Ex-Arsenal striker refuses to discuss ‘M word’ amid Mourinho talk

Will Ford
during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal FC at Old Trafford on December 5, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom.

Former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell refuses to discuss the “M word” as Jose Mourinho continues to be linked as a replacement for under-fire Unai Emery.

Campbell admits that a change is probably required at Emirates Stadium, but believes Arsenal should avoid the former Manchester United and Chelsea manager at all costs.

Campbell told AFTV: “There’s been a lot of rumours flying about, about a new manager coming in.

“There’s that ‘M’ word that I don’t even want to mention. Yeah, Mickey Mouse.

“I don’t want to mention him, who was manager of our rivals, two of our rivals and apparently got spotted having dinner with Raul [Sanllehi], which is nonsense.

“But I wouldn’t have him anyway, I wouldn’t have him anywhere near the club.”

Campbell believes the best man for the job is already has a role with Arsenal, and the board should avoid the list of names linked with the job.

He added: “I’d have none of them. I’d have Freddie [Ljungberg] in. [Mourinho’s] not in, he’s not in, and Emery’s gone. So if that’s the case I’d have none of them and I don’t have to choose one.

“Yeah [it’s got that bad] that fans could sell their soul to the devil. I say that just as a saying.

“Sell their soul to Mourinho who has absolutely lambasted Arsenal, taken the mickey out of Arsenal, taken the mickey out of Arsene Wenger when he was our manager, specialist in failure and all that.

“That’s aimed at us, that isn’t just the manager, that’s aimed at us. This is how it is.”

Campbell also believes they should act swiftly to stop the rot which has started to set in under Emery.

He said: “Should the board act now?

“For me I think Unai Emery’s a nice man, he’s a nice man, but I don’t want nice men, I don’t want a nice man. He’s ruining a lot of people’s weekends to be honest.

“I could take a defeat if the team performed. I could take a defeat. I’m not saying I like defeats, I said I could take a defeat if the team perform and get beat.

“But when they don’t perform, and they’re not performing, and they’re throwing away leads on a regular basis, for me, sorry, there’s got to be change and there’s got to be change now.

“As far as I was concerned, the board would need to act now to rectify and to steer the ship in the right direction because the players to me look as though they’re not focused – they’re unfocused.

“They look like they haven’t got that togetherness, like you see with Liverpool and Man City.

“Even though they’re 3-0 down, Man City are grafting, they know exactly what to do, they’re sticking to the game plan.

“Arsenal look like they’ve got no game plan. They’ve got no plans whatsoever and that’s why it’s so disjointed and that’s why we’re throwing away leads on a regular basis.”