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Arsenal manager - Is Mikel Arteta the right choice?

Arsenal manager - Is Mikel Arteta the right choice?

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Pep's cone man isn't even a league 1 standard manager. I don't even understand why Arsenal are so hesitant to sack him. It's not like he was some Arsenal legend. He was a bang average player.
 
You can sack Arteta if you want but i don't think it makes much difference to the outcome.

The line up today was the definition of mediocrity. Ultimately no coach is getting this team CL football this year.

Arsenal need to focus on transfers more than they do anything else. Arteta's job is just an unwelcome distraction right now.
 
The countdown to ArtetaOut has already started.

That was an awful performance yesterday and looking at the squad and the players who want to leave, this could be a difficult season for Arteta.
 
He'll be lucky if he can last till December this time, other teams have strengthen since last season while Arsenal continue to get worse under Arteta.

With all of Everton, AV, WH, and others much better than Arsenal now, the excuse that he doesnt have the funds or the players, has gone out the window.
 
hitthestump said:
You can sack Arteta if you want but i don't think it makes much difference to the outcome.

The line up today was the definition of mediocrity. Ultimately no coach is getting this team CL football this year.

Arsenal need to focus on transfers more than they do anything else. Arteta's job is just an unwelcome distraction right now.
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This is the key point.

The squad screams mediocrity. If you cannot back the coach in the market, there is no point in sacking him.

Arteta wanted Aouar last summer, the board did not pay; he wants Maddison now, they board is not paying.

No manager can deliver with such a joke of a squad. If he is sacked and Arsenal make an offer to Conte, he will immediately demand at least 200m + sales to revamp the squad.

Arsenal’s major issue is inability to pay up in the market. You cannot cut corners every summer and get lucky. You want to buy quality, you have to pay.
 
Arsenal have begun the season poorly and something needs to change – quickly.

An embarrassing 2-0 loss to Brentford in the first game has seen the pressure mount on boss Mikel Arteta after just one match.

Perhaps what was most alarming is that many expected the top-flight’s newcomers to come out with three points.

The Bees outplayed the Gunners all over the park to seal their first Premier League victory ever.

And diehard Arsenal fan Darren Bent, who hit 106 goals for a handful of Premier League clubs in his career, conceded that top four is well out of the Gunners’ reach following their opener.

“I think we get can top eight,” Bent told Drive on Wednesday. “You’ve got to be realistic.

“We know it’s not good enough, but you’ve got to be realistic with where they are.

Arsenal forked out £50m for Ben White and he had a tough first game against Brentford

“In terms of recruitment, signings, you see where they are. It’s sad to see, but that performance against Brentford just wasn’t good enough.”

Arsenal are in deep trouble, with fans at boiling point and Arteta on the brink.

So what needs to happen for the north London club to have a good season?

The £35million signing of Martin Odegaard, who impressed on loan after joining in January, is a great start.

The Gunners have been crying out for more creativity and the Norwegian adds exactly that – but more arrivals must follow.

Arteta will also need to make tactical tweaks if he is to salvage the season.

Here, talkSPORT.com has identified those tweaks and who else needs to come in following their disastrous start to the new season.

The right signings

Many fans think Arteta should be sacked, but chopping and changing bosses may not be the best of solutions, particularly as Antonio Conte is the only world class manager available and he’s unlikely to take the job.

What’s alarmingly clear is that Arsenal must get more signings through the door, with little under two weeks left of the window.

If they don’t, real trouble could follow.

Albert Sambi Lokonga, Ben White and Nuno Tavares have all arrived for a combined fee of around £80million, but the inexperienced trio do not have enough to help the club work their way back into Europe.

Former midfielder Ray Parlour, who played in the Invincibles side that mixed flair with strength, thinks a more physical player is required.

“They got bullied off the park [against Brentford]. We had so many talented players but nobody could bully you,” he told talkSPORT.

Would Coutinho be a good signing for Arsenal?

It understood there are negotiations with Barcelona over a potential swap deal involving Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Philippe Coutinho

A report from Spanish outlet Sport claim the Gunners skipper would ‘welcome’ leaving north London after Arteta’s side failed to achieve European football for this season.

