Arsenal: Could Diego Simeone be the reverse Arsene Wenger?

Arsene Wenger added offensive flair to defensive steel when he arrived at Arsenal in the mid-90s. Could Diego Simeone have the reverse effect now?

Before Arsene Wenger entered the building, Arsenal were not considered a free-flowing, attacking, entertaining team. There is a reason that the chant ‘Boring, boring Arsenal’ existed. They were a boring team, defensive, but extremely resolute team.

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Much of that was down to George Graham and all that he instilled at the club. While Wenger didn’t direct replace Graham, many of the players that still presided at the club and many of the strategies and approaches that were used stemmed from Graham’s tenure.

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And so, Wenger coming to the club completely shifted the philosophies in place on the pitch. He brought an attacking pizzazz that complemented the steel and resolve that Graham had instilled in the years prior. That leads me to the Gunners’ search for their successor.

You see, of the many names that have been rumoured with the north London role, from Mikel Arteta all the way through to Brendan Rodgers and Carlo Ancelotti, there is one that I believe is not getting the discussion it deserves: Diego Simeone.

There are reasons for this. Ivan Gazidis revealed that one of the characteristics the new manager would have to have is a commitment to attacking, entertaining football. That is something that Simeone is not. Also, when asked about whether an approach had been made, Simeone, on Wednesday, said this:

"“I have not spoken with anyone at Arsenal. I love it here at Atletico.”"

Not looking likely, then. But humour me the scenario, if just for fun if nothing else.

Simeone is very much a manager built in the Graham mould. Although they come from different eras and cultures, their style of football, their priorities on the pitch, the tactics that they implement, and the approaches that they use are very similar to one another. Essentially, it is a defend-first, conservative, tough, hardened one that grinds out results.

That may not be the style that Gazidis is looking for, or even I am looking for, for that matter, but it is one that would complement the recent vices and virtues of this team. Playing pretty football, creating lots of chances, and scoring lots of goals has never really been an issue for Wenger’s teams. And with the core of the players seemingly set to stay, that would not necessarily change with a new manager. Ally that with the defensive acumen and understanding of Simeone, and suddenly, you have a well-balanced team that is successful in several facets of the game.

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Will it happen? I’d be very surprised. But in bringing Wenger to the club, the Gunners changed their culture. In the latter years, they changed it too far. Now they have a chance to push the pendulum the other way.