My light shines on Arsenal

Chapter 101 The Future of "Professor"
June 2012, London, early summer.

Kearney Base is quiet. This is the quietest time of the year for this training base.

The players have started a leisurely holiday, and the supporting staff have also obtained the right to take vacations.

The equipment maintenance workers at the base are still working tirelessly, waiting for the base to become lively again.

Besides, there is one more person.

Chen Yao felt a little lonely. Wenger left, Pat Rice left, and the players he was familiar with also left, which made him suddenly feel a sense of loneliness that was caught off guard.

He couldn't stand being alone in a small apartment. In contrast, the familiar Kearney gave him a sense of belonging.

However, he did not immediately move into the office left by Wenger.

The formal appointment of the board of directors has not yet been issued, and he is still nominally a coaching staff member who has not yet decided to stay.

Therefore, Chen Yao still sat in front of his usual small desk, reading newspapers and books to pass the time.

Although only a few days had passed since Wenger left, Chen Yao couldn't wait.

Apart from his eagerness to confirm his position, he was still somewhat uneasy.

Public opinion is very interested in Arsenal's next coach candidate, and the "Evening Standard" wrote a special article listing five coaches who may take over Arsenal.

The newspaper was now in his hands.

The story was eye-catching but unrealistic, in keeping with the paper's tabloid style.

The author solemnly stated that Guardiola would be interested in accepting the challenge of the Premier League, and also named the Argentine madman Bielsa, believing that the coach would like Arsenal's technical style.

There are also some gossip inside the club that spread like wildfire. For example, John Krauss, a famous reporter of the "Post", tweeted that Chen Yao, who Wenger devoted himself to cultivating, is likely to have been selected as the primary candidate.

But until the Arsenal board finally make a decision, all this is up in the air.

Chen Yao couldn't help worrying that things might change, but the senior management of the "Gunner" seemed to be asleep, and there was no movement, making him live like a year.

"Om-"

The phone vibrated on the table. Chen Yao put aside half of the Evening Standard and hurriedly checked to see if there was any news from the board of directors - even though he had no contact information from the senior management at all.

However, the letter was not from the mysterious executive or Ivan Gazidis, but from Lu Ling, a reporter from the "Independent" who had met him once.

Chen Yao was a little disappointed, but the content of the news made him frown.

"When will you complete the interview you arranged with me?"

"PS: Were you serious about what you said during the championship celebration?"

WTF?

Chen Yao suddenly couldn't remember what he said at that time, but Lu Ling seemed to know his doubts, and forwarded a tweet.

[Will Arsene Wenger become Arsenal's next chairman? 】

The news was posted by The Athletic, with a picture of Wenger holding up the FA Cup trophy on the parade bus.

Chen Yao swiped down a few times and saw his own existence.

"Arsenal's assistant manager said he had benefited a lot from Wenger and raised the possibility of Wenger succeeding as Arsenal chairman..."

He recalled it for a few seconds, as if he had actually said that, only half in jest.

Scrolling down, there are actually other people's speeches.

"Arsenal legend Martin Keown said: 'Arsene is a legend in this team and he has the experience, prestige and personality to lead the transition.'"

The Athletic did not comment too much, but they implicitly stated that Arsenal chairman Peter Hillwood is over [-] years old and is preparing to retire.

Arsenal's financial pressure has not yet been relieved. Wenger's sudden departure may have a blow to outside confidence. An appropriate title within the club may be beneficial to the team.

At the end, Chen Yao found that the popularity of this article was very high, and the comments and reposts increased rapidly.

"It's good that Arsene Wenger is staying, he's been here for 16 years and a smooth transition won't hurt the club."

"Wenger is a legend of the team, he shaped the culture of the team, we should support the board to give him a place."

"Brothers, is there such a good thing? Do you know how much this means to us?"

……

Most of the comments enthusiastically agreed, but some disagreed.

"The old man should retire early, this will only affect the performance of the new coach."

"Why is he staying here? To continue to let the team experience a six-year drought without a championship?"

"This position is useless, f**k Kroenke, you better pay more."

……

Chen Yao put down his phone and massaged his temples.

Things seemed to be more complicated than he thought. In fact, even he himself didn't know where Wenger was going.

According to Wenger's character, if he leaves, he will most likely choose to withdraw completely.

Letting go is also an act of love.

He doesn't want to interfere with the club and affect the operation of the club.

But is there really any benefit to this?

Chen Yao has considered this issue. If he is officially appointed, as a young coach with relatively few qualifications, his authority will inevitably be greatly reduced.

He knows the temperament of Ivan Gazidis. This executive from the major leagues is highly obsessed with the so-called modern management structure and loves to play power and balance games.

If he takes over, there is no doubt that Gazidis will push forward his "internal reforms" in a big way.

But if he doesn't have the right to make decisions about transfers, has no absolute say in personnel management, and has no influence on the club's strategy, can he really hold on to his position and bring Arsenal to the top?
Chen Yao has no confidence in this.

Arsenal have gone through a detour. In that time and space, the manager can't get the players he wants, the transfer director wastes financial resources, and the scouting director is emptied, leaving a mess in the end.

Reality is not like fiction. Chen Yao cannot use magical plug-ins to make Gazidis obey him, nor can he suddenly become a well-respected coach. He is just a coach with a shallow resume.

If Wenger can stay in the club, it will be a great help to the transformation he will carry out on the team-after all, under this condition, the support of the "professor" is also a kind of cheating.

The chairman of the club is a perfect position. As an honorary title, he doesn't have much real power, but he can provide assistance when needed.

So Chen Yao felt that this would be a good thing.What's more, with Wenger's temperament, if he feels that he is hindering the development of the club, he will never stick around.

But this is just his personal thought, what does Wenger think?What will be the attitude of all parties on the Arsenal board?This incident has gradually evolved into a public relations incident of the club, what impact will it have?

Most importantly, Chen Yao has been waiting for his appointment, will this complicate this matter?

While he was thinking wildly, his cell phone rang again.

It was an unfamiliar number. Chen Yao hesitated for a few seconds and finally answered the call.

It shouldn't be a scam.

"Hello, Mr. Chen."

The English on the other end of the phone is very standard, and the accent is full of capable elite temperament.

"I'm Tim Lewis. I've bought you a plane ticket to North America, are you ready?"

(End of this chapter)