David Wagner for Arsene Wenger? Where do Arsenal go next after Carabao Cup Final disappointment?
It was Wembley disappointment for Arsene Wenger as a dominant Manchester City prevented him from a first League Cup triumph.
As much as City impressed, the performance of Arsenal left half of Wembley virtually empty with 20 minutes of the contest remaining.
After crashing out of the FA Cup to Nottingham Forest, and with a tough Europa League clash against Italian giants AC Milan coming up, the importance of lifting the trophy on Sunday couldn’t have been clearer for the North London outfit.
For the Arsenal boss, defeat was followed by the inevitable 'Wenger out' cries on social media. The Gunners are likely to finish the season empty-handed, with Champions League qualification becoming increasingly difficult.
He signed a contract extension at the Emirates Stadium which runs until 2019 following FA Cup success against Chelsea last May, but where do Arsenal go after Wenger?
Tom Carnduff looks at the front-runners for the job, along with odds from Sky Bet, and explores where Arsenal could turn.
Carlo Ancelotti – 9/4
The current favourite is someone who has an incredible trophy tally in management. Carlo Ancelotti boasts a Champions League title, a Premier League winners' medal and a Bundesliga crown amongst others in his managerial portfolio.
The 58-year-old is out of work following his departure from Bayern Munich in September, where he won the German top flight during the 2016-17 season and the DFL-Supercup in both 2016 and 2017. He’s experienced success on numerous stages and would be the experienced head that some Arsenal fans crave to start life after Wenger.
The Gunners possess the talents of Mesut Ozil, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in their ranks but he may demand a hefty transfer pot if he was to accept the job. Ancelotti bought Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez in during his time in Madrid, spending around £150m to bring in the pair.
The Italian coach also oversaw the £50m addition of Fernando Torres at Chelsea, whilst Thiago Silva and Lucas were big-money signings at Paris Saint-Germain.
It can't be denied that the players mentioned are world-class level, but whether Ancelotti would have that level of finance available at Arsenal, given their track record on signings, is a doubt.
Joachim Loew – 10/3
Another name fancied for a potential vacancy at the Emirates Stadium is Joachim Loew. The current manager of the German national team has turned 'Die Mannschaft' into one of the best teams on the international stage, securing World Cup glory in 2014 and winning the Confederations Cup last year.
Despite being involved in the national team set-up for the last 14 years, Loew does have domestic success. He won the DFB-Pokal, Germany’s FA Cup, with VfB Stuttgart in 1997 before going onto win the Austrian Bundesliga with Tirol Innsbruck in 2001 and the Austrian Supercup with Austria Wien back in 2003.
Loew has experienced success at the very top level, alongside working with the likes of Ozil and Shkodran Mustafi previously and would have the opportunity to link up again at Arsenal. Whether an opportunity in North London would interest the German remains to be seen.
Luis Enrique – 8/1
Next in the betting is former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique, who has been out of work since his departure from the La Liga giants back in June.
Similar to Ancelotti, Enrique has enjoyed success in a number of competitions during his time in Spain. He guided Barcelona to consecutive La Liga success in 2014/15 and 2015/16.
Barca also dominated the Copa Del Rey from 2014 to 2017, whilst also winning the Champions League in 2015. They’d also follow up European success with the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup shortly after.
Enrique bought Luis Suarez to the club during his spell at Camp Nou, whilst also helping the likes of Munir and Rafinha to develop into senior level players.
Enrique would be a good fit for the Gunners, and he may wait on a return to management until a job at a club like Arsenal becomes available.
Thomas Tuchel – 8/1
Often fancied for a job in the Premier League, Thomas Tuchel is unsurprisingly linked with a possible switch to North London.
Following Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund was always going to be a tough act, but the Dortmund hierarchy quickly decided to bring Tuchel to the club due to his football style being viewed as similar to that of Klopp’s.
With numerous players departing the Signal Iduna Park over recent years, the 44-year-old always faced an uphill battle securing success in a division dominated by Bayern. However, Tuchel would lift the DFB Pokal in 2017 after his side beat Eintracht Frankfurt in the final, dumping their Munich rivals out at the semi-final stage.
