The fact that it’s been nearly two weeks since Arsenal sacked Unai Emery leaves me assuming our owners have no long terms idea and are just taking things day by day. We must be the only side in the Premiership who would change our manager without any long-term plan.
Names have been linked, leading to the conclusion if there were any substance to the rumours action would have been taken by now.
Does it take a fortnight to decide if you want to pay compensation for someone in work?
Do you need more time to consider Arteta when he’s already been interviewed?
Are we waiting for Allegri’s sabbatical to end?
Is there a clause in Pochettino’s redundancy package where he can’t join a rival till the campaign is over?
If so, is our preference a caretaker boss?
Yet again it would help if we had clarity.
That’s why I think the Kroenke owners should be very happy with the news to come out of Italy about the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti from Napoli. Once someone explains to them who Carlo Ancelotti actually is, they might find he ticks as many boxes as possible.
Don’t get me wrong I will never agree with how the Americans run the club, but if part of the criteria is not wanting to pay compensation then suddenly this becomes a possibility. If I’m being kind, maybe we have simply been waiting for this moment.
We all know people talk behind the scenes. Perhaps we were given a heads up and told just to wait after the European group stages were finalised. Why pay to take someone from a club if you think Ancelotti will be free within the next month?
It’s not like Napoli would have been paying a salary we cannot compete with, and despite the sack he remains close friends with Naples chief Aurelio De Laurentiis. The two handled the last 24 hours professionally, not wanting to undermine qualifying for the Champion’s League knockout stage, despite knowing they were going their separate ways.
It’s hard to believe there would be any reason to stand in his way and make it hard for him to fulfil his ambition of returning to England.
As a serial winner Ancelotti would love to pick a club where winning trophies is realistic and might be put off by our lack of ambition. However, he was happy to coach in Serie A without the biggest budget, so why not us?
He might just think, at the age of 60, he’s content to be living back in London trusting his tactical ability to make us better. He certainly would demand respect in the dressing room, even enough to convince some of our stars to sign extensions.
So, Ancelotti has enough experience to cope with the pressure that comes with being at Arsenal, a proven winner, can organise a defence, is a winner and affordable.
Maybe we were simply waiting for him to be sacked?
Dan Smith