Why replacing Wenger won't provide quick fix at Arsenal

Aditya Devavrat 18:44 25/02/2017
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  • “Be careful what you wish for” has become a favourite refrain of many fans and pundits as a counter to Arsenal’s “Wenger Out” brigade.

    Gunners supporters who think Arsene Wenger’s time is up point to their Premier League title failures, or crashing out of the Champions League after chastening defeats to Europe’s big boys, but fears that Arsenal could be even worse off if and when Wenger goes are more than justified.

    For example, Manchester United have not looked like genuine title contenders in any of the four seasons since Sir Alex Ferguson led them to their most recent title in his final season. An Arsenal team entering the post-Wenger world on the back of even less success could possibly face an even bigger drop-off.

    Here are four reasons why a new manager would struggle at Arsenal.

    A LOSS OF IDENTITY

    Wenger’s Arsenal is wedded to a philosophy in a way that even United couldn’t match. “The United Way” was simply a commitment to attacking, entertaining football, but the Arsenal equivalent is something much more specific. Perhaps no club, other than Barcelona, is tied to a distinct style as much as Arsenal.

    Is there a manager who can stick to the same philosophy but improve upon it to turn Arsenal into serious title contenders? Looking around the world of football, it is hard to think of one. Fans have previously mentioned names such as Bournemouth’s Eddie Howe, but it would be tough to make the claim that Howe is likelier to lead Arsenal to a Premier League title than Wenger.

    If there isn’t a manager who can fit in with the Arsenal philosophy, then bringing in a new manager would involve overhauling the way the team plays and implementing that big a change would take time. Someone like Diego Simeone, whose name has been on the lips of many an Arsenal fan, would be a radical departure from Wenger, and there’s no guessing as to how much time it would take for him to put his own philosophy in place.

    A CASE OF INFRASTRUCTURE

    It goes without saying that, after 21 years, Wenger’s influence at the club goes beyond simply managing the first team. The Frenchman has full control over transfers and is heavily involved in the academy but modern management is no longer like that. Most clubs now operate with the structure of having one person manage the squad, another responsible for transfers and an entirely different team to look after commercialism, youth setups, scouting and even training.

    The argument could be made that Arsenal should already have a sporting director, both as a way of reducing the burden on Wenger and to make the succession smoother. But even if Arsenal choose not to hire a sporting director while Wenger’s around, they will almost certainly have to once he leaves, which means replacing Wenger involves hiring more people than just the manager, and widespread change across the board.

    SQUAD OVERHAUL AIN’T A WALK IN THE PARK

    It is natural that a new manager arriving at a club looks to mould the team in his image. But, as we’ve seen plenty of times, when too many changes are made to a squad, it takes time for all the players to get used to playing with each other. Given that what Arsenal fans want is that their side immediately challenges for league titles, that sort of time is a luxury an incoming manager might not have.

    Even if a new manager wants to implement changes slowly, there’s no guarantee that such an approach would work. Many of Arsenal’s players are fiercely loyal to Wenger, largely because he was as fiercely loyal in return. There have been plenty of mumblings that Mesut Ozil, for example, may look for a move if Wenger’s no longer at the club. The feeling is likely a common one among Arsenal players – so what happens to the team’s performances if Wenger’s departure prompts a mass exodus?

    A MATTER OF ATTRACTION

    Along the same vein as the idea that players might depart if Wenger leaves, Arsenal may also struggle to attract transfer targets in the immediate post-Wenger era. Working with the Frenchman has been one of the key reasons many players have joined Arsenal, with Ozil and Alexis Sanchez being two of the most high-profile recent examples.

    If Arsenal find a new manager, many players who would have considered a move to the Emirates Stadium to play under Wenger would begin to weigh other options more seriously. And if there is a dip in the team’s performances once Wenger leaves, that will make attracting new players even more tricky.

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