Luis Enrique, Massimiliano Allegri or Brendan Rodgers? Soccer Saturday pundits pick their next Arsenal manager
Paul Merson, Charlie Nicholas, Phil Thompson and Matt Le Tissier select their successor to Arsene Wenger
Sunday 29 April 2018 13:24, UK
We asked the Soccer Saturday pundits who they think the next Arsenal manager will be as Arsene Wenger prepares his side for a final trip to Old Trafford, live on Nissan Super Sunday.
Despite the announcement coming over a week ago, it remains unclear who will succeed Wenger when he departs in the summer, with Luis Enrique and Massimiliano Allegri the 4/1 joint favourites in Sky Bet's wide open market.
Here's who the pundits think the Gunners should turn to...
Paul Merson says: Brendan Rodgers (11/1 with Sky Bet)
I would like Rodgers to succeed Arsene. I like him, the way he plays football. Liverpool nearly won the league under him which they hadn't done for some time before and haven't since.
People say he had Luis Suarez but you've still got to get a tune out of him. He's got experience of managing big sides as well. There's a lot of pressure at Celtic and he knows the Premier League well.
Luis Enrique is the other one, with experience and style of football, but they need to move quickly if they want him because Chelsea might be after him soon.
The big thing for me is longevity. They need to get somebody in who is going to be there for five years because they don't want a similar situation to Manchester United after Sir Alex Ferguson left.
Charlie Nicholas says: Massimiliano Allegri (4/1 with Sky Bet)
I'm still of the mind that Rodgers and Ronald Koeman fit the criteria. I don't think either of them will get it though and I'm swaying towards Allegri now.
Some people suggest it has to be somebody with a link to the club, such as Mikel Arteta or Patrick Vieira, but Wenger didn't have one when he arrived.
I've got a feeling they're trying to get a Spanish or German influence running stronger through the club but I feel that the favourite should be Allegri. His reputation is strong and his Juventus side play a nice way with an organised defensive shape.
Phil Thompson: Luis Enrique (4/1 with Sky Bet)
Luis Enrique is an easy one for me. With his experience working under a similar philosophy, I always thought, once Pep Guardiola went to City, he fitted Arsenal's blueprint.
He's also at a good age with the right experience under his belt and is available, so it's quite simple one from where I'm sitting.
Matt Le Tissier says: Eddie Howe (20/1 with Sky Bet)
I don't think it is already a done deal and I'd like to see a young English manager get a crack at it. Everybody wants the big star name but we've seen it isn't always the way to go.
I think Eddie Howe deserves a chance. It's probably a bit controversial but he's proven himself in the Premier League and I think he's ready to make the step up.
