5 realistic replacements for Arsene Wenger

The man that best embodies Arsenal football club is undoubtedly experiencing his worst time ever in his 21-year tenure at the club. Humiliating back to back defeats at the hands of Stoke City and Liverpool have left the Gunners 16th in the league, already 6 points off Manchester United. On top of that, the club is plagued with players who don’t see their futures at Arsenal anymore. The club is in turmoil and all the fans are pointing their fingers at one man, Arsène Wenger.

After signing a new 2-year deal in July, the talk of Arsène Wenger going has quietened but it's best for the club to engage in succession planning for once. It’s all well and good calling for the likes of Pep Guardiola, Massimiliano Allegri and Jose Mourinho to replace Arsène Wenger, but we all know they won’t.

It’s time for Arsenal fans to realistically analyse the possible options out there to replace Arsène Wenger next season.

Here are 5 realistic replacements for Arsène Wenger.

#5 Roger Schmidt

At Bayer Leverkusen, Roger Schmidt became renowned for his aggressive high-pressing style. Schmidt announced himself to the world when his Leverkusen side were able to beat Tottenham at Wembley last year.

They simply out-pressed and out ran the team notorious for pressing in the Premier League. Such an infectious work rate would not only transform Arsenal, it’d improve the current level of performance from the players today.

Not everyone is technically gifted but there is no excuse for not putting the effort in, and in a Roger Schmidt team, there would be no place for such.

Roger Schmidt was rewarded for his tireless work at Leverkusen by landing a move to former Chinese Super League champions Beijing Guoan.

The club owner stated that he believes the German has an advanced knowledge of the game, commendable work ethic and fantastic approach towards youth players.

Coincidently Roger Schmidt’s contract at Beijing Guoan expires the same time Arsène Wenger’s new deal comes to an end, could it be a match made in heaven?

#4 Diego Simeone

Aatletico Madrid have reached the semi-finals of the UCL in two of the past four seasons

As the man that’s taken two super clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid to the limit and beaten them, Diego Simeone is one of the most respected managers in world football. The man has single-handedly disrupted the pecking order in Spain in a way we never thought possible. He turned a good side in Atletico Madrid into a world class force, imagine what he could do with the resources at Arsenal.

Arsenal are one of the biggest clubs in the world, and they generate the highest average gate taking in the league and charge the highest season tickets in Europe. They have the money, the infrastructure, the worldwide appeal and the players. Diego Simeone is the exactly the type of revolutionary needed to shake the foundations of the club to the core.

#3 Thomas Tuchel

Thomas Tuchel won the DFB Pokal three days before he left

Although the German’s time at Borussia Dortmund didn’t end favourably, the German manager is a breath of fresh air in the coaching world. His experimental tactics fused with his insatiable appetite to breed young players makes him the perfect candidate to succeed Arsène Wenger. Arsenal are in need of a long-term project manager, a man that can come in and give the club a completely fresh & new outlook.

In his teams of old, Tuchel has been committed to producing an energetic style of play that entertains the fans. Such a philosophy used to be present at Arsenal and it’d be welcomed back with open arms.

43-year-old Tuchel is currently on a sabbatical but I’m sure the German would be ready at the snap of a finger if the call were to come.

#2 Ralph Hasenhüttl

What Ralph Hasenhüttl achieved at RB Leipzig last season was nothing short of remarkable.

Pushing a newly promoted team into a title challenge is unheard of in today’s age and finishing 2nd to Bayern Munich in your first year in the top division is unfathomable.

The Austrian is renowned for playing a fluid 4-2-2-2 that gegenpresses in defence and overloads in the attack. It’s that style of play that took the Bundesliga by storm allowing them to be Bayern’s closest competitors.

Leipzig’s manager even confirmed back in December that the Gunners had contacted him, this makes the possibility of Hasenhüttl replacing Wenger in the future, even more, the realistic.

#1 Ronald Koeman

Ronald Koeman took Everton to 7th place last season

He may currently be embarking on a project in Merseyside, but things in football can change overnight. The Dutchman is notorious for being ruthless in attack and meticulous with his defensive organisation. He’s not afraid of putting men behind the ball, regardless of the opposition. He believes that if you stop the opposing team scoring first, you then provide the foundation to win the game.

After a couple of years in the Premier League, Ronald Koeman is now well accustomed to the pressures of English football.

He now understands how to manoeuvre through the busy Christmas period, he easily manipulates the British press and he’s acclimatised to how competitive the league is. That’s what sets him apart from the other candidates on this list, he has the PL experience already.