Arsene Wenger recently stated that he would love to see an ex-Gunner succeed him as the next manager of Arsenal football club.
Names such as Patrick Vieira and Mikel Arteta have been touted and if it were down to Wenger one of those would get the gig over a more experienced candidate like Luis Enrique.
However, while Wenger has cultivated some of the finest young minds in coaching, not all the men who played under him at the Emirates and Highbury before have turned into such promising managers.
Here's a look at six CVs from former players that the Arsenal hierarchy can probably put firmly in the 'thanks but no thanks' pile...
1. Tony Adams
Tony Adams hasn't really expressed an interest in succeeding Arsene Wenger, and that'll be music to most Gunners fans' ears. Not that he'd ever be considered after his disastrous managerial career so far.
He may have been one of the finest defenders the Premier League has ever seen but sometimes it just doesn't work out for world class players in managerial hot seats. Unfortunately Adams was hopeless during his stints at Portsmouth, Azerbaijani side Gabala and Granada.
Lest we forget those revolutionary training methods.
2. Sol Campbell
Sol Campbell - who has previously described himself as one of football's finest minds - revealed last month that he was turned down for the Grimsby job on the basis of a lack of experience, meaning he hasn't got a hope in hell of landing the manager's gig at Arsenal.
He's had an air of self-entitlement about him in the past but with this situation he has only ever talked about who he would like to see in charge of Arsenal and, thankfully, doesn't include himself in the running.
3. Martin Keown
Martin Keown is the third defensive leader-type former Gunner to make this list.
There's little to suggest Keown would make a good replacement for Arsene Wenger. He just seems really bitter, annoyed and angry about things when giving his analysis during his various punditry gigs.
His downbeat aura is most definitely not what a bunch of demotivated underperforming prima donnas need to take them forwards.
4. Ian Wright
Even if Ian Wright had some managerial experience under his belt, he'd likely not make a particularly great boss, especially not for Arsenal.
Wrighty is hugely popular for his warm personality and sense of humour. Essentially, he's the total opposite of Martin Keown.
One gets the feeling that he simply wouldn't be able to take things as seriously as the job would definitely demand, and he should therefore not stray away from working in TV.
5. Jens Lehmann
Jens Lehmann is currently a first team coach at Arsenal, but can you imagine if he was bumped up to being the actual manager?
The German was a great servant to the north London club as a player but the ex-goalkeeper garnered a reputation throughout his time there as being a bit of a nutter.
With him in charge he'd probably force Per Mertesacker to do another season as a lone striker, bring Kim Kallstrom out of retirement and appear bi-weekly on ArsenalFanTV to rant about where it's all gone wrong...
6. Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry is actually in the running for the job according to the bookmakers, but it simply wouldn't be the right appointment.
Clearly he's an intelligent guy and is also loved by Arsenal fans worldwide for his brilliant career there as a player, but realistically Henry lacks the appropriate experience to succeed Wenger.
He may be the assistant manager of Belgium but it's Roberto Martinez who is calling the shots and using his prior knowledge of club management.
Henry is an Arsenal legend, but should things start to go pear shaped under his guidance, that fan toxicity would be bound to return and the Frenchman's legacy put at risk.
No comments