Robert Pires says he’d love to help Arsenal’s next manager in an official capacity and has backed either Mikel Arteta or Patrick Vieira to embark on a long-term project at the Emirates.
Since leaving Arsenal in 2006, the Frenchman has been a regular at Arsenal’s training ground, using the club’s facilities to stay fit before a move to Aston Villa in 2010 and Indian Super League side Goa in 2014.
A close friend of Arsene Wenger, he’s also helped coach some of the Gunners up and coming stars and held an ambassadorial position at the club.
“If the next manager wants my help, I will say yes,” he told the Mirror Football podcast.
“I want to help Arsenal and I want to help the new manager. I want to be on the staff. I think I can help. It is an option for me and I hope it is an option for Arsenal.
“Arsenal have recently had a new sporting director from Dortmund, which for me is not a problem, I respect the decision.
“But I think that some ex-players can help Arsenal. We know the high level and we won some titles.
“If I can give some advice for the players, it would be good.”
It’s not the first time that Pires has spoken of his desire to take up a coaching position with the Gunners. Back in 2014, he said that he’d love to assist Arsene Wenger, although nothing ever came of it.
Should the Gunners choose to appoint Mikel Arteta, currently the frontrunner, as the new head coach, Pires would support the move. That said, it depends on whether the board are looking to the short or long-term.
“I would agree with the appointment of Mikel Arteta,” continued Pires. “He knows the club, he used to play for Arsenal and he knows the Arsenal philosophy.
“So yes, he has a good profile to be manager of Arsenal.
“The question is for the board: is it a short project or is it a long project?
“If you go for the short project, it is important to go for a choice of manager who has a lot of experience like – and I say like – (Carlo) Ancelotti or (Max) Allegri.
“If you want a long project, I think Arteta or even Patrick Vieira is a very good choice.”
Bobby pretty much covering all the bases, thereby ensuring his free membership to the London Colney gym remains exactly that. Clever boy.
With the right team Arteta could be a master stroke appointment. All depends on who comes and goes in the back room which is probably IG’s plan
The only master stroke is a masturbating stroke for some fans who are prey to sentiment and sold by the “wow” of an ex-player risky promise as the club craftily controls power with the DoF on transfers.
The typical thing giant businesses like Arsenal often need to do is not take unnecessary risks–most risks are usually quantified, and so it speaks volumes that if Arteta would be coach, he has the ability to do some measure of a job, objectively speaking, at least.
Your dismissal of fellow fans and objective opinion is really unnecessary.
Just wish there was a young Don Howe around to coach & sort out the defense etc
Is it only me or Arteta is slowly seeming like a good idea? But having these huge arsenal legends like Henry, Pires may put him under a bit of a pressure. Let him have his own staff.
Stockholm Syndrome~
Blogs, your dream of seeing Robert pitchside every weekend it one step closer to becoming a reality. Oh, who am I kidding? It’s my dream too. 😀
As much as I love the idea of having all the old gang around, like if they want to be on the coaching staff they better be fully qualified. Or at least near completion of their coaching badges. As I know once you get passed I think UEFA B you can start working at clubs and they’ll push you through the remaining tiers until you’re fully qualified since the courses are ridiculously expensive. I know that if you’ve played at a high level, like these guys obviously have, you do get a pass to the latter tiers. But still. We… Read more »
Arteta, Ljungberg, Pires, Lehmann, Mertesacker, the list goes on. By the sounds of it, we’ll have approximately 50 ex players in the Arsenal set up by the time next season rolls around. Let’s get Flamini’s business background in to generate some funds, throw Alex Song in as the team hairdresser, David Bentley as club chef and token dickhead. Fuck it, let Ryo Miyaichi be club cone collector
We have to get Andre Santos to run the Twitter account too!
Miyaichi was already basically cone collector on his last stint at the club no?
I personally believe the Ajax model of management is something worth looking at. Until the late Johan Cruyff was there, the structure was something like: Cruyff – chairman Frank De Boer – manager Dennis Bergkamp – asst. manager Van Der Saar – marketing director Marc Overmars – technical director Jaap Stam and Ronald De Boer – coaches Bringing back individuals who gave much of their life to the club made it easier to draw players to the club and uphold their values like producing young players and technically brilliant football. I think we can do the same by bringing in… Read more »
Steve Bould isn’t being considered because he also has no top level managerial experience, and hasn’t exactly done us any wonders since coming into the position. You’d think he’d have helped tighten up the defence or something at least. If Bould got the job (which he would never), what would change?
