Mourinho’s assistant = No, because the way Mourinho’s team play is boring for me
Klopp’s assistant = Yes, because he speaks German and Arsenal already have German spine. He could also instill Klopp’s system to Arsenal and Klopp’s teams are entertaining to watch
Rather than getting Tuchel that only won a DFB Pokal, I would prefer Arsenal gamble on this guy or take the expensive Allegri/ Enrique
It’d be great if we could get them as first team coaches, the both of them, if they were willing to work under a different manager on more money than they get now. Klopp’s system, they say Buvac came up with Gegenpressing, the other day they said it was Rangnick.
He may be a great coach in the making…
But he looks too player friendly…like Wenger…to me
Also…what about Liverpool’s defensive frailties…we have enough of those ourselves and need a man to cure them…not perpetuate them
Having said all this…don’t want to be too hasty to judge
Hope the Board are not trying to save money though by appointing a manger with lower wage demands
It’s all interesting but a little disturbing…
Arsenal as usual looking for shortcuts.
get allegri/jardim…..no need for half measures taking unnecessary gambles.
Plse arsenal board choose experienced coach. The right man is Enrique arsenal now is a bigger club we need to win trophies not competing. Go get him.
Arsenal made a relatively unknown Wenger as coach and he succeeded in the first decade in charge because he inherited great players.
Now we have almost rubbish players. The last thing we need is a rookie to take over.
Disaster LOOMS!
Dun try to belittle Wenger’s achievement…. Players like Peiti, Vieira, Henry were not inherited. It remains to see who will be appointed.
It s easy for us to critise and take a demeaning tone but these people are taking a day to day active role to serve Arsenal. Time to support the club.
The invincibles were not inherited, it was wenger’s work.
Agreeg, but with a great deal of assistance from David Dein in getting the players. Please analyse Wenger’s relative success in partnership with Dein and without.
The 3 prime candidates
to replace Wenger are
1. Robbie Lyle (Arsenal fan TV)
2. Konstantin (JustArsenalwriter)
3. barryglik 🙂
Make it a triumvirate and I’ll back you all!!!
I think it should be Michael Owen with Chris Sutton as his assistant? At least that would take two big mouth pundiots (deliberate spelling mistake) off the TV?
Yeah Robbie with Ty and Troopz as assistants right?
I never knew his name until yesterday. Same applied when Wenger first arrived here. What an ominous omen! I would take Klopp in a heartbeat but as for his deputy, well, aren’t deputies the second in charge for the simple reason they are not as good as the main man. This is of course a rhetorical question, and a true statement , actually!
True
Mayb its about our newly recruited high class scout, smbody may have told Milstant he is the reason they are doing so well in CL.
Mourinho was a no2. Pep was a youth team coach.
The Liverpool man is apparently 54. Pep was a youngster and so was Mourinho , by comparison Does this answer your fallacious point?
Mr. Know it all, other people have valid opinions, you know? If this was an unkown Mourinho, Im sure your argument would be along the lines of Mourinho not having played serious football while Buvac and Pep did, right?
Incarnate. No one on this earth knows even a tiny fraction of one per cent of all the world knowledge. You are right that others have valid opinions. Does that deny me or anyone the right to come back at them with a further comment? Well does it, Mr Anti-Democrat? What I wrote was not opinion but fact. I usually choose verifiable facts to back up my opinions , which is why some are lengthy but usually accurate. I do not and have not nor ever will claim to “know it all”. That is a cheap and low class jibe borne out of jealousy for my intellect and my ability to write a constructive comment and reply. And because you do not agree with it. LASTLY, PLEASE DO NOT PUT WORDS IN MY MOUTH WHICH I HAVE NOT SAID(in your last sentence above).
Jon, your facts prove nothing of the argument, all you told us was they are not same ages. Some get the breaks early, some are late bloomers, that’s all that proves. Does him getting an offer later in life mean that it’s impossible for him to manage a club well.
Straight answer to your straight question is “No , it does not, not by itself.” You make a good point about a minority of people and it takes all sorts to make a world. But again to use facts to make my case. THE FACTS TELL US THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF MANAGERS WHO EVER MAKE TOP LEVEL HAVE STARTED WHEN STILL YOUNG, either through early career ending injury or by early/ mid thirties in regular coaching. The very top managers are USUALLY, NOT ALWAYS I GRANT YOU, BUT USUALLY, WELL ESTABLISHED AT TOP LEVEL WELL BEFORE AGE 50. So 54 IS UNUSUALLY LATE, WHICH IS WHAT I ORIGINALLY SAID. ON BALANCE OF PROBABILITIES , THEREFORE , IF YOU ARE NOT A NUMBER ONE BY 54, IT IS BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
Zidane was an untested deputy and now he’s potentially on his third champion’s League title. Just saying.
nope. get somebody proven. stop looking for the second coming of Wenger. It’s like the club hasn’t learned that keeping someone around for too long goes south sooner than you think. Nothing wrong with freshening it up every 4-5 years like other clubs do.
