What has happened to the heirs of Wenger’s throne? Part II

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So yesterday, we looked at 5 men who were once on most Arsenal fans target list to replace Arsene Wenger. Frank de Boer, Jurgen Klopp, David Moyes, Owen Coyle and Gary Monk. Another day, and it’s still the international break, we look at the next 6, starting with Jose Mourinho.

Jose Mourinho

Even as recently as this summer, Jose Mourinho was wanted by many Arsenal fans. The scenario was simple, are you willing to trade a bit of the clubs class, and ‘The Arsenal Way’ to get in perennial winner Mourinho?

The split was 50/50. Some happy to trade their dignity for a league title, others remaining strong to their principles.

Then this season happened with Man U.

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He did it at Real Madrid, he did it at Chelsea, and now he is doing it at Manchester United. Not winning trophies but upsetting players, senior players. Model professionals like Bastian Schweinsteiger. His own singing in Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

He is failing to get the best out of Paul Pogba, signed an over the hill Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and is seeing the demise of club captain Wayne Rooney.

Mourinho has lost his touch. After United he will find himself with no where to turn. Big clubs won’t be on the phone to him or his management. All he has proved is he spends big, and makes favoured agents very rich in the process.

Diego Simeone

When I wrote my blog in 2012, Diego Simeone was 2nd on the list. He had only been at Atletico Madrid for 10 months, and had not even completed a full season. But his stock was high.

Back then, I highlighted a “lack of experience managing in Europe & never having managed a club for any length of time means he has not really shown the European world ‘his’ style of management “. Since then he has done remarkable things at Atletico

Breaking the Barcelona / Real Madrid dominance in La Liga and twice making the Champions League Final.

He has reportedly cut his Atletico Madrid contract short by two years. It now reportedly ends at the end of the 2017/18 season.

Despite his un-Arsenal like persona, I would not be too upset for Arsene Wenger to stay on for one more year, with Simeone coming in to replace him.

Guus Hiddink

Now 69, he is no longer the short-term option that he was back in 2012.

Roberto Martinez

I am going to nail my colours onto the wall early on with this one. I have always found Roberto Martinez to be one of the most overrated managers in the Premier League.

For some reason, he was rated highly for continually keeping Wigan up against all odds. Yet he was also the manger who, year after year, sailed the Wigan ship into the relegation zone.

It is a bit like congratulating a man for saving another’s life after he has deliberately shot him.

He won the FA Cup with Wigan, and took them down, then he got the Everton job.

Evertonian’s hated him. They could not wait to be rid. He could not coach defenders, taught players to pass when they should clear, and he oversaw a gradual deceline in the Premier League positions.

Sacked when Everton finished 11th, despite having the talents of John Stones, Seamus Coleman, James McCarthy, Ross Barkley & Romelu Lukaku at his disposal. He just showed himself up as not being a very good manager.

Now manager of Belgium, it will be interesting to see how he does with their ultra-talented squad, and with Thierry Henry as his number 2, there will be some calls for him to become next Arsenal manager is the pair do well. But none of those calls will be from me.

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Michael Laudrup

What is it about Arsenal fans wanting Swansea City managers? Brendan Rodgers, Roberto Martinez and Gary Monk have all appeared (or will appear) in this series of blogs. Michael Laudrup makes 4.

Another one added to the list after his Swansea side beat Arsenal. He won the League Cup with the Swans, then got sacked. He is now managing his 2nd club in the Middle East. It might be Dubai or Qatar, I’m not sure. But we have not missed out on him.

Martin O’Neill

Another long term favourite of Arsenal fans. His chance has probably gone. He is now 64 and managing the Republic of Ireland.

The biggest mistake the FA did was not making him manager. It is too late for Arsenal, is it also too late for England? Perhaps

 

Up tomorrow: Pep Guardiola, Joachim Löw, Unai Emery and more

Keenos

What has happened to the heirs of Wenger’s throne?

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Over the years many a blogger has written many a blog about who will take over from Arsene Wenger. My own version of this was written way back 2012, when I came up with a Dirty Dozen who could replace Wenger.

Long time favourite of many Arsenal fans, Frank de Boer, is set to be sacked by Inter Milan (or has already been sacked, depending on when I schedule this blog for)

With it being an international break, I thought it would be an ideal time to revisit some of the many men who have made up the list of Wenger replacements over the years. Starting with Frank de Boer.

Frank de Boer

The primary reason people wanted Frank de Boer to come to Arsenal was due to who his number 2 was. Dennis Bergkamp. Even without Bergkamp, de Boer looked like a good candidate whilst at Ajax.

A legendary player in his own right, in 2010 de Boer took over an Ajax side that had not won a league title for 6 years. He revolutionised the club, bringing in ex-players to take up almost every coaching position in the club. He led Ajax to 4 league titles in a row.

He then got itchy feet, and began linking himself with almost every half-decent Premier League job. He issued come get me pleas to both Liverpool and Spurs, neither went and got him. He also reportedly applied for the Everton job which went to Ronald Koeman, but failed to even secure himself an interview.

