Representatives for Bordeaux manager Paulo Sousa have confirmed talks with Arsenal about the vacant head coach position.
The 49-year-old Portuguese has headed up nine clubs in the last decade, including short-lived stints at QPR, Swansea and Leicester and a two-year spell at Fiorentina. His varied CV also includes time in Hungary, Israel, Switzerland and China.
Sousa took over at Bordeaux in March and has guided them to fifth in Ligue 1 this season. It’s said that he has a release clause in the region of €3 million and that the Gunners like his profile.
Speaking to L’Equipe [translated by Get France Football News], his entourage said:
“They like his profile, not just as a coach but also as a person. This does not mean that he will leave. They are in talks with multiple candidates but Paulo is part of that list, certainly. Between the two, it could work.
“With all the problems currently ongoing at Bordeaux, why wouldn’t he leave? The project is not what was promised to him, that is a fact. He loves the fans but he needs more from the board, the team is not strong enough to finish in the top 6.”
Sousa was a great player – he won titles with Benfica, Juventus and the Champions League with Borussia Dortmund – but there’s little to suggest he’s anything other than an average coach. We need someone with a magic touch, not someone who looks like a Mediterranean Gob Bluth.
Arsenal are known to have cast a very wide net in the search for Unai Emery’s replacement with former Valencia coach Marcelino also said to have held talks. It doesn’t mean he or Sousa are going to get the job. No need to reach for the pitchforks just yet.
Is this a joke? We need a manager with a strong CV, someone with experience at the highest level. Also someone who can speak English would be great.
That he has managed in Britain before suggests he has some grasp of the language already.
UK experience… Managed at QPR, Swansea and fired by Leicester after 3 months. Did OK with Fiorentina and Basel.
Hell No!
“headed up nine clubs in the last decade”
That line alone is scary.
It is scary H2k. No mention of trophies through all the nine clubs. Can’t say I have ever heard this name before either.
Hope it’s fake news ??
Emery had strong CV so this time I am going for Vieira. People don’t know that Vieira was able to give an identify to his MLS team and was well appreciated by his players.
Once, Samuel Eto’o said of Mourinho that he could convince a security guard that he was the best player in the world and the guy would go on the pitch and give a worldclass performance. I can see Vieira doing that.
By the way, have you noticed how North London security guards are doing under Mourinho?
If we’re going to consider former PL greats it might be worth thinking about Steven Gerrard as he’s done a really solid job with Rangers and knows the PL inside out. I think we’re going to really struggle to attract a top manager at this point so it’s going to come down to us taking a big risk via a Vieira or Arteta etc
Hell No! I would rather Freddie or Arteta or Viera is given a chance before Gerrard.
Why- Gerrard is the most successful of the 3 from a managerial perspective. Whether or not someone played for Arsenal really shouldn’t be a factor in the search. The nostalgia aspect might excite the fans but this needs to be about who is the best man to take the club forward based on their managerial cv and not just what they did as a player
Managing rangers… winning fuck all lmao
Well Rodgers seems to be doing ok despite 95 percent of the comments two years ago saying the same thing you are about managing at Celtic
Agent talk to put pressure on the Bordeaux board perhaps? Either way this rumor does not spark joy
No, it doesn’t.
Actually, he was brilliant in Israel, in a club under a lot of pressure, before doing a great job in Basel. Of course, these are inferior leagues, but he’s a very good coach. I prefer him over some bigger names who are less compatible. I don’t know if he’s the best option (probably not), but I hope the club appoint the right person, and not the name which wins a popularity contest.
“Arsene who?”
Tbf his record at Monaco spoke for itself. “Arsene who?” has more to do with English ignorance and nativism than anything else! This new bloke’s CV doesn’t nearly measure up to Wenger’s when he joined us.
https://youtu.be/31g0YE61PLQ
Ancelotti’s just been sacked, would far rather him than Sousa.
Ancelotti Is available now. Thoughts?
Are we a joke ???? I don’t want anybody from Ligue 1 managing my club after Emery and I definitely don’t want Freddie in charge come January
But this is just the kind of appointment I’d expect from our board.
I would have my Freddie for longer. I don’t see anything to like in this guy’s coaching CV
Exactly what is there to like in his CV?
Can he pick cones?
What about John Philip Sousa? He could really get those drills right.
Someone fishing for a pay rise?
Thankfully Will Arnett too busy with his horse program to bring back Gob and interview.
Tragically, Will has finished that gig 🙁
But where did the lighter fluid come from?
Sure, get the guy with the $7000 suit to do it
Should have read oooone comment down ?
Com’on!
C’MON
If Sousa gets the job I’m heading for a prescription of ‘Forget-me-nows’…
No need to worry, it’s an illusion.
Oh sure – the guy in the $3000 suit is gonna come and manage a team that won’t spend that in 12 months. COME ON!
