Chelsea are the obvious exception to this rule, but if you’re trying to rebuild a club with a long-term project then it really doesn’t make sense to keep chopping and changing the manager.
Man United have struggled to find the successor to Sir Alex Ferguson so it was always expected that Arsenal would suffer a similar fate when Arsene Wenger left.
Unai Emery wasn’t the answer but it’s also not really clear if Mikel Arteta is the man to bring them success either, and sticking with him if he’s not up to the job could be catastrophic for Arsenal as the top four will drift out of their reach for years to come.
Former Chelsea and Inter Milan boss Antonio Conte has been touted for the Arsenal job in recent days, but it now looks like he’s closing in on the Spurs role instead:
Tottenham are in direct contact with Antonio Conte representatives even today. PSG still convinced Pochettino is staying. ?? #THFC
Spurs board and Conte now talking about his staff and salary too.
Fabio Paratici will decide about Spurs director of football proposal next week.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 3, 2021
Caught Offside spoke to former Arsenal legend Michael Thomas about the situation going forward, and he’s adamant that Mikel Arteta has to be given the time to get things right:
“Conte is obviously a proven winner and a great manager but I hope Arsenal stick with Mikel and back him with his ideas. You can chop and change as much as you like but without the tools for the job it just can’t be done to the standards required.”
Time will tell which club actually get this right, but you also have to consider that Conte is generally a short-term appointment so Spurs may be looking for his replacement in a year or two anyway.
The same could be said for Arsenal if Mikel Arteta doesn’t get it right, but it will be fascinating to see how the two sides do next year if Arteta and Conte are in charge for the whole campaign.
Arteta was a bargain shop choice. If you want to WIN things … you go with Conte.