Unai Emery: Arsenal’s potential replacements as coach sacked
Arsenal hero Paul Merson wants his former club to appoint Mauricio Pochettino following the sacking of Unai Emery. The Spaniard was shown the door at the Emirates after failing to win any of the last seven games in all competitions.
Freddie Ljungberg has been asked to take temporary charge at Arsenal having been part of Emery’s coaching set-up.
Pochettino is currently out of work having been sacked by north London rivals Tottenham last week, where he was swiftly replaced by Jose Mourinho.
And Merson says Arsenal should do all they can to bring the Argentine into the club.
"He's not won anything, but he improved Tottenham over five years, tenfold," Merson told Sky Sports. "He's a top manager and he is about at the moment.
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The former defended did break his silence on Thursday, speaking for the first time since being sacked.
“I would like to thank Joe Lewis and Daniel Levy for giving me the opportunity to be part of Tottenham Hotspur’s history," Pochettino said, in a statement via the League Managers Association.
“I would like to thank also everyone I met at Tottenham, all the club staff and the football players during these five and a half years.
"Finally I would like to give a special mention to the fans who make this club so great with their fantastic support.
"I gave the best of me to accomplish the objectives I was asked for in our first meeting.
Unai Emery was sacked by Arsenal after seven games without a win (Image: GETTY)
"There were equally tough challenges as exciting success.
"Best wishes for the future, I am sure we will cross paths again.”
For Arsenal and Ljungberg, a trip to Norwich awaits with the Gunners facing the Canaries on Sunday.
It comes on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League in what proved to be Emery’s final game in charge.