ARSENAL are keen to hold talks with Carlo Ancelotti over the vacant managerial position.
The Italian — sacked by Napoli last night — is believed to be one of the frontrunners to be offered the job following the sacking of Unai Emery last week.
Carlo Ancelotti would be a perfect appointment for ArsenalCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Ancelotti, 60, was fighting to save his own job at Napoli with the side on a run of eight games without a win but the axe fell despite his side beating Genk 4-0.
Napoli finished second in his first season in charge but they currently sit seventh with five wins from their opening 14 matches, even though they have reached the Champions League knock-out stages.
Arsenal’s next long-term appointment has to be the right one with the club already streets behind their Premier League rivals.
They are currently ninth with just four wins in 14 matches and are at real danger of being dragged into the heap of mid-table teams.
But that wouldn’t happen under Ancelotti’s watch and here are five reasons why.
PROVEN IN THE PREM
Chelsea appointed Ancelotti in the summer of 2009 to replace interim boss Guus Hiddink.
The Blues had finished third in the previous campaign and Ancelotti’s arrival was the club’s fourth permanent manager in 21 months.
His appointment was a huge success as Chelsea went onto win the double – lifting the league title and FA Cup.
Ancelotti would then become the victim of Roman Abramovich’s ruthlessness after being sacked at the end of the second season despite finishing second behind Manchester United.
On his departure, his win percentage was the third highest in Premier League history.
TROPHY WINNER
The end of this season will mark 16-long years since Arsenal lifted any major silverware that wasn’t the FA or League Cup.
They need a serial winner and that’s exactly what Ancelotti is with a CV to rival the very best.
Ancelotti has managed the biggest clubs in Europe having won silverware at Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich
In total he has won 12 pieces of major silverware including four league titles in four different countries.
Ancelotti has also won the Champions League on three occasions – twice with AC Milan and once with Real Madrid.
He is one of a select group to have done so, along with Liverpool’s Bob Paisley and Real Madrid supremo Zinedine Zidane.
Ancelotti won the double at Chelsea during his first season in chargeCredit: AFP – Getty
DEALS WITH EGOS
Ancelotti is renowned for being able to manage and get the best out of world stars with a calm and balanced approach.
The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Arjen Robben and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are just some of the names he has managed to motivate and get them performing at the top of their game.
In a previous interview with ESPN, he said: “[Motivating] players has never really been a problem for me, especially at the type of clubs I’ve been at.”
Ronaldo waxed lyrical about Ancelotti both as a person and manager.
The Juventus man once said: “He’s like a big bear, I can say.
“He’s a cute guy, such a sensitive person. He spoke with us every day. Not just with me but with all the players. He had fun with us.
“He’s an unbelievable person.
“I just wish every player could have an opportunity to work with him because he’s a fantastic guy, a fantastic coach and I miss him a lot because we won many trophies together.”
TACTICS FOR PARTICULAR STYLE
One of Unai Emery’s main criticisms is that he never seemed to stick to the same tactics or philosophy and it became evident with the results.
Ancelotti’s first task will be to tighten up the defence that has shipped in a staggering 21 goals in 14 matches.
He is known for getting his side highly-structured and organised, making them difficult to break down.
Ancelotti has predominantly preferred a 4-4-2 formation throughout his managerial career but mixes it up on occasions based on the opposition.
His management gained all the plaudits in Napoli’s recent 1-1 draw with Liverpool and later shared his secret to quelling their attack.
He said: “We changed the players, but not the basic structure of the team.
“Di Lorenzo played wide on the left when we had the ball, then got back to help the midfield in a 4-4-2 when defending.
“Liverpool have enormous quality, but they become more controllable when they are forced to play within reduced spaces.”
He is likely to adopt a similar style at Arsenal that will see Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette partnering each other in attack.
The Italian also knows how to deal with big egosCredit: Getty – Contributor
CAN ATTRACT WORLD CLASS PLAYERS
Arsenal’s biggest issue is that they can’t keep hold of their star players.
Aubameyang and Lacazette are refusing to sign new long-term contracts leaving their immediate futures uncertain.
Ancelotti’s arrival and presence could prove to be the catalyst to keep hold of the pair while he has history of landing big-name signings.
Those include Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez for Real Madrid, Thiago Silva and Lucas Moura for Paris Saint-Germain and even Ronaldinho for AC Milan.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
