Sheffield United

Chris Wiilder has been facing the media ahead of Sheffield United's meeting with Wolves on Sunday and took the chance to reflect on last weekend's 3-3 draw with Manchester United.

“We talked about being positive in this division and we’ve carried on. We have to accept we’re up against some special players at times and they’re going to do that to better teams than us,” he said.

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With Sheffield United two place above Arsenal in the table in sixth, should Blades boss Chris Wilder get a chance at an establish Premier League superpower?

Earlier this month, former Gunner Paul Merson told the Daily Star that the 52-year-old should be under consideration for the Arsenal job.

"They are not keeping all those clean sheets by sticking ten men behind the ball either. They play some lovely stuff, get people in the box, and have a go at teams," wrote Merson., external

"I watched them play Arsenal and there was only one team who knew what they were doing. Arsenal had no idea. That’s good coaching."

Wilder is a 40-1 outsider for the post.

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Patrick Vieira - 25-1

Captain of Arsenal's unbeaten 'Invincibles' and a man still adored by supporters, Vieira would be an overwhelmingly popular appointment. He has been steadily building up to such a job having managed Manchester City's reserves and New York City before taking his current post at Nice last summer.

Vieira guided the club to seventh in Ligue 1 in his first season at the helm but surely a return to the club where he won three Premier League titles and three FA Cups would be too tempting an opportunity to resist.

According to reports from France, Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo is Arsenal's top target to replace Unai Emery and discussions have already begun with his advisors.

RMC's Mohamed Bouhafsi adds that Nuno is "very interested" in the position.

Former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live:

"What’s importat now is to get a manager in who has some structrure, where you see a pattern and where players know what they are supposed to do.

"Arsenal right now are a mess, especially without the ball. They need structure and they need a plan

"From the outside looking in the managers think I ‘could manage there’ but the Premier League is a unique league as there are no easy games and every team play you hard.

"The 'smaller' teams get up for the game and you have to be able to manage the players and Emery failed miserably in the end."

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Image source, Getty Images

Massimiliano Allegri 16-1

After a fairly run-of-the-mill playing career, former midfielder Allegri blossomed into a serial trophy winner as a manager. The 52-year-old Italian departed Juventus at the end of last season having delivered the Serie A title in each of his five years at the helm, also claiming four Coppa Italia winners' medals and losing in two Champions League finals.

Bringing in Allegri would certainly be seen as a signal of intent from the Arsenal owners - but could he be tempted into a rebuilding job, or is he waiting to take over at a club ready-made to add more silverware to his CV?

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Mikel Arteta -7/1

Arteta enjoyed a fine career as a ball-playing midfielder before hanging up his boots in 2016 after five years with the Gunners. In a somewhat surprising move, he departed for Manchester City where he became Pep Guardiola's trusted right-hand man - helping the club win back-to-back Premier League titles.

He has yet to sample life as a head coach but his appointment would be welcomed by Arsenal fans given his connection to the club and his obvious standing within City's fine backroom set-up.

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Unai Emery spent a reported n £209 during his 18 months in charge of Arsenal.

Ivorian winger Nicolas Pepe, signed from Lille for a club record £72m, was the most expensive acquisition, but teenage defender William Saliba, who will join the club next year after his £27m signing from Saint Etienne, midfielder Lucas Torreira (£25m) and goalkeeper Bernd Leno (£22m) also exercised the Gunners' chequebook.

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Freddie Ljungberg 7/2 second favourite

Ljungberg was confirmed as interim head coach following Emery's sacking. The former Sweden international has worked as an assistant to Emery, after being promoted during the summer from his previous role as the manager of the club's under-23 side.

That experience means he knows all about the promising crop of youngsters emerging through the ranks and he could be tasked with replicating the early work done by Frank Lampard at Chelsea in bleeding those precocious talents in the first-team.

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The Arsenal Supporters' Trust says change needs to be more widespread than just in the dug-out.

“The dismissal of Unai Emery was unfortunate but inevitable. Performances and results have been far below what is expected at Arsenal," read a statement., external

"But Emery’s departure is the easy part. The more difficult challenge is to recruit a suitable successor. We are far from certain that Arsenal has the right personnel to lead this process.

"The AST has long been advocating that the most important changes needed at Arsenal are in the Boardroom where Arsenal need better governance.

"Arsenal also need to build better relationships with their supporters especially at the ownership/boardroom level. New appointments to the Board should include looking for people with the skillset to ensure better dialogue with supporters and provide a sense of purpose and direction.

"So if Arsenal are to genuinely move forward from today it requires not only a new head coach appointment but also a rejuvenation of the boardroom.”

Simon Stone
BBC Sport

There has been obvious concern at Arsenal’s results from within the club for a number of weeks now.

It was felt after last night a decision had to be made.

Emery reported to the training ground with his coaches this morning and was told face-to-face.

Freddie Ljungberg will take training this morning. There is confidence in Ljungberg and huge respect for him at the club.

He was the obvious choice to take the club forward and his presence will allow the club time to make what they feel will be the right decision re next coach.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty

Nuno Espirito Santo - 11/10 favourite

The Wolves boss was initially linked to the Arsenal post as pressure on Emery began to mount during a string of poor results. The Portuguese did a fine job in taking Wolves back to the Premier League and then qualifying for the Europa League at the first attempt, establishing the west Midlands side as one of the "best of the rest" in the top flight. Santo, 46, has previous experience of managing at Valencia and Porto but did not enjoy lengthy, successful spells with either and his credentials at a top club remain untested.

Frreddie Ljungberg would be a candidate to take the managerial role on a permanent basis according to football.london's James Benge.

It has been suggested that his coaching badges would restrict how long he could stay in charge.

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