3 HUGE moves for Arsenal in a single day

Well, well, well… what a fine day yesterday was for the Gooner faithful, finally a bit of good news for us.

Firstly, the big one.

Bulletin 1

SPURS SACKED POCH

I can’t believe they actually pulled the trigger. Their most successful manager since George Graham (lolz), fresh off the back of a Champions League final, was booted out at the end of an international week.

What a fall from grace. In front of the Amazon documentary filmmakers, what a coup for them, right?!

I’m still not quite sure to make of it. Something very bad has gone wrong for Spurs since before the Champions League final. I would suspect there are probably a few things at play.

1. Tight board: Daniel Levy is a shrewd operator, but let’s be fair to Poch, he’s been incredibly frustrating to the progress of the squad. He’s always given the manager just enough to survive. His big bet was the stadium, so he just wasted a very good set of players by hoping to get by for the last 5 years. That must have left a bad taste in the mouth of the manager who I am sure wanted to push on a little harder.

2. Fumes: One of the greatest feats of Poch’s tenure has been his ability to keep his best players earning a pittance. Spurs wage bill has sat below £150m for a long time. The manager has kept players happy by selling them the dream of winning, together. They’re all now in their late twenties, there’s no trophy to show for their sacrifice, now the cracks are showing. I would expect a major exodus is coming and the manager knows it.

3. Boredom: When Klopp exited Dortmund, he said that after a while, the players get bored of him and he got bored of them. I think boredom or frustration sets in when the dream you keep promising never gets any closer. It’s been notable this season that the players don’t look like they’re firing on all cylinders and to be honest, the manager also looks like he’s done with the club.

4. Ambition: Poch made a real point about being promoted to manager and not feeling like he was one. He even switched out of a suit into his training gear to make that point. When the manager is beefing with the CEO, that filters down to the players. The same thing happened to Conte when he fell out over transfer dealings the summer after he’d won the league. Managers are artists like players, if they don’t feel settled, it can really impact performance. Poch has put up with a lot of shit from Daniel Levy, in the end, when you know your ambitions cannot be fulfilled, why bother?

So in short, the perfect storm of mess.

Bulletin 2

LUIS ENRIQUE TOOK THE SPAIN JOB AGAIN

I pondered whether the rumours about Luis Enrique were generated by Arsenal, or by the Spaniard’s team. Turns out they must have been from his team, likely desperate to escape the general boredom and lack of prestige associated with being an international hack.

He was a nightmare in waiting. Brash with the media, heavily driven by the pound note, and basically a more glam version of Emery. Dodged bullet there. I really didn’t fancy a manager who was so awful, Barca fans hated him even after he won the treble. I would also dearly love it if we could move away from hiring Raul’s mates.

Bulletin 3

JOSE MOURINHO WAS LOCKED IN TALKS WITH SPURS LAST NIGHT

Now, this might be a good short term hire for Spurs, I am not denying it. Spurs have a very good squad of players that were in the Champions League final. That is the greatest competition in the world, they are primed for top 4, even from where they sit right now.

But hear me out… the idea that Daniel Levy is looking at bringing in Mourinho to a club that has contract rebels, low spirit, youth they hope to promote, and a pitiful amount of money in the bank is simply delicious.

My gut senses that Daniel Levy has been made to look shrewd by a world-class coach. I think he actually has rough judgement. He’s likely looking at the table with desperate eyes knowing that without top 4, he’s fucked. The most enticing person in the world when you are gunning for top 4 is Mourinho. He makes sense on paper, but you KNOW where this is going.

I do not believe in the rebirth of Jose Mourinho for a second, but it looks like we’re about to find out.

Regardless of how he does at Spurs, I wouldn’t have him at Arsenal for a second.

… but I would take Pochettino. I think the consensus amongst Arsenal fans is that we’d all 100% see him as an upgrade on what we have, and oddly, he seems to be the least hated of all their managers over the past 20 years. If we had David Dein at Arsenal now, he’d strike for him without a doubt. He’s literally perfect for our situation.

Can work on a less than elite transfer budget

Has built an elite culture at Spurs, players loved him, proved out by their insane loyalty to him over greater riches

Has a track record of building teams. Spurs has consistently delivered performances and consistency beyond the sum of their parts.

Lives in London

Can speak English

Knows the league

Knows how to train a disciplined press

Has sauce

Has great hair

I mean, it really is a no brainer. The only question I have about him is whether he’s a diehard Spurs person. I mean, George Graham moved to the enemy, he was way more Arsenal than Poch is Spurs. I guess it depends on how brutal the sacking was and whether he wants to avenge it. Really hoping Levy did it by text or had Tim Sherwood do it.

Would be a savagely good appointment regardless.