Arsenal: Robert Pires can represent another new change

Robert Pires has stated that he would be interested in a coaching role alongside Arsene Wenger’s successor. He can represent another change at Arsenal: Welcoming back former players.

Arsene Wenger had a remarkable collection of players during his early years at Arsenal. From the ones he inherited and then he improved while he was at the club, to those he brought in on a shoestring budget and evolved them into world beaters, there was a myriad of intelligent, self-aware, game-understanding stars who would have been a benefit to any team or young player.

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And yet, during the latter decade of his tenure, when all these players were in the process of retiring and transferring from playing to coaching, hardly any were brought into the club to bolster the coaching staff.

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Patrick Vieira went to Manchester City, as did Mikel Arteta, who is now set to return as manager. Thierry Henry is now with Belgium; Dennis Bergkamp and Marc Overmars returned to the native Netherlands; Tony Adams enjoyed a managerial voyage that took him around the world, much to the unfair ridicule of the baying public. It seemed that, bar a few exceptions, Wenger did not want his former players in and around the club as coaches, for whatever reason.

But now Wenger is gone and change is coming to the club. One of those changes could well be the re-introduction of these former players, starting with Arteta as manager and continuing with a figure like Robert Pires, who stated that he would like to help the transition process of the new manager, if offered the chance:

"“If the next manager wants my help, I will say yes. I want to help Arsenal and I want to help the new manager. I want to be on the staff. I think I can help. It is an option for me and I hope it is an option for Arsenal <…> But I think that some ex-players can help Arsenal. We know the high level and we won some titles.If I can give some advice for the players, it would be good.”"

Pires has been one of those more in contact with the club since his retirement than others. He trained with the squad in his later years to keep fit when he was unattached to a team and he has been eased into the coaching set-up at London Colney in the past year by Wenger, though his specific role is a little unclear.

But if he is allowed to return in a more official capacity next season under the new manager, then it could represent a slight change in philosophy, a change that makes use of the wealth of experience that these former players possess. Additionally, with Per Mertesacker now leading the academy and Arteta seemingly set to become the manager, there is the feeling that the Gunners are starting to lean on their history a little.

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Pires, then, if he is offered a coaching role under the new manager, would represent another change, one that compounds the move away from Wenger and into a new era for this football club. The old could well start to return, and that is no bad thing at all.