In two years at the North Rhine-Westphalia club, Tuchel had a very healthy 63% win ratio, winning 68 of the 108 games he oversaw. A name to watch when the vacancy inevitably becomes available.
Diego Simeone – 10/1
Reportedly Everton’s ambitious number one target for their managerial job after Ronald Koeman’s departure earlier this season, Diego Simeone has helped Atletico Madrid shut down the Barca/Real dominance in recent years.
The 48-year-old has been at Atletico since 2011 and led them to La Liga glory in 2014, doing enough to secure a point away at Barcelona on the final day of the season. Simeone also won the Europa League in his first season at the club and followed it up with UEFA Super Cup success with a heavy win over Chelsea the following year.
Atletico would follow it up with Champions League final appearances in 2014 and 2016, losing to bitter rivals Real Madrid on both occasions.
Individually, he’s picked up the La Liga Coach of the Year three times, whilst also being crowned European Coach of the Season back in 2012.
Whether Arsenal could prise him away from Atletico is the question, but it’d be an appointment that you’d imagine a significant of fans would get behind.
Patrick Vieira – 10/1
A familiar name to Arsenal fans following his prominent role in the Invicibles side of 2003/04, Vieira has followed his playing career with a spell in management.
His involvement in the Manchester City set-up saw him manage their reserve sides between 2013 and 2015 before taking over the reins at MLS franchise New York City FC in 2016, where he currently holds the managerial position.
Vieira is yet to win any major titles in management, despite a remarkable list of achievements as a player, but did secure the Premier League International Cup with Man City’s development side in 2015.
He remains a fan favourite for his time at the club as a player, but Arsenal would be taking a huge risk in appointing him as manager when Wenger’s time comes to an end. He did lead New York to 2nd in the MLS stands in 2017, but his lack of senior management experience would not suit the Gunners, who may look to build another ‘Wenger-esque’ regime in future years.
Julian Nagelsmann – 25/1
The first of two ‘wildcards’ is 1899 Hoffenheim boss Julian Nagelsmann, who can be found at 25/1 for the Arsenal job.
Similar to Vieira, his time in senior management is minimal, but his impact during that time cannot be underestimated.
Originally appointed in October 2015 with his tenure set to begin for the 2016/17 season, Nagelsmann took over following Huub Stevens’ departure for health reasons.
When he came into the job in February 2016, Hoffenheim were 17th in the Bundesliga standings, seven points from the safety of 15th spot and facing relegation. Under Nagelsmann, they avoided relegation by winning seven of their remaining 14 games and finished a point above the relegation playoff spot.
He’d go significantly better in 2016/17, guiding ‘Die Kraichgauer’ to 4th in the table and securing a spot in the UEFA Champions League.
Nagelsmann extended his contract with the club until 2021 in the summer, but a club with the stature of Arsenal could be enough to persuade him away from the German outfit. Hoffenheim currently sit 8th in the table, seven points behind 4th.
David Wagner – 40/1
The second left-field option is someone who achieved the impossible with Huddersfield Town. David Wagner took the Terriers from relegation candidates to the Premier League in just 18 months, and spent considerably less than those around them.
The 46-year-old is a good friend of Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, playing the similar brand of ‘heavy metal’ football that the pair worked on during their time at Dortmund.
With Town, with the greatest of respect, not having the biggest finances available in the Championship, Wagner’s in-depth scouting of the continent helped to give Huddersfield the quality required to take them to the top flight.
The additions of Chris Lowe, Christopher Schindler and Michael Hefele proved to be hugely-popular, and rewarding, additions. Aaron Mooy’s arrival on-loan from Manchester City saw him become a pivotal point in the heart of the Huddersfield team and Danny Ward, on-loan from Liverpool, was the penalty shootout hero in the play-off final against Reading.
He may not be the 'big name' that Arsenal fans crave, but his incredible start to life in English football will eventually see him snapped up, especially if he keeps the West Yorkshire side in the Premier League.
Should Arsenal look to re-create another Wenger-type spell at the club, David Wagner would be a great place for them to start. His 'fearless' brand of football has earned plaudits from plenty and his charismatic personality would sit well with the Arsenal faithful. Wagner would be a great fit for what Arsenal want.
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