It has been suggested that the Gunners should turn to a former foe if they part with Unai Emery, but a club legend is not sure that is the right call
Mauricio Pochettino has been mooted as a potential successor to Unai Emery at Arsenal, if a change is made at Emirates Stadium, but Charlie Nicholas is not convinced that the Argentine would improve the Gunners.
For him, there are too many issues to be addressed in north London for one switch in the dugout to make a noticeable impact.
Nicholas has suggested that Emery is approaching the end of his tenure, but the general consensus is that – similar to Premier League rivals Manchester United – there is a long-term rebuilding project to be undertaken at Arsenal.
It remains to be seen whether Pochettino would be interested in taking that on, after severing ties with Tottenham, and if the South American’s services would be sought given that he failed to deliver tangible success with the Gunners’ fiercest foes.
Nicholas told Sky Sports when asked if Pochettino could be an option for Arsenal: “Of course. He is a top-quality coach. We did it with Sol Campbell in the past and we know what mayhem that created. This would be even more. He improved Spurs dramatically and got them to the top four and the Champions League final.
“The question mark beside him is that he didn’t win any prizes. They didn’t always get results against the rest of the top six so that’s a question mark too.
“Would he improve this Arsenal side? I am not so sure. I think it needs a rebuild defensively right from the centre backs.”
While continuing to debate possible changes off the field, Nicholas believes Arsenal have much work to do on it.
There has been plenty of confusion and inconsistency in north London this season, with it unclear as to who has a future at Emirates Stadium and who is supposed to leading by example.
Nicholas added: “Matteo Guendouzi, I like, but he is young and he is naive and he is not getting taught how to play the position properly. They are all individuals and until they get that team spirit and understanding of it, then Arsenal are constantly going to have problems.
“Mesut Ozil is now in the team and has played quite well, but a few weeks ago we were being told he would be sold in January. What is going on at Arsenal?
“This is why I make the point that while it is the manager’s responsibility and the players are letting him down, the hierarchy has got to make a stand. When Wenger was asked to move aside from his position, we were told this was the new modern Arsenal.
“The young players will probably do well on Thursday, but it is the experienced players who are making Arsenal’s life a misery.”
Arsenal – who sit eighth in the Premier League table – are set to be in midweek Europa League action against Eintracht Frankfurt before returning to domestic competition with a trip to Norwich on Sunday.
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