Supporters of Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur – London’s three biggest clubs – face uncertainty with the future of their managers far from assured…
It is a strange time for supporters of the capital’s top clubs, knowing that the events of the coming months could decide their fortunes in the years ahead.
For Chelsea and Arsenal, their fate is entwined. With one Champions League spot up seemingly still up for grabs, the manager of the club which fails to land it will be left facing serious questions.
In the case of Andre Villas-Boas, you suspect a fifth place finish or worse will result in immediate dismissal, such is Roman Abramovich’s distaste of failure.
Even a fourth place finish is unlikely to be acceptable to Chelsea, but at this point that looks like the best possible end result, unless the club are able to add a shine to their season through their Champions League campaign.
Even so, it would be like putting lipstick on a pig, Chelsea’s season has not been good enough and the possibility of Jose Mourinho or Guus Hiddink being available in the summer is likely to be too hard to resist.
Arsene Wenger, having been in post at Arsenal since 1997, has a little more goodwill owed to him from Arsenal’s board.
However with this season shaping up to be the seventh successive year without a trophy, and dissenting fans at a record high, Wenger may decide to jump before he is pushed.
He described last year’s summer as the most stressful he has ever experienced, and with huge question marks hanging over the future of Robin van Persie, supporters will demand Wenger to make big money signings regardless of whether the Dutchman stays or goes.
If Arsenal do clinch fourth, Wenger’s position will remain secure, but after 14 successive seasons in the Champions League, entering the Europa would be a humiliating encapsulation of the club’s decline.
A report that Pep Guardiola could be looking for a move from Barcelona to Arsenal would only hasten Wenger’s departure.
The Frenchman has himself too been long linked with the Real Madrid post, which could become available if Mourinho does indeed quit the Bernabeu.
Meanwhile their bitter north-London rivals are flying high, but circumstances dictate that they too could be looking to appoint a new manager.
Harry Redknapp is the bookies favourite to take on the England job, to lead the nation to the 2014 World Cup, which would mean quitting Tottenham at the most exciting time in their recent history.
Tottenham fans have been debating who would be the next manager, with Hiddink, Mourinho, Benitez and even Brendan Rodgers popular names mentioned.
With Spurs in third, looking to be guaranteed Champions League football for next season, chairman Daniel Levy can steal a march on his rivals by securing the services of an in-demand manager by giving the assurances which Chelsea and Arsenal do not yet have, but first he would need confirmation from Redknapp that he intends to leave.
He may not. We could be sitting here this time next year and all three managers in post- but with the Manchester clubs set to continue to dominate, it is the inward looking hire-and-fire mantra of today’s football which prepares supporters for change when things are not going their way.
The three clubs are also likely to be the Premier League’s biggest spenders in the summer, as they attempt to usurp the Manchester dominance, with all three linked for mega-money moves for hot prospect Eden Hazard.
The problem for the clubs is, they may have the money, but do they yet know which manager will be there to spend it?
Are you an Arsenal, Chelsea or Spurs fan? Which manager would you like to see at your club next season?
image: © dyobmit
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