Pat Rice is retiring and a new number 2 is needed



There’s Neil Banfield, currently reserves boss who would seem to fit the bill from Arsene’s point of view. A competent coach who knows how the club works but unlikely to rock the boat or challenge the boss’s authoritaaah.

Steve Bould has already said he doesn’t want the job as he’s happy with what he’s doing at youth level, and then you have the former players who might do a job. A few weeks back on the Arsecast Lee Dixon said he thought Tony Adams would be a candidate and I do wonder if its any coincidence that his presence around the club has increased. There did seem to be an uneasiness in the relationship between the club and the former skipper and while he may have ambitions still of management, it’d be fair to say he hasn’t found the job of being top man easy. Perhaps a role without the pressure might suit him.

Dennis, how wonderful would that be? A man of such quality and intelligence, brought up through the Ajax system, who enjoyed the best years of his career under Wenger at Arsenal, but handicapped by the inability to travel with the team in Europe. And as for Vieira, well, I’m not sure. He seems well ensconced in the ambassadorial role he’s got at Man City, but it is very interesting to hear Campbell say he knows both Dennis and Vieira would ‘love’ to be offered a role at the club.

If it were up to me, I’d have Dennis in as assistant, Tony coaching the defence, and Robert Pires teaching advanced dreaminess twice a week. Of course we can’t rule out an ‘outside’ candidate either, but as much as our player business will be interesting this summer, this is going to be just as fascinating, I think.

by arseblog