MODERN football is peculiar in a number of ways, but the news that Sven Mislintat is to leave Arsenal brought one particular aspect of that to the fore.
Gooners are accustomed to the sense of pained despair that accompanies the loss of a star player, like Robin Van Persie or Samir Nasri or Cesc Fabregas or Gael Clichy or Bacary Sagna or Alexis Sanchez or Emmanuel Adebayor, but that sense for the loss of a backroom, rarely seen staff member was something new.
‘Proper Football Men’ find this sort of thing to be against the very essence of the sport – after all, how many goals has Mislintat scored this season? – but it is illustrative of the way the role of the manager has been broken up in recent years. The days of the men in the dugout having full control are gone and it’s figures like Mislintat who have taken some of the responsibility.
Sven Mislintat will be leaving his role as head of recruitment at Arsenal on February 8th, 2019.
He has made some incredible signings for the Gunners and Dortmund over the years pic.twitter.com/7xPX5wXCxX
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) January 21, 2019
Monchi is another non-footballing figure who has become a difference-maker in the modern game. He’s the director of football credited with turning Sevilla into the European force they are today, navigating the transfer market in a way few can in these days of eye-watering over inflating. His appointment at Roma two summers ago was greeted in the same way a marquee signing would be, and with good reason. Within a season of Monchi’s arrival, Roma reached the semi finals of the Champions League.
Now, Monchi is reportedly wanted by Arsenal. The North London club find themselves locked outside the European elite, facing yet another season in the Europa League, and see the 50-year-old as the man to take them back to the top. The prospect of this has, understandably, got some fans excited.
Indeed, the hiring of Monchi would make a statement at a time when Arsenal’s ambition has been questioned. But his appointment would be for nothing if he is denied freedom in the way Mislintat was. The German left the Emirates Stadium after having his hands tied. He was not allowed to mould the Arsenal team in the way he desired, with the saga concerning Aaron Ramsey’s future a breaking point.
Monchi on links to Arsenal: “I know my name is being associated with Arsenal but I am concentrating on my job at Roma. However, it is a pleasure being linked with a club like that – but it is not the first time that happened.” #afc pic.twitter.com/P46H61kEnJ
— afcstuff (@afcstuff) January 26, 2019
Mislintat was lured to North London on the promise that he would have freedom to plot a course for Arsenal’s future in the post-Arsene Wenger age. The early signs were positive, with the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Lucas Torreira, Matteo Guendouzi and Sokratis Papastathopoulos all believed to be Mislintat signings.
The exit of Ivan Gazidis to AC Milan seemingly changed the boardroom dynamic at Arsenal, quite dramatically so in the case of Mislintat’s role. Reports suggested the German had been told his influence would be diluted, that the official director of football role promised as his after Wenger’s departure was no longer in the club’s structure. So why would an exception be made for Monchi?
On the face of things, the appointment of Monchi would represent a renewal of Arsenal’s ambition, but upon deeper examination it could showcase the opposite. This is the guy who did wonders on a shoe-string budget at Sevilla, and has made significant progress at Roma, giving the Serie A side a platform to punch above their weight. Arsenal, it seems, want a piece of this.
Roma director of football Monchi is keen to move to Arsenal in the summer as the club’s technical director, while Francis Cagigao is expected to step up into the role of head of recruitment to replace the outgoing Sven Mislintat. [Mirror] #afc pic.twitter.com/LpZfnRhQ4I
— afcstuff (@afcstuff) January 26, 2019
But if Arsenal see Monchi as a cheap way to return to the top then the same circumstances that forced Mislintat out will hinder the new guy. It’s perfectly reasonable for Arsenal to explore options of maximising their position in the game. While fans rightly call for the club to spend more money in the transfer market, they cannot compete with the likes of the two Manchester sides for top targets. They must be shrewder.
However, to be shrewd Monchi will require a degree of independence. That’s something Mislintat never had. The German is still at the Emirates, and will be until February as he serves a notice period. Monchi, it is reported, could be hired in the summer. That would leave Arsenal with just a few months to adopt a new approach to harness Monchi. This seems unlikely, and even if they were to pull it off the question would be asked – why didn’t they do it for Mislintat?
