Arsenal’s shortlist of potential replacements for Unai Emery is getting longer and longer as each minute goes by.
Rodgers Not Interested at the Moment
Unai Emery was sacked today, and the Gunners lost its manager after year and a half. The Spaniard failed to meet the expectations, and he simply had to go. Now, the speculations about the name of Arsenal’s next boss emerged to the surface almost instantly.
The latest one involves Brendan Rodgers, the former Liverpool, and the current Leicester City manager. The 46-year old is according to the most recent intel among the top three wishes of Arsenal’s chairman, Sir Chips Keswick.
Rodgers distanced himself from any combinations earlier today. Yet, having in mind the way business works in the Premier League, that doesn’t have to mean anything. Arsenal can no doubt much better financial resources and possibly a chance for an attack on one trophy. But the negative side, in this case, is the current locker room chemistry at Emirates. All the media is constantly reporting that the environment among Arsenal’s players is pretty toxic.
Meanwhile, Leicester’s results are near perfect, and the overall situation at the club is superb. Morale is high; the players are going along very well, and they seem fired up and focused on making a big noise in this championship. In general, it is totally the opposite of the situation in London.
Pochettino Still No.1 Favorite, Wenger Only in Theory
Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino is still the biggest favorite to replace Emery. It seems that he won’t be going to Bayern Munich, which increases the prospects for his landing at Emirates. Until recently, Poch’s move to Germany was seen as a done deal, but the recent results under Hansi Flick, forced Bayern’s board to reconsider that.
Many of Arsenal’s fans are hoping for Arsene Wenger’s return, and although there are circumstances for such a scenario, the chances are slim. The management allegedly wants to move on from the Wenger era, and they look for a long-term solution, which of course, the Frenchman isn’t.
The way things stand now, Freddie Ljungberg’s stay at the bench seems the most reasonable for the Gunners.