Then this, he said his goodbyes to Ajax. Having let the tile slip to PSV on the last day of the season, de Boer called time on his Ajax career.

He ended up taking a decent job at Inter Milan, where his current record is P 14 W 5 D 2 L 7. A 35% win ratio that leaves Inter Milan 12th.

With the bond between Bergkamp (who did not follow de Boer to Inter) and de Boer broken, it is unlikely bringing de Boer to Islington would also see a return of Arsenal’s greatest ever player. So we can basically now scrub de Boer off the list.

Jurgen Klopp

A long term favourite for many an Arsenal fan. If there was a checklist of what you wanted from a manger, Jurgen Klopp would have ticked every single box.

At Borussia Dortmund he built the club into a European powerhouse. Finding unearthed gems and turning them into superstars. He was basically Arsene Wenger, but 20 years younger. Since he joined Liverpool, they have been transformed.

There will still be question marks around him as to whether he can make Liverpool consistent title challengers, and win trophies with them, but he has shown himself as adaptable and is doing a good job there.

For me, he would still be on the list of Arsene Wenger replacements. Why can’t we poach him from the Scousers?

David Moyes

When I put David Moyes on my list, he had been at Everton for 10 years. Often getting them to bat above their weight, with 8 top 8 finishes in a row, including 3 top 5, he was at the time the best British manager around.

With his record of developing youth (the likes of Wayne Rooney, Jack Rodwell, Ross Barkley) he was set to get an opportunity at a big job, despite having failed to win a single trophy with the Toffee’s.

He went to Manchester United, didn’t last the season (in hindsight probably unfairly sacked), had a stint in Spain with Real Sociedad, where he was sacked with a 28% win ratio, and now finds himself at Sunderland playing boring, losing football.

Not only will he probably never get a top job again, you have to wonder where his next move might be as well.

Owen Coyle

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It is unbelievable that 5 years ago people were calling for Owen Coyle to be next Arsenal manager. Based on what, I am not really sure.

Yes, he took Burnley up, took them to a League Cup semi-final (beating Arsenal and Chelsea on the way) and yes, Burnley won their first top flight home game in 33 years 1-0 against Man U, but it was, and is, laughable that the words “Owen Coyle” and “Next Arsenal Manager” were uttered in the same sentence.

Five years and 4 managerial jobs on, including a stint in America, Coyle now finds himself at Blackburn Rovers.

I read somewhere recently that, after being at Burnley, Bolton & Wigan, he is attempting to destroy every club in the Greater Manchester region.

Gary Monk

Was not on any sort of list very long. Basically his Swansea beat Arsenal twice in a season. Some idiots said they would take him as next Arsenal manager – the type of folk who would take anyone to replace Wenger, their hatred of the man is so high.

He got sacked and is now at Leeds United.

 

Up tomorrow: Jose Mourinho, Diego Simeone, Roberto Martinez and More

Keenos

Five Myths about Tottenham Hotspur

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Ok, I was a little bit fed up of a lot of the rubbish spouted by many Spurs fans, much of the media, and even some Arsenal fans, after the 1-1 North London Derby draw. So let’s set some of the myths straight.

Spurs are closer to Arsenal then they have every been

WRONG. In 2006, they were a dodgy lasagne away from finishing above Arsenal. Going into the last game of the season, Spurs were a point clear of Arsenal. They shat themselves. Fast forward 10 years to 2015/16, Spurs went into the last day of the season 2 points clear of Arsenal. They shat themselves. Yes, they have moved forward in 10 years, but so have Arsenal.

In summary, Spurs are no closer to Arsenal now than they were 10 years ago.

Spurs play attractive football

In the last 7 games, Spurs have scored 4 goals. 3 of which have been penalties. So 1 goal in 7 games from open play. In the same games, Arsenal scored 19 goals. Spurs must be brilliant to watch…

Spurs Invincibles v Arsenal Invincibles

11 games, Spurs are still unbeaten. Arsenal went an entire league season unbeaten, won the title on the ground of their rivals, and set a English top flight record of 49 games undefeated and got a gold Premier League trophy. Spurs are 5th. And have not won a league game in over a month.

Spurs great form

So they might be unbeaten in the Premier League so far this season. But they are now 7 games without a win. In the same 7 games, Arsenal have won 5. Infact, in all competitions, Arsenal have lost just once in 27 games. Spurs have lost 7 games in that same period. Who really are the in form team in North London?

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Arsenal are scared of Spurs

We did the Wembley thing 16 years ago. We did the stadium thing 10 years ago. We have won more in 3 years than Spurs have won in the last 16. 0 league titles in 55 years. 0 FA Cups in 25 years. A new stadium with 12 extra seats means nothing if you are not a threat on the pitch. And the reality is, over the last 2 decades, Spurs have barely threatened Arsenal. Spurs are simple obsessed with Arsenal. They want to be Arsenal. There fans hate their dads for making them support Spurs.

Have a good evening!

Keenos