Sacking a manager is one thing, trusting Arsenal to hire a replacement who is any better than what we have is another thing entirely.
Remember when a section of our fan base was so desperate to force Arsene Wenger out of the club it became an obsession, even though there was zero proof our owners had any ambition to find anyone better? 18 months on, you could argue if we have got any better without the Frenchmen?
Now we are in the same position with Unai Emery. Some gooners are getting so frustrated he hasn’t been fired they are getting personal with their insults, without worrying if his replacement will improve things.
Recent results have suggested he’s lost the dressing room, or the very least hasn’t got the skills to lift their confidence. if that’s the case, any change can only help in the short term but what’s the point if we are sitting here in 12 months saying the same things about a different name?
Like when Mr Wenger announced he was leaving, I don’t trust our current set up to have any plan B, a contingency plan in case Emery hadn’t worked out. They will simply shrug their shoulders and see who’s a realistic target, the criteria most likely being someone so grateful to get such a high-profile vacancy they will tolerate having a limited transfer budget and starting halfway through a campaign.
An Allegri for example wouldn’t risk his reputation by walking into a sinking ship in January, he would want to start afresh in the summer with a respectable kitty.
So, is it worth months of misery if it means we get the right man, compared to a change that gives instant gratification but leaves us in the same predicament?
I don’t believe that those in power sit there and truly believe that Nuno Espirito is the best possible candidate. He is simply a cheap option that would see it as such an opportunity that he would accept the Kroenke’s lack of ambition. The Arsenal should be or could be so much more than that.
Don’t get me wrong, no one can argue the Wolves boss has not done a great a job, and couldn’t do more to earn a step up the ladder. Yet, like an Eddie Howe or Brenden Rodgers, there is a different pressure managing Arsenal then a Leicester or Bournemouth making them the same gamble Emery was.
We are not at the right time in our history to be making any gambles but if we have to go down the route (which would purely be for financial reasons) then it’s just as well pick an ex player.
We have hit rock bottom to such an extent, step one is putting smiles back on people’s faces. We need an Arsenal man who understands our DNA, agrees with our principles and won’t sacrifice them no matter the situation.
I should stress I don’t believe our owners care enough to make a game changing appointment, but if the only thing that stood in our way was holding out for 5 months then do that instead of changing for changing sake.
Dan Smith