There is a position open at his hometown club.
My own guess is that to offer the job to the guy who sat right next to AW for so many of the recent underwhelming campaings would be pretty unadventurous; why wouldn’t he just continue to impose a variation on what AW was already doing, which we know isn’t working right now?
The big risk of appointing Bould is other than being an ex-Player, the fan base don’t really know what it is he does, other than sit there, looking angsty.
Given our defensive issues, I can’t see it instilling confidence.
Not only did he know how to bypass the sp*rs defence, if you could call it one, but now he thinks the guy from Dortmund is the actual DoF.
My money is on him vowing never to call the Barcelona chap that in case it offends Arsene.
Clever.
The last sentence cracked me up
The right no.2 is going to be crucial if Arteta is appointed given that Bould is probably likely to seek to be no.1 somewhere else. My main issue with Mikelis that he is not long out of this squad of players himself. Of course he was captain, and a good one at that, but it will already be hard for a first time coach to take decisions regarding some key personalities in the squad. That is going to be that bit more challenging when he has own relationships with these individuals having been their peer not too long ago. Not… Read more »
Though obviously I think Dennis ought to be tapped up for such a role too.
Get lost Pires! Days of freeloaders are over!
If it was,You won’t be here.
Who up voted this?
Himself?
Pires may have potential. He has been in and around the squad to understand its strengths and shortcomings. He strikes me as an erudite and intelligent man.
But he should really be under tutelage of a more experience manager for a while first (say 2 seasons) rather than Arteta.
Two inexperienced ex-players? Good luck.
We won’t be seeing CL football anytime soon.
I will be panned for this, but I am not keen on Arteta. The club needs to change direction, and fast. Arteta lacks the necessary experience.
One name that I’ve been surprised not to have seen mentioned is Benitez. He may not be the most exciting appointment, but he’s a proven manager who has a reputation for improving players. Just look at what players like Lascelles have said about him. He would bring organization and discipline, and is someone accustomed to working in the framework that we have. Thoughts?
I’m not adverse to Rafa at all. Yedlin dropped down to the championship just to be coached by him and now he’s a better player for doing so. And the decision payed off, he’s back in the premier league and survived the first campaign. Things are changing in football, Arteta not having experience certainly is a huge concern, but it could turn out to be a great decision and Rafa could be the wrong decision for the players. It’s all voodoo at this point. No one knows what will happen (besides getting an elite manager like Allegri).
Gazidis gets the candy out and everybody jumps in the car! This appointment is increasingly certain and they try to prop it. I won’t throw the first stone to Arsteta but a few wrong results and we can expect the I told you so, negativity and empty seats. Nevertheless If he goes ahead with it he has Cojones as it could backfire pretty badly with this gambling coup d’etat.
Stepanovs and Park have also declared their interest i helping out.
Oh, the much sought after LC Gym membership…. 🙂
I’m firmly in the ‘Arteta In’ camp. And I agree that with the right structure he can be a success. Maybe not instantly like some want – that’s a big ask – but given a season or two to get firmly into the role I think we will start to see what Arteta is about. A coaching set up including Bobby and Santi. Dreamy. I’m still hoping we can bring Dennis back to the club, imagine the things he could teach players like Ozil, Mkhitaryan and Ramsey, not to mention our very potent attackers in Aubameyang and Lacazette – who… Read more »
After what Keown said about BFG and Mesut he shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near the team.
Yep, I agree. What annoys me the most is when ex-Players do nothing to help the current crop and instead just make damning statements which do more harm than good.
Adams I could see being a good defensive coach, though I doubt he’d want that role. And having see some of his training sessions would need reining in.
Big Sol? I imagine he would be able to instill some real defensive discipline/act as a number 2.
I guess though, if it’s Arteta those appointments will be up to him.
Please dont let Henry come near this team. Say what u want but the guy is slowly becoming a SELL out.