'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
May 23, 2018, was supposed to kickstart a new era at Arsenal, as after 22 years of meritorious service, Arsene Wenger was leaving the club to be replaced by Unai Emery.
The Spaniard had a modest playing career, but ventured into club management upon retirement and cut his managerial teeth at Almeria before going on to earn widespread acclaim at Valencia and Sevilla.
It was with the latter club in particular that he got mainstream coverage, as under his management, the Andalusian club became the first side in history to win three consecutive Europa League titles.
An underwhelming spell at PSG followed, but despite the setback in France, many Arsenal fans were optimistic that Emery could help revive their floundering fortunes.
A brilliant start to life at the Emirates got fans believing that they had found their man, but after that initial euphoria, Arsenal have come crashing down to reality and the overwhelming feeling at the club is that of anguish and despair.
Over 18 months on from taking the mantle, Emery does not appear to be clear on what his best team is, while the Gunners are still plagued by many of the issues from the latter years of Wenger's reign including defensive frailty, poor mentality, and a lack of intensity.
Despite having an impressive squad, Arsenal are still light years away from challenging for the Premier League title, while the fact that they are four points off the pace for the top four behind Leicester City and a Chelsea who faced a transfer ban does not augur well with the fans.
The 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace at home having been 2-0 up has made tempers reach a boiling point at Arsenal and fans are almost unequivocal in their desire to see Unai Emery leave the club.
One man who could occupy the manager's seat if Unai Emery is to be dismissed is Jose Mourinho and while the Portuguese gaffer might not be the most popular choice in North London, he could be exactly what Arsenal need at this point.
In this piece, we shall be highlighting four reasons why Jose Mourinho is the perfect manager to replace Emery at Arsenal.
#4 He is a mastermind in organizing defences
There are not many sides who have a more potent attacking line than Arsenal, as with proven forwards like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette, goals are guaranteed to be scored, while Nicolas Pepe, Dani Ceballos, and the ostracized Mesut Ozil have the requisite skillset to provide creativity.
However, for all of their brilliance in attack, Arsenal have always been undone by defensive frailties, as a combination of factors including a loss in concentration and individual errors means that they drop points from seemingly comfortable positions.
For context, last season, only the top two of Liverpool and Manchester City managed to score more than the 73 goals scored by Arsenal, but by contrast, the 51 they conceded was worse than everyone else in the top five, while Newcastle who finished 13th also posted a better defensive record than them.
This term, they have scored 16 and conceded 15, and goalkeeper Bernd Leno has made the joint-most saves (37) in the league and is keeping company with goalkeepers like Tim Krul, Martin Dubravka, and Matt Ryan who are all engaged in a relegation battle.
No matter how potent their attack is, Arsenal would always be undone by defensive susceptibility and this shortcoming at the back would harm their chances of success moving forward.
It is with this that Jose Mourinho's expertise could come in handy, as the 56-year-old has proven to be adept in the art of organizing defences.
Mourinho's teams can be accused of many things, but being defensively shaky is not one of them and it is undeniable that Arsenal's backline would be better off if Mourinho were to take the managerial mantle.
#3 He has a point to prove
It is safe to say that Jose Mourinho's last managerial stint did not exactly go according to plan, as despite spending record sums in the transfer market, Manchester United faltered under his watch leading to his unceremonious departure last December.
This failure coupled with his shortcoming at Chelsea three years ago led many to christen Jose Mourinho a man past his prime, who is out of his depth when it comes to football management.
With football tactics having evolved to favour fluid, dynamic and open-ended play, Jose Mourinho's more compact and tactical approach has been classified as obtuse and the consensus is that his time as a top-level manager is over.
Whether that is the case or not is an argument for another day, but what cannot be denied is that the Setubal native is an extremely proud man who is confident in his abilities and is unafraid to highlight his past achievements for all and sundry to see.
The allegations of not being an elite coach anymore would have stung Mourinho deeply and he would be eager to get back at the top-level to silence his critics.
