Rio Ferdinand names only three managers who would REJECT Man Utd to join Arsenal instead | OneFootball

Rio Ferdinand has warned Arsenal supporters calling for Mikel Arteta’s head over appointing an elite-level replacement during the same summer in which Manchester United are also looking for a new manager, while naming the only three coaches who would reject a switch to Old Trafford over The Emirates.

Gunners supporters have been told to ‘be careful what you wish for’ if some of them persist with calls for Arteta to be shown the door at the end of the season if a trophy is not delivered.

Arsenal remain six points clear in the Premier League title race but face a daunting trip to second-placed Manchester City on Sunday, who can cut that lead to three with a win and also still have a game in hand.

The north London outfit also have another route to silverware before the end of the campaign after booking a semi-final clash with Atletico Madrid this week.

However, Arteta has been heavily criticised by a section of the Arsenal fans who have been unhappy with the team’s negative style of play during the second half of the campaign, while respected journalist John Cross believes there is a chance he could be ousted come the summer.

Ferdinand, though, believes the club’s hierarchy would be wrong to dismiss Arteta and feels Arsenal could struggle to compete with Man Utd, who may look beyond Michael Carrick for their next manager appointment. That’s despite trusted reporter David Ornstein suggesting that Carrick is closing in on the permanent Old Trafford job.

“I would be careful what you wish for if I was an Arsenal fan if you think getting rid of Arteta is the best thing you guys could do,” Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel.

“You have to remember where you guys were when he came. You guys are consistently qualifying for the Champions League, you weren’t before Arteta came. You’re finishing second most of the time, fighting for the Premier League year in, year out.”

Ferdinand questions Arteta axe calls

While admitting that Arteta needs to finish the job in north London and get silverware through the door, he also warned about how difficult the process could be to land a replacement.

Indeed, the former England defender added: “You’ve got to get over the line, yes I know, but you think the grass is greener over there with another manager? Who is the other manager?

“He [Luis Enrique] is not coming to Arsenal. He’s leaving the best team in the world to go to Arsenal – are you crazy?

“Every manager other than Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira or Cesc Fabregas would go to Man United over Arsenal.

“He [Fabregas] doesn’t guarantee you anything, he hasn’t won anything, as talented as he is.

“I’m just saying, it’s not like you go from Arteta and say, ‘we’ve got a certainty’. Pep’s your only certainty and he’s not going to Arsenal.”

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Henry fears further Arsenal collapse, as Carragher joins doom bandwagon

Meanwhile, Gunners legend Thierry Henry fears his old club will have no chance of getting a positive result at City on Sunday unless they can rediscover some “fire” in their performance levels.

When asked what he wants to see from his former side in the crunch clash, Henry referred back to Arteta’s unhinged press conference ahead of the Sporting game.

Elsewhere, Jamie Carragher has joined the growing gloom surrounding the Gunners, suggesting they now have no chance of winning the Champions League, despite sitting in the last four.