I don’t expect a miracle man,and I honestly believe that next season will not be any better. Major trophies are basically bought, without spending it will be business as usual. Let get a new coach as we continue to learn what it takes to win the title
When Wenger arrived , he inherited the greatest defence in the history of not only Arsenal but English football. When Mr. X arrives he will inherit Mustafi the late lunger, Bellerin the non defender, the ghost of the once top Koscielny, Xhaka the club clown, Iwobi the bewildered, Elneny the crab and Seaman, Adams, Bould , Keown , Dixon , Winterburn distinctive by their absence. Poor Mr. X. What chance does he – or Mr. A to Z – have either!
Yeah having a great defence is wonderful and all, but you still gotta put together the other 80% of the team. A manager doesn’t look and say, I’m expected to win everything and I should, because I have top defenders.
An interesting if fanciful point , at least over the last 12 years. Everyone knows we need a team of top players to be a great team , with defenders, midfield , attackers and two keepers . You say” having a good defence is wonderful.” Well, at my advanced age , I can still remember when this was true, in the last millenium and early this millenium too. But many young Gooners have never , EVER, seen a proper defence at Arsenal. And THIS WAS WHAT MY ABOVE POST WAS ALL ABOUT.
Lemme guess, Wenger inherited Lehman, Campbell, Toure and Ashley Cole too, remember those warriors that went 49 games unbeaten?
Incarnate, even those players when interviewed, give credit to the Arsenal defensive culture passed on by other defenders, who at that stage were not first choice.
With regard to the attack, there is Dennis Bergkamp purchased by David Dein and Bruce Rioch, named by players such as Ian Wright and Thierry Henry as the greatest player they played with.
Incarnate, My post CLEARLY said “over the last 12 years”, WHICH YOU HAVE, NATURALLY, TOTALLY IGNORED. I DO NOT MIND IN THE LEAST MIND SOMEONE ARGUING WITH WHAT I WRITE. ALL ARE WELCOME. BUT I TAKE ISSUE WITH SOMEONE ARGUING OVER SOMETHING I HAVE NOT WRITTEN. Further, if you subtract 2004 from 2018, you come up with 14 (in years) Which rather supports MY argument, wouldn’t you say. Assuming you can do simple arithmetic of course. PERHAPS I SHOULD NOT SO ASSUME!
@ Jon Fox : I can see you all already beginning to make excuses for the incoming Manager (Mr. X). I am not surprised; you all are just as guilty of the same accusation you levy against AW. You should be fired from amongst true Arsenal fans. Loads of excuses even before the new manager has been identified. Do we not read severally that a better manager will do greater and wonderful things with this crop of players (or just with a few additionally 3-4 good signings?). Why so clubs change managers? They want you to come work with the team and tweak with some additional signings and make success. In the history of football clubs, I am yet to see a new manager change the entire first 11. Let’s STOP the exciusses; they are actually too early…I did see them coming this soon BUT I have always know they will come from the likes of JF.
Turth is, you have failed to be objective; I have written in the last few days that – I am shiocked to see no one is taling about policy reviews by the board…everyone (may be not some of us) is celebrating impending manager change as if that will address late contract renewals, player transfer policies, dragging player negotiations (did the new team not just spend the entire Jan window negotiating Auba?)……
Even if Buvac ends up being the selected manager….he may turn out good…but at some time…he will be limited in the face of the stengths of MC., Liverpiool, MU etc if we do not change our policies. Those clubs have at least a player that cost over 70M and they are going to strengthen….some of them buying a player for 89M and a defender for 75M. Whether you like it or not…AW has demonstrated he could great things with average players, great players and little funds. It is time for someone else to come prove he could do even better. Fingers crossed. (I thought we could get Pep, Mourinho etc on the understanding they would only have 50M per transfer window,…we know Pep wont have the 200M that he spent on defenders ALONE). Dont expect Pep and the likes to come knocking on your door for your Managerial position under 50M per transfer window condition!
Welcome to reality…….
It is sheer fantasy on your part to imagine I can or would make excuses for a new as yet unidentified manager(hence me calling him Mr. X,which is a legitimate literary device to use). What I ACTUALLY did was to outline the obvious difficulties facing him BY COMPARISON with the defence Wenger inherited back in 1996. Wenger , back then, had no need to worry about strengthening the defence for some time to come. THIS IS THE POLAR OPPOSITE OF WHAT THE NEW MAN MUST EXPECT. As for the rest of your post, I am at pains to understand what you are actually saying and its relevance to what I WROTE. I DO NOT DISAGREE WITH MUCH OF IT BUT IS SEEMS JUST A STATEMENT OF THE OBVIOUS WITHOUT ANY REAL CONCLUSION ATTACHED. THAT THE NEW MAN WILL URGENTLY NEED TO COMPLETELY RESHAPE THE DEFENCE CAN BE IN NO SERIOUS DOUBT TO ANT RATIONAL GOONER. Where , pray, is me making an excuse, by writing this truth? Virtually the whole criticism from countless thousands of GOONERS, FOR AGES PAST, IS THAT HE HAS NO IDEA HOW TO MAKE HIS TEAM DEFEND. Care to tell us ALL whether or not YOU are glad he is off in three weeks?