Given his pedigree, it would be easy for him to get a lucrative job at one of the lesser leagues in the world, but Mourinho is not wired that way and he has admitted that he turned down numerous offers in anticipation of a call from one of the bigger clubs in the world.
That call could very well come from Arsenal and the fact that the Gunners are based in the league where the press castigated him would give Mourinho added incentive to prove his detractors wrong and ultimately, this drive could work in Arsenal's favour.
#2 The players are in need of firm discipline
The body language of Arsenal's players on the field gives off the impression that their dressing room is one where anything goes and this has been a criticism of the club in recent years, with fans appalled by the lack of desire and intensity shown in matches.
This is a far cry from yesteryear when passionate players like Patrick Vieira and Martin Keown left everything on the field of play and even if they did not win matches, nobody could accuse them of not caring for the club.
Granit Xhaka was appointed club captain by Unai Emery in August and while he might not have been a very popular choice, his actions in the game against Crystal Palace only served to further increase tensions between him and fans of the club.
It is no hidden secret that the Swiss international has not performed to expectation since arriving at the club from Borussia Monchengladbach four years ago and fans are within their right to let their displeasures known to him.
With Arsenal drawing a game they were not supposed to at home, Xhaka was substituted for Bukayo Saka and instead of running off the pitch, he trudged off at snail speed, mouthed obscenities to fans in the stands, refused to shake the hands of his manager, threw his jersey on the floor and stormed down the tunnel.
While this might not exactly be a popular opinion, fans are within their right to boo any player who they feel is not stepping up to the plate and the onus is on said player to shut them up with his performance on the field.
It might be uncommon in England, but booing of players is a regular occurrence in Spain and some of the greatest to ever step foot in LaLiga including Raul, Zidane, Xavi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Alfredo di Stefano have all been booed by their fans at one point or the other.
This does not mean that the fans do not love them or the club, rather it is the opposite and is indicative of the passion they have for their team and high standards expected of the player that leads to them expressing their displeasure about his performance.
Diego Simeone and Koke have both been booed by fans of Atletico in recent weeks, but both men have played a key role in the club's rise to success and they would be the first to tell you that those same booing fans would give an arm for them if need be.
Koke's reaction to the boos is significant, as the very next week, he put in an emphatic performance and was one of the standout players in a 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao.
Both he and Xhaka are club captains who were targets of the same treatment by club fans, but the difference in reaction is indicative of just how bad things are at Arsenal.
That a supposed team leader and captain can react so disgracefully in front of the world, disrespecting his teammates, manager, and fans in front of the world is unprofessional, to say the least.
Unai Emery and Arsene Wenger are both laidback managers with a faux pair management style that gives the players leeway to do what they want and this has had a negative consequence on Arsenal.
The players do not seem to follow any order of hierarchy on the field and there is a distinct lack of leadership, which is indicative of an undisciplined dressing room.
Jose Mourinho has made a name for himself as being a strict disciplinarian who insists on maintaining order in his dressing rooms and while this might have caused consternation at Real Madrid and Manchester United, it is pertinent to note that Arsenal does not have such strong personalities in their current squad.
Arsenal players are in a need of a jolt of tough love and some proverbial kick up their backside to get things in order and Jose Mourinho would help bring the necessary order to what is a loose dressing room.
#1 After all said and done, he is a proven winner
It cannot be denied that Jose Mourinho has attracted controversy everywhere he went as a manager, but there has also been another constant at all his managerial duties; trophies, lots of them.
With 25 major honours won in his coaching career, Mourinho is one of the most decorated managers in history and he has proved to almost have a Midas touch when it comes to delivering trophies to clubs he manages.
In the last 15 years, Arsenal have not exactly been successful on the trophy end, with just two FA Cups all they have to show in that period, while they have gone trophyless since 2017.
Judging by his track record, Mourinho is a proven winner who has what it takes to transform Arsenal's fortunes and given the club's current struggles,they would do well to replace Unai Emery with a man who has seen and done it all.
