Premier League 2019-20: 3 reasons why Carlo Ancelotti is the right man for Arsenal

#2 He’s proven himself to be a flexible tactician

Unai Emery never seemed sure of what system to use at Arsenal

One issue that Unai Emery had during his tenure at the Emirates was that he never seemed to be able to work out quite what the best way to get the most out of his squad was. The Spaniard tried various formations and systems during his time at the club, but could never stick to one or even two – and that led to a squad that felt confused at times, with players not sure as to exactly what they were meant to be doing on the pitch.

To defend Emery somewhat, though, Arsenal’s current squad is an interesting one in that there are so many options – albeit not always great ones – in all areas. Essentially, it’d be hard for any manager to find a way to fit all of the Gunners’ best players into one team and make them tick.

If any boss could do it though, it could be Ancelotti. The Italian has become renowned throughout his managerial career for being tactically flexible in order to get the best out of his squad, and has used numerous systems and formations during that time. His Milan side, for instance, played in multiple formations, he switched Real Madrid’s 4-2-3-1 to a 4-4-2 and finally a 4-3-3, and at Bayern Munich was praised by his players for the freedom he granted them on the pitch.

Arsenal clearly have some tremendously talented players, from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette to Mesut Ozil and Nicolas Pepe, and success for them could be purely about finding a manager who can make the most of their skills.

Based on his previous work and the fact that he’s also managed large, talent-filled squads in the past, Ancelotti could well be able to find a way to have Arsenal’s best players working together in a system on the pitch that would make the most of their talents – and that’d be a tremendous thing for the Gunners.