Speaking on talkSPORT, Sam Allardyce has insisted Arsenal need a “man-manager” to solve the crisis that is currently engulfing the club.
What did he say?
The Gunners are in turmoil after a tumultuous start to the Premier League season that leaves them languishing well outside of the top four, and not too far away from the relegation places either.
Freddie Ljungberg was placed as interim head coach after the sacking of Unai Emery, but the Invincibles hero has struggled to turn things around in the short time he has been at the helm. Reports have suggested Mikel Arteta is one of the leading candidates to take over on a permanent basis, and Allardyce has delivered his verdict on what exactly the Gunners need.
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He said: “I know there’s is a reputation at the club on how you should play, but realistically when you’re struggling it’s about finding the capabilities of the players and getting them to play to those capabilities. I’ve always been pragmatic and have always picked a style to suit the players.
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“Nobody will be enjoying going in at Arsenal at the moment. It’s crisis management, you have to start making the players believe in themselves again. It’s not about what you are as a coach, it’s about what you are a man-manager, extracting the best out of the players again and breathing some confidence back into them.”
Delicate situation
Make no mistake about it, the Gunners find themselves in a precarious situation at the minute. The north London side’s abject 3-0 defeat to Manchester City really highlighted the gulf in class between the two teams, and showed just how much work there is to be done both on-the-pitch and off it. Pep Guardiola has made no secret about how highly he rates the “smart” Arteta, and that goes to show that his candidacy for the Arsenal job is deserving.
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But as Allardyce alludes to, perhaps the Gunners need something else rather than potentially a top-level coach. Can Arteta be the one to inspire confidence back into this side or will he simply be a tactician like Unai Emery that doesn’t work out in the end or isn’t what’s necessary? Only time will tell.
Meanwhile, Arsenal fans have slammed this star after his anonymous display against Manchester City.
