Five possible replacements for Arsene Wenger
While Arsene Wenger may be regarded as one of the world’s greatest managers, it’s clear that Arsenal fans are becoming increasingly frustrated with the club’s baron run without a trophy. In addition, Wenger’s apparent phobia of spending big in the transfer windows when there is thought to be money available has also caused agitation among some supporters. His policy of investing in youth is admirable but it takes time for players development and that is something that Wenger may not have for much longer at the club should he fail to deliver a trophy to North London in the very near future.
Therefore, if Arsenal were to be brave and sack Wenger, who could they look to bring in at the Emirates? After all, they would have to replace their most successful manager of all time (in terms of trophies).
One manager that has really come to prominence this season is Borussia Dortmund manger Jurgen Klopp. Since he arrived at the helm in 2008, the club have made dramatic progress and are currently heading towards their first Bundesliga title since 2002. With Dortmund having to pay off mountains of debt, Klopp has proved those who say you have to spend big to succeed dramatically wrong. At 43, he has already shown his pedigree in the football world and he would relish the challenge of managing one of the world’s biggest clubs.
Martin O’Neil has been out of a job since his shock resignation from Aston Villa last August but he will undoubtedly come back if the right opportunity arises. A job as manager of Arsenal may be that very opportunity. He has had many successes, most notably during his time at Celtic but he also performed miracles at Leicester while doing some impressive work as Aston Villa boss. O’Neill’s CV certainly shows that he could turn the fortunes of Arsenal around but there would probably be a radical change of policy at the club should he become manager and he would need to be given plenty of time before improvements are made.
It seems that Gus Hiddink is more intent on managing national sides but it remains to be seen whether he would return to England following his successful stint with Chelsea. While Chelsea would probably be his most likely destination, Arsenal would be foolish not to enquire should they look to change managers. Hiddink is considered to be one of the best managers of his generation and you only have to look at South Korea’s remarkable run to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup under his leadership to see why. However, while that may be the highlight of his managerial career, his second stint at PSV Eindhoven saw him become the most successful Dutch manager in history having amassed six league titles, four Dutch cups and one Champions League.
However, Arsenal could decide to replace a Frenchman with a Frenchman and if that was the case then they should look no further than Didier Deschamps. A legend as a player, he could well become one as a manager. Last campaign, he delivered Marseille their first league title in 18 years and a League Cup in his first season in charge. His other successes include guiding AS Monaco to the final of the 2003/04 Champions League and earning promotion with Juventus in 2007 after the ‘Old Lady’ were relegated to Serie B following the 2006 Italian match fixing scandal. If he was to become Arsenal manager then the players would have the utmost respect for Deschamps especially the large French contingent at the club!
It is a well known fact that Jose Mourinho would one day love to manage another club from the Premiership. Although many are tipping him to become Sir Alex Ferguson’s successor at Manchester United, Arsenal could be another option for the Portuguese manager. His managerial record is spectacular and he is widely regarded as one of the greatest in history. However, he requires strong backing from the team owners and chairman and if he doesn’t get what he wants then things can quickly turn sour behind the scenes. If he was to become Arsenal manager he would need the board to provide him with funds for transfers which Arsene Wenger seemingly hasn’t received in recent campaigns.
Lastly, it is well known that Wenger and Mourinho have a somewhat frosty relationship so can you imagine the latter’s satisfaction should he be the manager who ends Arsenal’s baron run without a trophy
