Arsenal: Thomas Tuchel Better Managerial Option Than Thierry Henry

Robert Pires has stated that Thierry Henry could become Arsenal manager one day. However, Borussia Dortmund’s Thomas Tuchel would be a better option.

One day soon, Arsenal will have to face life without Arsene Wenger. It is a day that will bring great uncertainty, doubt and questions, littered with very few answers and the hopes of a fandom thrust on the shoulders of one poor soul tasked with following the greatest manager that has ever graced the red half of North London.

Because of Wenger’s longevity – an absolute minimum of 20 years – the club is centred around him. Everything that happens, the finances, the training, the tactics, the playing staff, the coaching staff, even the meals come from the manager. It is a mighty task to inherit a system that has been built, managed and flourished under the principles of one man.

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Nonetheless, someone will have to, and between now and that day, there will be a whole lot of speculation as to who that poor soul should be.

One school of thought suggests that a former player with experience of management and coaching would be a sensible move. The thought is that their understanding of Wenger’s ways, their intricate and detailed experience of how the Frenchman works, how he has run the club with so much success throughout his tenure, would give them the opportunity to continue along the same path, making only small deviations, rather than groundbreaking changes that others may feel are necessary.

That is certainly no silly idea. One name who has been touted is now Belgium assistant Thierry Henry. The Arsenal record goalscorer is still extremely popular at the club, has expressed a desire to one day manage the team where achieved greatness as a player, and now Robert Pires, his former teammate, has suggested that it could one day happen.

Another path that the club may choose to walk is to bring in a highly experienced, highly renowned, world class manager who does not necessarily share the same values as Wenger but has a proven track record of success throughout their managerial career. While many years in the future, after Henry has garnered more experience in the often turbulent world of management, I would be more than accepting of him returning as manager, there are more suitable, more knowledgeable and perhaps safer options in the immediate future.

One name that has been touted is Borussia Dortmund’s Thomas Tuchel. Reports state that he is unhappy at the club with many arguments revolving around the role that he personally plays and how much power he has over other aspects of the running of the team; transfers, for example. Tuchel was excellent at FC Mainz, first keeping them in the Bundesliga after being promoted in 2009, and then elevating their standards so that they became one of the better teams in the league.

Since joining Dortmund, he has enjoyed a 70% win ratio, leading them to the Europa League quarter-finals last term and finishing behind Bayern Munich in the league. He is an excellent coach, and for the here and now, is a better option than the likes of Henry.

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When Wenger does indeed move on, it will be a time of great nervousness, uncertainty but also excitement. For many Arsenal fans, they cannot remember a time without Wenger. Soon, they won’t have to imagine.