Coutinho for his part would return to the Premier League having become one of the world’s most promising attacking midfielders at Liverpool.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are also weighing up a move for Fiorentina hitman Dusan Vlahovic, who impressed with 21 goals in Serie A last term.

Aaron Ramsdale, who was the Player of the Season for relegated Sheffield United, is also closing in on a move to the Emirates.

Coutinho and Vlahovic would add some much needed firepower to Arteta’s ranks, while Ramsdale will offer them strength in depth – something every successful side needs.

A new right-back will also need to be brought in if the unsettled Hector Bellerin does leave the club, with Cedric Soares ageing and Calum Chambers not a natural right-back.

Parlour, meanwhile, also feels on pitch leaders are essential.

Build team around Saka and Smith Rowe
Saka was a shining light in what was a desperately disappointing campaign for Arsenal last season.

He deservedly won the club’s Player of the Season award and emulated his impressive displays on the international stage with England at Euro 2020.

Arsenal must build their team around the versatile winger – as well as his academy teammate Emile Smith Rowe.

The latter was one of the few outstanding performers against Brentford.

Smith Rowe and Saka have been players Mikel Arteta has been able to rely on the most

He drove at the defence was never afraid to pick out an ambitious pass.

It seems incredible that Arsenal’s two best players are so young, but Arteta must build his team around the talented duo if he wants his side to have a good season.

Get best out of Thomas Partey

The midfielder had a difficult first season in the Premier League and that was mainly due to string of injury setbacks.

Arsenal are yet to see the quality of the Ghana international following his £45m switch from Atletico Madrid last summer.

He missed the Brentford clash, but must hit the ground running when he returns.

Arsenal’s defence is their weak point and Partey’s disappointing debut season played a part in that last term.

A fit Partey could see a change in fortunes for the club.

https://talksport.com/football/929198/arsenal-transfer-news-arteta-coutinho-odegaard/
 
While that side minus Aubamayeng and maybe Saka is relegation level, Arteta isnt doing any better.

Sets out his team to be negative, still have them concede 2 in the first 15 mins. That second half has been the easiest half of football City can have
 
Mikel Arteta confirms reason for Nicolas Pepe absence and what he wanted to see vs Man City
The Gunners were looking to get their first Premier League points on the board with a tough away trip to Manchester City

ARTETA ADMITS THERE ARE 'STILL SOME THINGS' FOR ARSENAL TO DO IN WINDOW

Arsenal have been left to rue a woeful defensive performance as Manchester City lead 3-0 at half-time with Mikel Arteta looking to turn the Gunners' fortunes around with an inspired second half comeback.

An instrumental piece of Arsenal's puzzle that defeated West Bromwich Albion to send the Gunners into the third round of the Carabao cup, Nicolas Pepe's late illness exclusion hindered the side's attacking threat having yet to registered a shot on target.

Arteta revealed pre-match that the Ivorian absence was not Covid related and would be left out of the squad, opening avenue of opportunities for Emile Smith Rowe, who was brought into to fill Pepe's shoes.

'Disgrace!' - Arsenal fans agree with Steve McManaman's brutal comment in Man City clash

He said: "We lost Nico [Pepe] today because he’s ill, not Covid-19. He’s here but he’s not in the squad. Let’s see in relation to what they can do, we can alter the formation so let’s see what happens."

Pepe, who was one of Arsenal's most potent figures in front of goal last season, left a void in terms of Arteta's attacking output due to his blistering pace on the counter attack.

The winger poses a great threat to Pep Guardiola's side who have seemingly boxed the Gunners into their own defensive third, however City's high and vigorous press leaves them susceptible to being hit on the counter attack.

However, it is unlikely Pepe would have made too much difference from the defensive display on show at the Etihad, as Man City raced into a comfortable 3-0 lead - while Arsenal also had Granit Xhaka sent off.

Arteta said in the build-up the the clash that his side must remain concentrated throughout - something they didn't do as they trailed 2-0 after just 12 minutes.

"First of all, individually you have to have a great game," Arteta told BT Sport before the game. "You have to have that competitiveness and that mental desire to beat them, it has to be there all the time.

