Arsenal: Massimiliano Allegri Has Faced This Project Before

Arsenal will have to cope without Arsene Wenger soon enough and if ever there was a man to handle the immense pressure, it is Massimiliano Allegri. He’s been here before.

Everyone wants to talk about Arsene Wenger and his future with the club. Mainly because no one has an answer, so it gives plenty of room for speculation. No matter what you think of Wenger, when he leaves Arsenal, it is going to leave a massive void that will have to be filled by someone pretty massive.

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There is talk of Eddie Howe and Thierry Henry and maybe even Steve Bould, but the experience between the three of them is pretty lacking. Arsenal is a massive ship to sail and it is going to be incredibly difficult, with high expectations, for whoever comes in after Wenger.

I mean, one season out of the Champions League and the question will become ‘why did we fire Le Prof?’

I never thought I would find anyone that fit the role better than Diego Simeone. He is a firecracker and he would probably bring Antoine Griezmann with him. He has turned an annual two-horse race into a three-horse race with one of the best defenses in the world of football.

But then Massimiliano Allegri entered the conversation and suddenly, Simeone was my No. 2.

Allegri has been in Italy forever (literally). But that shouldn’t take away from his credentials. After all Antonio Conte had been in Italy his entire life too and he took mid-table Chelsea, a shambolic mess of a former champion, and turned into…. well, we don’t know yet. But it’s looking pretty good (from there point of view).

Allegri is the same thing. In more ways than one. While Conte took Juventus and brought them their first Serie A title since being relegated, Allegri has kept that success going. There was a seamless transition between Conte and Allegri and Juve have now won five straight titles between the two.

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It is all about continuity. How can Arsenal break out of their lethargic funk without losing their constant presence at the top of the table? We don’t want a Manchester United backstep before we step forward because that backstep’s length is indefinite. United still haven’t shaken the post-Fergie blues.

Allegri has proven that he is a seamless transitioner. He took Conte’s massively successful side and kept them massively successful. Not a single hiccup.

So why couldn’t he come to Arsenal and take this massive successful team (in terms of relevance and contention) and keep them where they are, while also making crucial improvements? He wouldn’t be afraid to spend money, that’s for sure.

And again, the similarities between him and Conte are so painfully obvious. Wenger has cast an imposing shadow, no one is doubting that. But you have to move on eventually and we have let some really fantastic managerial candidates go to rivals (I don’t mean Pep Guaridola, by the way).

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All I’m saying is, if the main detractor from parting with Wenger is the potential for a slide, then Allegri should abate those fears. He has had projects like this before and he can master it again.

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