Gazadis has already mentioned the new manager will focus on the youth academy
which means there will be limited funds available….and not spend 300m here and there
You’re twisting what he said somewhat and what he meant.
I am quite optimistic arsenal board are looking for a long term manager , not the ones that spend two to three season and will be gone leaving the team in disarray
Fans are just thinking of buying success. When Arsenal signed Wenger he was unknown. if you claim he inherited a great defence then you should know he worked hard to create a team. 11 players play football and not just four very good defenders. Give Wenger some credit, don’t be blinded by bitterness.
If Bovac is really the brain behind Klopp’s tactics then we should be happy to have him. I am a big fan of high pressing football. it can make average players look extraordinary because it doesn’t focus so much on individual talent. it works because everybody works hard for the team. if Bovac is Wenger’s replacement please through all the negativity away and support the team.
I would love Arsenal to sign someone that can be here for years and not one money grubbing, glory hunting coach that will win one trophy and leave the team in disarray when he jumps at the next better paying job.
Jardim is Arsenal next Manager still kept under carpet until our results with A.madrid after that we will know who is coming in Enrique same as Pep they did inherit a good team which was built by Rijcaard other than that they know which players to bring in since both played football and my bet next Manager will be as follows 1)Jardim 2) Fonseca 3) Bevic from Liverpool. Enrique is not a right personality for Arsenal yes he won things but that wasn’t just down to him and Messi and co were the biggest factor
Have you got a mole in the Arsenal boardroom?
Over ten years Arsenal had a problems and those problems was Wenger! keep preach about philosophy while everybody else buy quality players as soon as the windows opens he will wait until last minutes to try and buy players on cheap while everybody else was not selling!! because the season kicked on already and he will come out and say we couldnt find a right players on market!
In terms of football style, thomas tuchel is my favorite, i want us to move back to fast direct football we played when wenger first arrived and leave behind this boring tikitaka sideways passing wenger adopted because of his obsessions with barcelona forgetting they have messi. Tuchel brings possession mixed with direct aggressive play with a lot of pressing which we don’t know how to do due to lack of coaching on it. Its why i don’t want enrique, he favours slow tikitaka and i remember it didn’t work at all when he was at roma. This liverpool assistant would make us play more direct and aggressive but he has been an assistant for 18 years, it a different situation being the manager at a club like arsenal. Please no henry, arteta, veira too. Allegri and jardim would be my other choices.
Tuchel gone to PSG
IMO Ancelotti should take over for two years……..while we continue the search for a younger coach……..
Nooooooooo
Are you guys joking because you better be. Arsenal shouldn’t make same mistake which United did by appointing manager like Moyes.
Time will tell, whether Kroenke and the board have the ambition to compete with the other so-called big clubs. The appointment of the next manager will be a major indicator. No more yes men; Arsenal needs a manager prepared to stand up to the board and if not supported (ie their ambition doesn’t match his) have the integrity to put his job on the line.
Fully agree Ozziegunner that’s why I’m going for Allegri who, according to reports, does stand up to the Juventus board.
Yeah he has to be the top pick. He goes for balance, strong defending when needed and plenty of attack when playing lesser teams, allot of the time he tries to go with a balance. On top of that he is one of footballs top tacticians. He takes no sh*t is disciplined, players know they must perform. I think the Buvac and Rangnick ideas are interesting, and we are a club that would go way out left field like that, we aren’t known for going with the obvious. But it might be a risk too far, unless they what someone to absorb the after Wenger effect, before then targeting a high profile manager who’ll be filling smaller shoes ..like Manu done after Fergie. I must admit though, I’d be happier if we were chasing these no2s for head coach positions rather than management.
So as Enriqe – Allegri is just an ok manager he just has a right group/balance of players. what about Zidane who won 2 champion league back to back? guess what he got group of quality players something Arsenal been lacking for over a decade ??
If it’s a 3 year deal let’s not mess about, just go for a tried and tested manager like Allegri who believes in a good defence AND attack and is one of the best strategists in the game. Ask Spurs!!
We can definitely afford him after what AW gets paid and I’m convinced he would rather come to a classy club like ours than hire and fire Chelsea.
Good assistant managers rarely make the grade, remember Steve McClaren?
And his brolly ?
New/incoming arsenal manager doesnt need to be big name just like wenger when he came in just need a right person who knows how to balance things and work with others. Liverpool asst. manager might be a right candidate to replace wenger.