“The project is not what was promised to him, that is a fact. He loves the fans but he needs more from the board, the team is not strong enough to finish in the top 6.” Save this quote so you can re-use in 6 months if he gets the job #clairvoyant
so basically he’s cheap.
and basically he´s crap
No, basically the Arsenal board are.
Almost like they have all the time in the world giving this guy a sit down.
. I saw him coaching in Hungary. £3 millions way too much for him… he’s crap..
Wow, maybe koscienly will sneak in with him.
In all seriousness I’d look at someone like Benitez for a couple of seasons and keep Freddie as his number two with the view of him being manager in the long term.
Benitez release is like 23M Euro – I believe that’s what Andrew and James stated.
That’s peanuts compared to what we spent on someone like Mustafi. Joking aside, needs must and in today’s market that is not a lot of money.
We must be desperate if fans are thinking about paying 23 million to to get benitez. Lol. Give arteta a chance he wud be cheap and he’s had 4 years under one the greats. It’s a no brainer and a lot more exciting than what we are being linked with.
Did anyone even think of Benitez before Blogs wrote about him?
Briefly, didnt like the idea. Then blogs came along and was all reasonable and stuff…partly changed my mind then.
I did. I do like the chubby Spanish waiter – and his defensive mindset
@AP – yeah, bunch of us on here who wanted Benitez after Wenger left. He’d be a great fit for what we need right now.
Yes.
This better be a joke
o que?
RIGHT, where’s my bloody pitchfo- oh.
What a hell!?? I remember when he was a coach in Hungary (Videoton FC). He was crap even in our league. ?
Is keyser soze not available? Everyone else seems to be on the shortlist
Are we now just dragging people in off the street asking if they fancy a job? A guy who has had more clubs than Watford have had managers in the last 10 years isn’t going to do us any favours stability wise. If this is the best we can hope for, God help us.
Can I form an opinion about a manager based purely on how I feel about the way they look…coz this guy gives off really strong yuppie vibes, and I don’t like that at all. Maybe he can join City once they sack Pep.
If the recruitment team is considering Sousa, why not Van Bronckhorst? Has won the cup and Dutch league with Feyenoord. Since he is a former Gunner we can install him as the manager and maintain Freddie as the assistant.
I think ill need to hire Liam Neeson so that he take out each of every board mbrs, together w kroenke. This is ridiculous if true.
Personally really want to see Freddie get given the chance to show what he can do until the summer. In the Norwich game we started well then faded, likewise Brighton there were bright spots then same old. West Ham last night we started tentatively but it was clear what he wanted the team to do, and the players obviously like him. I’d take Freddie over this guy any day.
Ancelotti please! What he can make with this set off players we have would be great!
he might be out of Naples today. otherwise let’s wait with Freddie until the end of the season and get Ancelotti then.
I’d give the job to Freddie till the end of the season and see how it goes. Who knows, he did a fantastic job at academy level and already seems to have a strong bond with the team. Would love to have an ex player as coach. And sometimes you just have to be bold. Think the way he analyses the games and his honesty about or shortcomings is admirable and he surely knows how to play attractive football. I’d take that gamble.
This feels like a red herring from the board.
To disguise what, I don’t know; but my Spidey sense is tingling on this one.
Sharp dresser, nice tan. Sign him up!
So was phil brown
Orange is the new Nice?
i don’t see how Arteta is superior to Ljungberg, has Arteta even coached a full season of youth football? no
i’d rather keep Ljungberg than hand over to Arteta: Arteta is just as likely to flounder as Ljungberg is…maybe moreso
i say let Freddie get on with it until the New Year…only then if it’s really not working should we bring in an experienced coach
Warning lights are already flashing with Freddie. Three games and every one has started passively with the players lacking in confidence. You already have to question whether the players really believe in him.
Or they are stuck in habits formed under Emery? 3 games in barely a week is not a good way to judge somebody’s capabilities.
I’m talking about their attitude. Most clubs get an uplift when a manager changes, the players see it as a new beginning. Under Ljungberg, they got worse until the 60th minute of yesterday’s game.
Inaccurate comment is inaccurate. In each of the three games, the team has had periods of playing better than they had under Emery for quite some time. They haven’t put together a complete game yet, I’ll grant, but the peaks have been much higher—plus, AFC lost both starting fullbacks within 30 minutes, and this squad certainly isn’t built to absorb that without heavy consequences.
Same thing happened with ManU right? They started off a bit slow after Mourinho left….now look at them.
What about the second half yesterday? It’s unrealistic to expect that things would have immediately turned around.
An article in the BBC suggests that Freddie doesn’t even have a proper staff. Give Ljunberg everything he needs and assure him stability I say. He needs a proper chance.
Exactly. Freddie needs a damn assistant!
If I could post it, there would be a Captain Picard Facepalm GIF right here…..
I’m convinced we should give Freddie a go, I love the way he is with the players and his idea of how we should be playing football really fits. I hope he gets more games to see how he can get on. Creating an atmosphere where the players are treated like adults will get more out of them.
