The Warm-Up: Good luck Mikel, you're going to need it
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Updated 20/12/2019 at 19:34 GMT
Mikel Arteta and Carlo Ancelotti are set for the Arsenal and Everton jobs respectively - but could Zlatan Ibrahimovic be on the way to England too?
Mikel Arteta, Assistant Coach of Manchester City celebrates with a member of backroom staff after the FA Cup Final match between Manchester City and Watford
Image credit: Getty Images
FRIDAY’S BIG HEADLINES
Arteta poised for Arsenal job [he was appointed early Friday afternoon]
The I’s have been dotted, the t’s have been crossed, and one final search of the place has been conducted just to see if there are any world-class defenders hiding anywhere. Later this morning, Mikel Arteta will be unveiled as Arsenal’s new manager.
The coverage so far has centred around the almost unique situation of a totally inexperienced manager landing one of the most prestigious jobs in football (stop laughing at the back). Less experienced than either Pep Guardiola or Zinedine Zidane when they ascended to the thrones of Barcelona or Real Madrid. Less experienced than even a bemused and humbled Freddie Ljungberg, who had at least managed Arsenal’s youth team before being brought in as caretaker, given little support and then having to practically beg to be put out of his misery by the board.
Arteta is an absolute unknown. Arsenal are taking a huge gamble. We know all this. And yet, this is arguably as big a gamble for Arteta as it is for Arsenal. Largely thanks to his general proximity to Pep Guardiola he has developed an aura so potent that Arsenal have interviewed him twice in 18 months. There has been hushed talk about a managerial prodigy, whispers about the magnificent work he has done with Raheem Sterling, and old interviews deconstructed for any nugget about what kind of boss he will be.
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The battle for Lautaro Martinez – Euro Papers
But he is walking into the kind of job which could immediately shatter this aura. Kill off a career before it even gets started. Having spent the past few seasons working in the ultra-elite environment of Manchester City, where perfection is the mantra and historically high standards have been set. Arsenal, well, Arsenal ain’t that.
As well as a dumpster fire of a defence and a marshmallow soft midfield, Arsenal can’t work out their best attack. Even better, star striker and captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is apparently ‘desperate’ to leave the club and ‘half the squad’ could follow him, according to reports in the Independent. Arteta leaves a club with the largest resources in the world to join one which still clings to a model of self-sufficiency – which next season means a drop in transfer funds due to an imminent lack of European football. Oh, and Arsenal are a couple of bad results away from a genuine relegation battle.
So yes, this is an amazing first job in management, in theory. In reality, it’s…. complicated. Best of luck Mikel, you’re going to need it.
Carlo’s coming, and so is Zlatan?
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic (L) of Sweden and team head coach Carlo Ancelotti while at Paris Saint-Germain
Image credit: Reuters
If Arsenal are taking a leap into the unknown, then Everton can legitimately claim a huge coup in having apparently sealed a deal for Carlo Ancelotti to replace Marco Silva. The two sides meet at Goodison on Saturday in the 12:30pm kick-off and Ancelotti is poised to join Arteta up in the stands while Ljungberg and Duncan Ferguson take charge in caretaker roles for the final time.
But another big name could be on the way to Goodison too, with reports suggesting that Zlatan Ibrahimovic is keen on reprising the partnership he had with Ancelotti at Paris Saint-Germain, a club where he scored a barely believable 156 goals in 180 appearances. Zlatan was last seen beating up on college frat boys in MLS and at 38 is going to be considerably less potent than his time at Manchester United. But it would still be a statement of intent from Everton, and Ancelotti would have a perfect lieutenant in the dressing room. As The Telegraph reports:
Whether Ibrahimovic can still cope with the physical demands of the Premier League remains to be seen but it is understood he would like to explore the possibility of a deal with Everton once Ancelotti is confirmed. Everton have been in the market for a striker for some time, it was a priority under previous manager Marco Silva, with Cenk Tosun surplus to requirements and the burden falling on Dominic Calvert-Lewin. It will also be hoped that if Ibrahimovic joins Everton he can help Moise Kean who has struggled since his £25 million move from Juventus last summer. The 19-year-old suffered the ignominy of being a substitute who was substituted, by caretaker manager Duncan Ferguson, during Sunday’s 1-1 draw away to United.
Get ready for six months of half-baked lion analogies, irritating social media posts and probably some amazing goals. Coming your way from January.
Liverpool strengthen
It’s unlikely you missed this one yesterday, but just in case, Liverpool have confirmed the signing of Red Bull Salzburg forward Takumi Minamino for a paltry £7.25 million. Here’s his highlights from the 4-3 classic at Anfield earlier this season:
IN OTHER NEWS
Okay, it’s a couple of days old now, but there’s no way you’ll resent The Warm-Up for placing this in front of your eyeballs this morning.
HAT TIP
In Italy, the tactics, schemes, they're all bulls---. Football is art and the artists are the world-class players. You don't have to teach them anything, you just admire them. All you need to do is put them in the best condition to do well.
Over at ESPNFC, James Horncastle is in conversation with former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri, and paints a fascinating portrait of the man.
RETRO CORNER
Kylian Mbappe is 21 today and has somehow already notched up 121 goals for club and country. Two of his most famous, and one of his most famous dribbles too, came in France’s 4-2 win over Argentina at the 2018 World Cup.
COMING UP
Friday night’s Championship game sees Middlesbrough host Stoke City – remember to watch highlights of all the EFL action on Quest on Saturday evening.
Yeah, yeah, we know you lot are all off for two weeks now but The Warm-Up never sleeps (except for Christmas Day and New Year's Day) and Marcus Foley is back on Monday!
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