"When you have the chances, you have to be clinical and defend your box when you need to."

https://www.football.london/arsenal-fc/news/mikel-arteta-arsenal-man-city-21425949
 
Mamoon said:
Yes. I believe he is going to be an absolutely brilliant manager. If the Arsenal board give proper backing, I see him making Arsenal a major force again. I am very glad that they didn’t settle for a washed up, past it manager like Ancelotti.

Experience is overrated. If you are good enough, you are good enough. If not, you can manage a 1,000 matches and you will still struggle.
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The king of ‘that didn’t age well’ comments
 
Arteta is like Imran Khan, terrible leader, silly comments in the press, clueless in the job and tearing the fabric of there organisations apart, yet they still have some fans that will defend them to death.

Lets not get started on there personal recruitments.
We bought Sancho, Varane and Ronaldo and probably will get Saul, yet we still spent less then Arsenal. :)))

Blaming the board to defend a manager is out of fashion now, Arteta has been given enough investments
 
Rana said:
The king of ‘that didn’t age well’ comments
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Blaming Arteta is futile, the real problem is the transfer policy. Arteta wanted Aouar, Maddison, Lautaro Martinez etc.

The board failed to deliver. No manager can succeed if he is not backed in the market.

The only critical mistake by Arteta was not backing Emi Martinez over Leno. However, it wouldn’t have made that big of a difference in the long run because all other areas need major improvement.

If the Qataris buy Arsenal and Arteta stays, he would start winning trophies. On the contrary, you can bring Conte today with Edu and that Indian guy running the show and Kroenkes’ owning the club, and he will resign after one season.
 
PetroDollars said:
Arteta is like Imran Khan, terrible leader, silly comments in the press, clueless in the job and tearing the fabric of there organisations apart, yet they still have some fans that will defend them to death.

Lets not get started on there personal recruitments.
We bought Sancho, Varane and Ronaldo and probably will get Saul, yet we still spent less then Arsenal. :)))

Blaming the board to defend a manager is out of fashion now, Arteta has been given enough investments
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Yes that’s a factually correct statement if you are a clueless kid and do not realize that transfer fee is just a fraction of the total cost of a transfer.

When you look at the wages and the other costs of the signings that United have made this summer, Arsenal have absolutely no chance of replicating that.
 
Mamoon said:
Yes that’s a factually correct statement if you are a clueless kid and do not realize that transfer fee is just a fraction of the total cost of a transfer.

When you look at the wages and the other costs of the signings that United have made this summer, Arsenal have absolutely no chance of replicating that.
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Artetas clueless fans go on like he has no money to spend till you point out his spending, then they try and move the conversation else where. He outspent everyone this summer.

As for wages and other costs, players like sancho and ronaldo make those back for the club through merchandise and other sales, those players are brands and any clubs could replicate that by taking those brand players.
 
PetroDollars said:
Artetas clueless fans go on like he has no money to spend till you point out his spending, then they try and move the conversation else where. He outspent everyone this summer.

As for wages and other costs, players like sancho and ronaldo make those back for the club through merchandise and other sales, those players are brands and any clubs could replicate that by taking those brand players.
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Yes and Sancho and Ronaldo would have agreed to join Arsenal if United didn’t swoop for them.

You need to stop playing FIFA career mode.
 
It was hard not to feel sorry for Mikel Arteta as he made his way along the line of TV broadcasters for a succession of post-match interviews in the aftermath of Arsenal's humiliating 5-0 defeat by Manchester City.

Hands in pockets, expressionless, on the back foot - what could he say when his team had just lost to City by a bigger margin than they had ever done before, when his team had been let down by one of its most experienced players, when they were, at that point, bottom of the Premier League, with no goals and no points from their first three games?

"Yes I do," he said, when asked if he could still get results from his current group of players. "If not I wouldn't be sitting here."

Everything you need to know about Arsenal all in one place
The 39-year-old retains the faith of the Gunners' hierarchy and they still believe Arteta's young team will develop. The plan has been set out and they intend to stick to it.

Yet faith can only stretch so far when your captain says: "I blame us as a team because it wasn't enough."

