In 11 games as interim manager, Renée Slegers has gone unbeaten with 10 wins and a draw. Notably, the Dutch tactician has picked up wins over Tottenham, Juventus, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich (it’s only Manchester United who were lucky to earn a draw against her Arsenal).
So far, there has been much speculation about whether Renée will be promoted from interim to permanent Arsenal manager. Most Gooners have voiced their desire for her to be trusted with the job.
On his Crossways YouTube channel, Ian Wright has campaigned for her to be confirmed as the new permanent boss of the Gunner women. He doesn’t see why Arsenal would appoint a “big name male” coach, as some expect, given how great Renée has been. He wants the club to let her continue growing what she’s doing, as he feels she might already have plans in mind for her “Arsenal project.”
There might be a narrative that Arsenal women need a big-name coach. Wright disagrees, stating that Renee’s work proves she can do the job. He emphasizes that Arsenal needs to support the women’s game, and sticking with Renée is doing just that.
Renee Slegers Arsenal coach
Renee Slegers Arsenal coach (Photo by Jaimi Joy/Getty Images)
He said, “I’ve heard some of the names and the kind of high-profile men… but I’m thinking, why go for a big-name male manager now? With everything Renée’s done up to this point, why not let her continue to grow with what she’s doing?”
“One of the most important things to me is that we’re now seeing what she is capable of, and she’ll only get better. If they bring in one of these so-called named male managers, what happens to her? She’ll continue to just be an assistant, despite proving she can do the job.”
Wright’s point is clear: Renée deserves the chance to continue leading the team. Arsenal need consistency, not just in results but in building momentum. Backing Renée would be a way to build something sustainable rather than scrapping all the progress she’s made. Renée could be Arsenal’s Emma Hayes—when Hayes broke into the scene, no one knew her. Look at the job she’s done with the backing she had at Chelsea over the years. We fans are behind Renée; the club needs to trust her. It would be frustrating to see her poached by a European heavyweight, who must be watching her situation at Arsenal keenly and thinking she’s a top coach.
What are your thoughts?
Michelle M
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