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ARSENE WENGER is not a man to leave anything to chance.
And that is why he has already identified the man capable of succeeding him when the day comes to quit Arsenal.
Barcelona's Pep Guardiola is the coach Wenger sees as cut from the same cloth as himself and therefore capable of carrying on the Frenchman's unique football vision.
There have been discussions between the two about their shared football philosophy and what their futures may hold.
The Catalan, one of the distinguished few to have won the European Cup as a player and coach, is excited by the thought of managing in England - and Arsenal would be a natural choice.
That is music to the ears of the current Emirates boss who has been troubled by the prospect of who will follow him for some time.
Having spent the last 12 years of his life making Arsenal into one of the most successful and admired teams in the world, walking away was always going to be difficult.
A control freak by his own admission, Wenger knows that, sooner rather than later, he will be forced to hand over to a younger man.
In fact, his age (he recently turned 60) is one of the things that has troubled him during the last four seasons when the Gunners have failed to win a trophy.
No one needs reminding that this is a particularly youthful Arsenal team and Wenger has asked himself if the age gap between him and his players is an obstacle to the team's success.
There is no question that he commands their respect but whether or not he can relate to them on a personal level is another matter.
At 39, Guardiola is the youngest coach to win the Champions League, domestic league and domestic national cup competition - and all in his first year.
But some fans have still written off Guardiola's remarkable feat as mere fate. Sure, he inherited a team which has an overwhelming array of talent in every department.
Who couldn't win the lot when you have Messi, Eto'o, Henry, Iniesta, Xavi, etc?
But that sniping about his contribution as head coach of the treble winners has irked the former Spain midfielder to the point of considering his exit from Barca.
Having played 11 years for Barca's first team he knows success swings between the two superpowers of Spain like a pendulum - and Real Madrid have been spending outrageously in the last year.
That is one of the reasons he signed just a two-year contract at the Nou Camp when he took the job at the start of last season.
Another is that he is acutely aware the burn-out potential at a club like Barcelona is huge and he does not intend to become its next victim. As a result, he has declined every offer to extend his deal and is therefore a free agent next summer.
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Wenger invited him to attend Arsenal's match at Aston Villa almost exactly a year ago when Guardiola was coming under extreme pressure at Barca for poor form and results.
'The Professor' counselled the young coach to ride out the storm - just as he has many times - and stick to his principles and success would come.
When Barca won La Liga with a campaign which made Arsenal's football look mundane, Guardiola called Wenger to thank him.
Now he has received a DVD of every Arsenal match this season so he can study the way they play as well as the opposition.
Like Wenger, Guardiola is a slave to preparation, though his arrival at the Emirates would have another huge advantage other than just continuing the Wenger vision.
Speculation over the future of skipper Cesc Fabregas would surely disappear since playing for his boyhood Barca hero at Arsenal would be a dream come true.
In fact, Guardiola knew Fabregas at the Nou Camp and then spent time with him when he studied Arsenal's training methods and style during a visit to London while in charge of Barcelona's 'B' side.
Back then, he was captivated by the way Wenger encouraged his players to express themselves on the pitch and with the pace and skill the ball was passed.
All the indications are that Guardiola is edging ever closer to his London calling.
And that is why he has already identified the man capable of succeeding him when the day comes to quit Arsenal.
Barcelona's Pep Guardiola is the coach Wenger sees as cut from the same cloth as himself and therefore capable of carrying on the Frenchman's unique football vision.
There have been discussions between the two about their shared football philosophy and what their futures may hold.
The Catalan, one of the distinguished few to have won the European Cup as a player and coach, is excited by the thought of managing in England - and Arsenal would be a natural choice.
That is music to the ears of the current Emirates boss who has been troubled by the prospect of who will follow him for some time.
Having spent the last 12 years of his life making Arsenal into one of the most successful and admired teams in the world, walking away was always going to be difficult.
A control freak by his own admission, Wenger knows that, sooner rather than later, he will be forced to hand over to a younger man.
In fact, his age (he recently turned 60) is one of the things that has troubled him during the last four seasons when the Gunners have failed to win a trophy.
No one needs reminding that this is a particularly youthful Arsenal team and Wenger has asked himself if the age gap between him and his players is an obstacle to the team's success.
There is no question that he commands their respect but whether or not he can relate to them on a personal level is another matter.
At 39, Guardiola is the youngest coach to win the Champions League, domestic league and domestic national cup competition - and all in his first year.
But some fans have still written off Guardiola's remarkable feat as mere fate. Sure, he inherited a team which has an overwhelming array of talent in every department.
Who couldn't win the lot when you have Messi, Eto'o, Henry, Iniesta, Xavi, etc?
But that sniping about his contribution as head coach of the treble winners has irked the former Spain midfielder to the point of considering his exit from Barca.
Having played 11 years for Barca's first team he knows success swings between the two superpowers of Spain like a pendulum - and Real Madrid have been spending outrageously in the last year.
That is one of the reasons he signed just a two-year contract at the Nou Camp when he took the job at the start of last season.
Another is that he is acutely aware the burn-out potential at a club like Barcelona is huge and he does not intend to become its next victim. As a result, he has declined every offer to extend his deal and is therefore a free agent next summer.
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var RStag = "";try{RStag = segQS;}catch(e){RStag = "";}document.write('');
Wenger invited him to attend Arsenal's match at Aston Villa almost exactly a year ago when Guardiola was coming under extreme pressure at Barca for poor form and results.
'The Professor' counselled the young coach to ride out the storm - just as he has many times - and stick to his principles and success would come.
When Barca won La Liga with a campaign which made Arsenal's football look mundane, Guardiola called Wenger to thank him.
Now he has received a DVD of every Arsenal match this season so he can study the way they play as well as the opposition.
Like Wenger, Guardiola is a slave to preparation, though his arrival at the Emirates would have another huge advantage other than just continuing the Wenger vision.
Speculation over the future of skipper Cesc Fabregas would surely disappear since playing for his boyhood Barca hero at Arsenal would be a dream come true.
In fact, Guardiola knew Fabregas at the Nou Camp and then spent time with him when he studied Arsenal's training methods and style during a visit to London while in charge of Barcelona's 'B' side.
Back then, he was captivated by the way Wenger encouraged his players to express themselves on the pitch and with the pace and skill the ball was passed.
All the indications are that Guardiola is edging ever closer to his London calling.
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