Heading into the last international
break of the year, Arsenal finds themselves in the sixth position. They’re
ahead of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur and only Sheffield United
separate them from Manchester City.
However, Unai Emery’s side is just
four points ahead of 16th placed West Ham United. Football devotees from around
the world can purchase Premier League Tickets online to enjoy its fabulous
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The loss to Leicester
City on Saturday means the Gunners find themselves eight points off the
Champions League positions. With a tricky December on the horizon, including a
run that sees them play Manchester City, Everton, Man United, and Chelsea in
the space of two weeks, their season could well be over before the turn of the
year unless things change.
Arsenal got off to a good start to
the campaign having taken maximum points from their opening two matches.
However, since then, Emery’s side has claimed just 11 from the 30 on offer and
are currently without a win in four having lost to Leicester and Sheffield
United while only managing to draw in games against Crystal Palace and
Wolves.
Patience was the buzzword at the
Emirates last season with fans wanting to give Emery an opportunity to put his
stamp on the team in the post-Arsène Wenger world. A 22-game unbeaten run
helped the former Paris Saint-Germain manager get fans onside.
Some even compared his first season
in charge with that of Jurgen Klopp’s at Liverpool. For a period of time, it
looked like Arsenal had found their groove again.
But then with Champions League Football
within touching distance, the Gunners stalled at the worst possible time. A
spell of four defeats in five, followed by a draw with Brighton, meant Emery’s
side missed out on a top-four finish. Their miserable end to the season was
compounded with a 4-1 loss to Chelsea in the Europa League final.
The credit Emery banked early on in
his reign was quickly used up and now fans are already eying up possible
replacements for the one-time Sevilla tactician.
Here, we take a look at three
possible contenders to take over from Emery if the Arsenal board decides enough
is enough. It’s one thing if results aren’t going your way, it’s much worse if
the team is lacking an identity and failing to perform. The latter is a problem
for the Gunners right now.
An expensively assembled squad into
the second year of a manager shouldn’t look as rudderless as it does right now.
Mikel Arteta
The man many expected to succeed
Wenger. It was all but confirmed until a last-minute Emery approach changed
things. Still, assistant manager at Manchester City, a handful of the media
has touted the Spaniard as the successor to Pep Guardiola.
However, the Citizens have recently
given former Arsenal left-back Giovani van Bronkhorst a job
and reports suggest the plan is for him to take the helm of NYCFC
before eventually replacing Guardiola at the Etihad.
Having learned from one of the best
in the world, he may feel he needs to branch out and distance himself from the
City umbrella. The Emirates would be the perfect platform for him.
Arteta knows the club. He knows the
fans and while he lacks experience, he does know what sort of football they
expect and how to go about delivering that. It’s a gamble but could be one
worth taking if the Gunners want to become a fixture in the top four once
again.
Brendan Rodgers
Flying high with the Foxes right now,
a move to Arsenal could be viewed as a step down in the current climate. But
Rodgers is a man with an ego not necessarily a bad thing – and rebuilding the
Gunners, turning them into genuine title contenders, could be something that
appeals to him.
Furthermore, the squad available
plays into his strengths as a coach. There’s plenty to work with and he’s shown
countless times in the past that he can get more out of players and sides.
In the Premier League,
these small margins can make a big difference. Having the man-management skills
to be able to eke out that extra bit from players is priceless.
It’s also worth remembering that
Rodgers was the man who managed to fit Luis Suárez, Daniel Sturridge, Raheem
Sterling, and Philippe Coutinho into the same starting XI. He could so
something special with Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and
Nicolas Pepe.
Eddie Howe
Howe is an unknown away from
Bournemouth. A stint with Burnley he spent close to two years at Turf Moor is
the only time he had away from the Cherries since becoming a manager in 2008.
He did a solid enough job with the
Clarets, finishing mid-table, yet didn’t really impress. But with Bournemouth,
it just works. Howe took the club from League One to the Premier League. Tipped
by many to head straight back to the Championship, Howe’s side stunned the
masses by retaining their English top-flight status.
Under his watch, the Cherries have
developed into a mid-table side capable of causing an upset. Bournemouth has an
identity and they have a style. If Arsenal wants an established brand of
football, Howe should be a potential target.
This appointment wouldn’t be similar
to when Liverpool hired Rodgers. At the time, he had one year’s worth of
experience in the Premier League. Albeit a successful one but one that didn’t
have the downs needed to help him develop as a manager. Howe, on the other
hand, is into his fifth season as a Premier League boss.
He’s suffered the lows and the highs.
He’s yet to win a trophy or Gatecrash the top six but that’s near impossible in
the current climate. What he has done is take aside from the third division and
turn them into a decent Premier League outfit who gives youth an opportunity.
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