As I said, I don't know the man, but from his demeanor he doesn't strike me as the kind of person who is looking for exposure. As far as the money is concerned, I'm pretty sure we can match whatever wage he is offered. And when it comes to coaching the best, it seems to me that he prefers players who have the right attitude and the talent to coach them into being the best. If we get into Arsenal echelons of big clubs, we would be able to attract much more young raw talent than we currently do, which is what Poch likes to work with.
But I do agree we should have a succession plan in place. And the most important thing is to get a manager with the right philosophy who is aligned with the chairman (and vice versa). Even if we lose half the team, with the right manager we can rebuild. After all, that's what Poch did in his first couple of seasons and it hasn't turned out too shabby.
Well, demeanors can change, after all - he seems like a fairly reserved, considerably professional man to me, so what he's looking for (exposure or the freedom afforded by a lower profile) isn't something we're likely to be privy to anytime soon. He's likely to keep his cards close to his chest in that regard.
Wage wise, yeah, once the stadium comes up and (hopefully) some success comes with it, I think we'll be able to offer him a fairly competitive wage - Wenger-level, certainly. But some managers earn even more than that (
http://www.totalsportek.com/money/highest-paid-football-managers/) - Wenger earns more or less 55% of what Pep (the current highest-paid manager, according to that list) does. I imagine two or three years of continuous football inflation won't help those sorts of figures, and ultimately if a sugar-daddy or superclub wants Poch, I think the salary they can offer won't be one Levy will match unless he's so sure of him being a Ferguson-type that he goes beyond even what Arsenal are willing to pay their legendary boss.
Finally, sure, Poch seems like someone who's happiest when he's out on the training field coaching young, hungry players without egos or undue airs. But he is also near the head of his profession - I think every good professional is driven deep down to see if he or she can make their names by taking on the biggest challenges and working alongside (and possibly over) the best talent in the business to tackle those challenges. Being happiest working with talented youngsters might not factor into any future decision to test himself at the highest level with a squad of superstars who could potentially help him build a truly *legendary* team, if they all settle into playing his way.
I entirely agree with you on the approach we need to take in terms of contingency planning for the possibility of him leaving. I'd like if we could prevent half the team leaving with Poch (ultimately, they are playing for the club, not the manager), but I recognize that they might have very good cause to have strong ties to him given the way he's shaping their careers. In that case, having a manager Levy can trust to the same extent (or as close to the same extent) as Poch will be key, whether we're consolidating or rebuilding.
Anyway, that *is* all in the future - hopefully it won't come to pass, and if it does, it will hopefully be after he's brought a lot of success and happiness to the club.
Just think we shouldn't let ourselves go in terms of loving Poch (and he *is very lovable
) to the extent that we stop contemplating the possibility of him leaving - because it'll only end up hurting us if he does. Happened to me with Bale, which is why I'm circumspect about nearly everyone now (well, save for Harry, anyway)...despite my fondness and admiration for this team and this manager.
