Paul Merson: I would be 'shocked' if this Celtic man was not at Arsenal next season
By Richard Parks
Paul Merson has revealed that he would be "shocked" if Brendan Rodgers was not the manager of Arsenal next season.
The Sky Sports pundit explained in conversation with Jeff Stelling for Sky Bet's Twitter account shared that he thought it was the right time for Rodgers to depart Parkhead at the end of the season.
The Arsenal legend is convinced that the Arsenal job will be available following a wretched campaign under Arsene Wenger and backed Rodgers to take over.
"I don't know why he doesn't get the Arsenal job?" stated Merson in the video for Sky Bet's Twitter account.
"He fits Arsenal great, the nearest Liverpool have ever come to winning the league for a long long time is when Brendan Rodgers was in charge.
"He's done nothing wrong at Celtic, to do what they've done, people can say it's Scottish football and Celtic are head and shoulders above, but every team they played on that run treated it like a cup final, which is difficult sometimes.
"Especially when you're Celtic and know you're better than everybody else, but I think he (Rodgers) now needs a change and needs to come back down.
"I'll be shocked if he didn't get a good job, I'd be quite shocked if he didn't get the Arsenal job."
Rodgers was appointed Celtic manager in May 2016 following the exit of Ronny Deila and became the first manager in the club's history to win the first four domestic trophies available when his side beat Motherwell for the Scottish League Cup in November.
Football Insider verdict:
Rodgers for Arsenal is not a bad shout by Merson. They appear a good fit and the northern Irishman's reputation is fully re-established following an impressive two years at Celtic, where he has hoovered up trophies, overseen two Champions League campaigns and taken the club to the verge of seven consecutive league trophies as they eye a fabled ten-in-a-row. Moreover, Rodgers' sides play attacking, attractive football, he brings through the youngsters and can operate within a strict playing budget. The wretched end to the northern Irishman's time at Liverpool will put off many, but that should not be the decisive factor to chairmen if he decides he has nothing more to prove in Scottish football.