His resume isn’t inspiring. Felt like the players really want to do well for Freddie and like him. That’s a good start. Now they know they need to perform if they want him to get the role on a permanent basis. We have a lot of tough games over the next few weeks so a bit of calm from the fans if results don’t go our way would also help the team/Freddie
You’d be forgiven for thinking we were being run by KFC and not KSE.
KFC when they had to shut half their branches cos they tried to save money on distribution and the new logistics company lied to get the contract…
Poo-meter!
Had my hands on my ? before reading the last paragraph…… Just breathe…. Hmmm!
Seriously though I have zero expectations for this season. It’s always gonna be a tall order replacing Le prof. I’m open to seeing how Freddie does for the remainder of the season. The players understand him, like him, he says the right things, he already picks his squad better than Emery…..I think he deserves to make a case for himself.
I like the way Freddie handles himself in interviews. Give him a go!
Cheap release clause <– "they like his profile"
Raul etc are looking around for cheap options, not good options. If they are good, it's seen to them as a bonus, not a central requirement.
The people at the top of this club are letting us down, time and again.
Sousa who?
Who
I’ll actually set fire to the emirates if he gets the job
I don’t want to suggest that he is the right man, but he is maybe a lot better than it seems, and way you react to him. He was excellent and innovative at Fior, and was a rumoured candidate for many clubs of the highest ranking at the time. If my memory serves well, he won two CL as a player ,one with Juve and one with Dortmund. He was the firts player to win with two teams. Anyway, I don’t particularly want to see him at Arsenal, but nothing suggest, that he is any worse coach than Marcelino, Nuno… Read more »
Smaller resourced clubs have no choice but to take more risk with appointments. Bigger clubs should in theory mitigate the risk with stronger appointments and better track record. But we have sunk so low and our environment so poor that we are no longer an attraction to the better managers. Reality. OTOH there are still some managers who may consider us but likely with a new slate in the summer and with time to sufficiently prepare rather than jumping into hot water and then risking their own image tarnished bc difficulties are less summountable without summer window. Its a question… Read more »
Hello darkness my old friend
This is all a load of shite. There’s an artible on the beeb where Freddie admits that he doesn’t have much of a staff, and that he speaks to Edu. Makes me furious. He should be given a staff and be set in until the end of the season. Give the players and the club some stability. It’s almost a foregone conclusion that we will not qualify for the CL. Let’s be honest, the only chance is the Europa League, and I doubt bringing in anyone like Sousa is going to convince Auba to extend his contract — so I… Read more »
Reality is that we are not an attractive destination for the very top managers at the moment. So we will undertake more risk with these lesser known and frankly patchy managers. The funniest thing I’ve heard are TV pundits going on about how we need to bring in experience because Llungberg won’t cut it and then they recommend Viera. Hopefully IMO, it is still doubtful, but if Freddy can come to grips with issues and make a decent go, it will be the best at least till the summer where there will be likely better candidates available like potentially the… Read more »
What about Gary Caldwell? He’s free at the moment having been fired by Partick Thistle for fucking up things there. Makes as much fucking sense as this guy!
Give it Gary Neville
Simply can’t be true, someone’s agent is playing the pay-rise game….right???
Seriously, this isn’t hard. Potch or if he doesn’t want it, begrudgingly give it to Arteta. That’s the list. Rather have Sousa as DM than bloody coach – ‘guided Bordeaux to 5th’ fucking great
Pochettino won’t come. So it’s not that easy. Also why would you want Arteta given our current situation? Thank God you don’t run Arsenal.
We need somebody with a proven record and who is available. Arsene Wenger? Unai Emery?
LOL! Really.
Now that Ancelotti has been axed, Arsenal shd go for him.Its a no brainer.
His credentials are second to none and his track record backs him up.
Is either Ancelotti or Rafa for me. Don’t take me wrong, the dream would be someone like Allegri, Ten Hag, Nagelsmann, but I doubt they’ll come here. Ancelotti has loads of experience and is a winner, and Rafa is good at steadying sinking ships, also both know the league. Cut the bollocks with the Marcelino’s and Sousa’s and bring either of them to help us during the hardships
Why was ancelotti available to Napoli in the first place? He failed at Bayern Munich. Now you want him here after failing again Napoli?
I think Bruce Ricoh is out of work
That’s because when he applies for a job everybody says “Bruce Ricoh? Never heard of him” 🙂
Literally today 11/12/19 carlo ancelotti has been sacked by Napoli.
If arsenal were smart,quick and efficient they would approach him right now asap.
Before another club get him and we lose out
Watch as snallehi and Mendes gut arsenal for their own good. These people do not have the club’s interest at heart.
The best Manager for Arsenal should be Rafael Benitez the Tactician
Carlo Ancelotti is now free!
…because he failed.