With Unai Emery’s eventual sacking last Friday, Arsenal are currently in search of a new Head Coach. Our objectives for the season remain that we must qualify to play in the Champions League for next season but in order to achieve this; our performances, and ultimately results, must improve drastically. Having lost the game to Brighton at home last night, it’s not only just a winless run of seven games in the Premier League, it also means we’re currently 10th in the table. We’re in very big trouble and we need someone to steady the ship. To do that, they need to make sure Rose falls in love with Jack, Captain Birdseye stays focused behind the ship’s wheel, and they avoid plummeting into the fucking huge iceberg. Our once titanic club is in danger of sinking to the bottom of the ocean… unless we find a saviour.
The club have placed their faith in club legend Freddie Ljungberg as interim Head Coach until they make a decision on appointing a manager permanently. As much as I love Freddie, and I’m fairly sure most fans do for the great success he has helped provide the club in years gone by. Sadly, I think he’s out of his depth here and this job might be a bit too soon in terms of his management aspirations. I fear the longer he’s left in this position, it will tarnish his illustrious legacy.
At the moment there are a selection of possible candidates touted by the media as the four main favourites. The hot picks, if you will, are Mikel Arteta, Massimiliano Allegri, Nuno Espirito Santo, and Mauricio Pochettino. Considering the appointment of Emery last year fell under the radar of the media and fans, I will compile a list of other possibilities to take the Gunners hotseat in a separate article. Here’s a closer examination of ‘Nuno’ and what he would bring as Head Coach of Arsenal.
When the name of Nuno Espirito Santo began circling as a possible candidate to manage Arsenal, the reception of fans was split down the middle. Roughly half of the supporters would find his appointment an underwhelming one. To take a manager from “mid-table” club, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and bring him to an elite club like Arsenal would be unsatisfactory to some. From that perspective, we would be playing a similar defensively pragmatic style under Nuno, to what we had become accustomed to with Unai Emery. The other belief, which is also my own belief, is that his style of organised, yet attractive attacking football would fit perfectly within the Emirates. If he could achieve taking Arsenal up a level like he has with Wolves, then not only would he be a great success, he’d eventually win over the previous doubters.
It’s also important to reiterate how Nuno has his Wolves side playing an aggressive, offensive style of football and in no shape or form, in my opinion, is it a boring or negative one. Because they typically setup with a back five, and are so well organised off the ball, it’s a common misperception that they set out to defend.
With Nuno in charge, I think we would see a huge attacking threat posed by the likes of Nicolas Pépé, Alexandre Lacazette, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, as they would fit in to a system similar to how Wolves play. Mesut Özil might be sacrificed to the bench in order to satisfy Nuno’s system. However, if the results and performances are successful, nobody, excluding the Özil Fanboys, would have too many complaints. Considering the board had seemingly worked with Emery to freeze out Özil previously, that could appeal to the Arsenal board, especially as it helps to lower the wage bill.
Please take this with a big pinch of salt, as I so often do when it comes to internet rumours in football: Some reports are mentioning that Arsenal are reluctant to employ Nuno as manager based on an inability to “convince in managing players and tactics, talking to the media and fans, and selling the club to a global audience”. If these reports are to be believed then they are making a huge misjudgement. From what I have seen in interviews, press conferences, his relationship with the Wolves fans, and how his team give their absolute all on the pitch, suggests to me that Nuno has exemplary communication skills.
The impression I get from the young Portuguese manager is that he’s a very charismatic, articulate, and strong-minded character; someone who would serve Arsenal well communicating through the media to the fans. Again, if the reports are to be true, my only guess is that the board are judging him for his thick beard. If that is the case, then as a proud beard wearer myself, I take offence to that decision. I would call upon all beard owners to pick up their Viking, Lumberjack, or Fireman’s axe; and start a war upon all clean-shaven corporate types.
Another concern some may have with Nuno coming in as Arsenal manager is that it possibly dawns a new era of the club working much closer with super agents. Jorge Mendes, of course, being the agent in question. Many think this could tarnish the pure self-sustaining integrity the club has tried so hard to uphold. Personally, it’s better to add to the range of assets and opportunities in which give an advantage within the transfer market. I found it infuriating how Ivan Gazidis and Arsene Wenger would reportedly turn down the chance to sign players based purely on the identity of representatives. This goes a long way to explaining the long list of superstars we have supposedly missed out on in the past, and as a result; us as fans have suffered so many a disappointing transfer window. Let’s hope with Don Raul at the helm, we’ll have much improved transfer activity to come.
I’d give the appointment of Nuno a likelihood rating 6 out of 10. The fact he has Premier League experience, elevates the performance of his players, and would adopt a system suited to this current Arsenal squad; make him a more than suitable target. However, why would he leave a team flying high in the table and with decent financial, executive backing; to come to a struggling Gunners outfit?
I think he deserves an 8 out of 10 for his chances of success. It’s slightly concerning that his Wolves team don’t deliver the results against teams they are expected to, opposed to when they overachieve by slaying many a Premier League giant. With a wider selection of quality players and deeper finances; Nuno will produce even better results. It’s a shame Arsenal can’t give him that.
The Highbury Daze 