David Showell
As Mark Hughes recently found out, football management is a notoriously fickle business; there’s never any guarantee that a job, at any club, will last. Sometimes, a sausage roll in Homer Simpson’s fridge has a longer life expectancy. Indeed, some clubs might as well have a revolving door fitted in the manager’s office.
In one half of north London, at least, this definitely hasn’t been the case. It’s been said before that Arsenal’s manager has the safest job in the game. In his 13 years at the helm, Arsene Wenger has had as much chance of losing his job as Derek Trotter had of finding one.
Wenger turned 60 in October. Though he shows no sign of slowing down just yet, at some point the suits at the Emirates Stadium will have to start thinking about who will step into the great man’s Hush Puppies.
When the time comes to hand over the reins, Wenger is highly likely to move upstairs. He’s built a dynasty at the club in the same style of a Bill Shankly, Brian Clough and Sir Alex Ferguson, and he’ll almost certainly want some involvement in the day to day running.
Arsenal will certainly want someone who can continue to play football the right way. The days of long-ball boredom seem a lifetime away, and it’s to be hoped they won’t be coming back. Managers who favour the beautiful game are more likely to find a sympathetic job interview than those who think a square pass from one centre back to another is total football.
The Gunners board are unlikely to recruit a high-profile big name, because of their reluctance to make gaudy headlines, and to spend a lot of money, for that matter. Managers like Jose Mourinho, Guus Hiddink and Sven-Goran Eriksson are not expected to sit in the Emirates hot seat.
If Arsenal apply the same recruitment process for Wenger’s successor as they do for players, expect a young, upcoming prospect to take the helm. Pep Guardiola is only 38 and currently manager at Barcelona, and is widely regarded as one of the best in the game. At some point in the future, he may well be a strong possibility, providing of course he leaves the Camp Nou.
It might be though that Arsenal will opt for one of their own. Tony Adams is a legend at the club, and though his managerial career so far has been more Alf Garnett than Alf Ramsey, he would be a popular choice. The former Gunners captain could also surely count on guidance and advice from the Wenger.
Another legend, Dennis Bergkamp, has been busy taking his coaching badges and enjoyed coaching experience in his native Holland with Ajax. The Ice-Man has a keen football brain and seems set for a stint in the dugout. Another popular figure, he’ll be dipping his toes into the management paddling pool soon. The king-makers at the Emirates will be watching him with interest.
And then there’s Thierry Henry, a player that Wenger knows well. He recently said that when he retires he wants to work at Arsenal. In fact, he said he’d clean the windows for free if he had to; given the club’s rather tight-fisted reputation of late, he’d be well advised not to repeat that.
Wenger himself is likely to have a major say in who will be his successor, so it’s fair to assume that some names are unlikely to be in his thoughts. The various little spats he’s had over the years will give a clue to those who aren’t on the great man’s Christmas card list.
So Martin Jol, Alan Pardew, Mark Hughes, Phil Brown and Sam Allardyce, to name a few, are advised not to expect a call. And if Wenger stays on for many years, the likes of David Bentley and Ruud van Nistelrooy, should they ever move into management, can expect to be added to that list.
The appointment of Arsene Wenger’s successor could be the most important decision Arsenal will make for a generation. Luckily for them, it’s not a decision they need to take just yet.
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