Arsenal’s recent troubles seem like they will not end any time soon as the Gunners put in another abject display against Manchester City and lost 3-0 in front of their own fans.
Without a permanent manager and a game plan, it seems like none of their targets for the season will be met, as Freddie Ljungberg struggles to bring about a bit of sanity to proceedings on the pitch.
While there have been talks (h/t Sky Sports) of former midfielder Mikel Arteta taking over soon, there is a top option in Rafael Benitez who can still be persuaded into managing the club in the near future.
Benitez’s recent stint with Newcastle United went under the radar as he was a top manager at a club with minimal resources. The Spaniard is currently with Dalian Yifang, but is one with a lot of pedigree who can easily manage in the Premier League.
Arsenal have a lot of issues at the board level, but things on the pitch can be so much better with the right manager. Benitez is perhaps the type of manager that Arsenal need right now, and here are three reasons why:
#1 Rafa Benitez’s pragmatic approach would add stability
In a recent show with Sky Sports, Benitez pointed out how Arsenal need a bit of balance in their team. When the season began, many fans and neutrals presumed Arsenal would outscore teams and struggle defensively. While the latter has been true, the Gunners have struggled to even score goals.
Barring Gabriel Martinelli and Bernd Leno’s performances, the whole team has been dysfunctional, so they need a big shake-up if they are to finish in the top six.
Benitez’s arrival will see the team become more compact, and more importantly, it could finally make the Gunners a bit stronger defensively.
#2 Benitez gets the best out of his resources
Keeping Newcastle United in the league for successive seasons and giving them an identity was one of Benitez’s biggest achievements as a manager.
Although he lifted trophies at Valencia, Liverpool, and Napoli, the job at Newcastle was different from the others and he came out with flying colours.
Arsenal spent good money in the summer transfer window and yes, there are areas that can improve in the coming transfer windows. However, considering Benitez’s style of management, one can be sure that he can get this group of players to perform better.
#3 He’s a proven top-flight manager
Unai Emery had a pretty impressive CV as well, but the Spaniard always had turbulent endings during his previous managerial spells as well. Benitez, on the other hand, has had success everywhere barring the ill-timed roles at Inter Milan and Real Madrid.
He did turn his career around in the Serie A with Napoli with whom he won a cup, and all the years of experience will hold him in good stead if he does take over at Arsenal.
Even someone like Arteta is a risk considering he has had the comfort of working under Pep Guardiola and at a club like Manchester City, who always had resources to buy even the best players in the world.
The club needs someone of Benitez’s stature to lift them out of their current troubles.
