Arsenal and Joachim Low: Not ideal, but certainly interesting

Joachim Low has been reportedly named as the front-runner to replace Arsene Wenger this summer by the Arsenal hierarchy. But would the German national manager be a good choice?

Carlo Ancelotti, Massimiliano Allegri, Leonardo Jardim. They have all been rumoured with taking Arsene Wenger’s post. For many years, it has always seemed like a pipe dream. Surely Arsenal would never have the cojones to replace Wenger? Well, not if the grapevine is to be believed. A successor is on his way, and he hails from Germany.

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Joachim Low, who is currently the manager of the best national team in the world and reigning World Cup winners, Germany, is a supposed serious candidate to lead the Gunners into the post-Wenger era. So, here is a very obvious question: Would it work?

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Tactically, at least on the national level, Low is one of the best in the business. His Germany side have revolutionised themselves, shifting from the industrious, dutiful, mechanical machine to a fluid artistry that possesses a rare and deceptive ruthlessness.

However, despite Low being a fantastic manager, some will point out the fact that he hasn’t coached at club level in 14 years. As everyone knows, coaching a national team is significantly different from coaching a domestic team. Low is undoubtedly a fantastic manager, but is he the right man to steady the sinking Arsenal ship?

One player that would hugely admire the appointment of Low is Mesut Ozil. Low gets the best out of Ozil. The same cannot always be said for Wenger. The German manager understands Ozil’s strengths and weaknesses, putting him in a position to accentuate the positive and shroud the negative.

But the issue of player development and tactics and technical nuance and styles is only a small aspect. Perhaps the biggest issue currently is that Arsenal squad is not good enough to win the Premier League. That is the harsh truth of it. Unfortunately, the underwhelming level that Arsenal are at is far below the likes of Manchester City. To bring the prestigious titles back to North London would require a complete overhaul of style and management.

A character with more cynosure and significance would be the perfect fit. Managers like Diego Simeone and Pep Guardiola have that can change a culture. Whilst Low is a fantastic manager tactically, does he have that force of personality?

The biggest issues at the club rest on its culture and personnel. They are two things that Low may not have either the temperament or the experience to handle. He is not a shouter, a hard man, a force of nature, and neither does have extensive work in the transfer dealings of a domestic club.

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Despite being an utterly intriguing idea, I am not sure that Low is the ideal man. There are too many ifs, and that makes me nervous.