Speaking to BT Sport immediately after the game, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang added: "Against City, you have to take risks and be brave on the ball. We weren't. Everyone has to raise the level and look at themselves in the mirror."

When told of this, Arteta replied: "If he feels that, I completely agree. They are on the pitch and have feelings that no-one else can have so if that is the case that is good."

Arteta cannot say Arsenal have failed to back him in the transfer market this summer.

Even with the fee for Cristiano Ronaldo added onto Manchester United's transfer spend, Arsenal are still the biggest spenders.

Yet against City, of the new signings, only midfielder Martin Odegaard started, after his return from Real Madrid. But the Norwegian, who spent the second half of last season on loan at the Gunners, made little impression.

Once England defender Ben White is available following his positive Covid test, that should improve Arsenal's defence. Yet they were so poor, it is difficult to see how a single individual can trigger meaningful change.

Further forward, Emile Smith-Rowe and Bukayo Saka looked what they are, boys trying to battle against experienced professionals and - understandably - coming off second-best.

Arteta is being let down by senior players, whether that is Granit Xhaka and his needless red card, Mohamed Elneny turning his back on Rodri's goal-bound shot or Aubameyang doing little to make any impact on proceedings.

The problem for Arteta is that patience runs out eventually - and one manager is always more at risk than a squad of players.

"I always said I am more critical of myself and take the blame every single time, not only when we had defeats," he said.

"I question myself and I try to have the right people around me. I look at every decision I make and change it if I think we should have done something differently."

Arsenal's present predicament can be placed to one side because of the joint issue of a difficult fixture list and various selection issues.

However, the size of the club he is in charge of means Arteta cannot avoid the glare indefinitely.

There were words of encouragement from City boss Pep Guardiola, who Arteta worked under in his coaching team at Etihad Stadium.

"Arteta knows how I love him. People want results right away," said Guardiola.

"I know his awareness as a manager and as a leader, the moment everyone is back he will do an excellent job. I know this because I know him, I know the job he can do."

Arsenal replaced Norwich City at the bottom of the league and, as as luck would have it, the pair meet at Emirates Stadium immediately after the international break before the Gunners head to Burnley.

Tottenham and Brighton follow on from those two games before a second international break.

If Arsenal's situation has not improved by then, expect the criticism of Arteta to be much louder - and defending him might not be quite so easy.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/58371034
 
Arsenal have simply reverted to norm. A look at the club's postwar history shows a good couple of years under Bertie Mee in the early 1970s and a successful spell under George Graham between 1988-1993. Then obviously the golden era in the late 1990s/early 2000s under Arsene Wenger.

Sandwiched in between are long periods of mediocrity. I can understand the sense of entitlement if you grew up in the Henry-Pires-Bergkamp years but that era was an anomaly.
 
Arsenal are the 3rd/4th Biggest Club in English Football.
Them being 20th is the obvious highlight of the PL season so far.
 
The sooner they get rid of him the better.

The players aren't playing for him and it's clear they don't rate him.
 
Markhor said:
Arsenal have simply reverted to norm. A look at the club's postwar history shows a good couple of years under Bertie Mee in the early 1970s and a successful spell under George Graham between 1988-1993. Then obviously the golden era in the late 1990s/early 2000s under Arsene Wenger.

Sandwiched in between are long periods of mediocrity. I can understand the sense of entitlement if you grew up in the Henry-Pires-Bergkamp years but that era was an anomaly.
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You can’t draw such parallels with the past because the context is different.

The formation of the PL led to a commercial boom in English football from mid 90’s onwards and Arsenal, along with Man United, was at the forefront of that boom.

There was no reason for Arsenal to revert back to long periods of mediocrity in spite of Chelsea and City changing the dynamics in the 2000s.

Arsenal has been in slow decline since 2006, but even six years back, Arsenal finished ahead City, United, Chelsea and Liverpool in the league.

The real disaster started from 2016 onwards. The transfer policy of the club has been ridiculous.

Arsenal have spent over £500m (gross) over the past 5 years but the squad has only declined.

A smart transfer strategy like Liverpool post Coutinho would have put Arsenal in a far better shape than it is today.
 
Mamoon said:
It was always obvious that Arteta is a top manager. He is in the same class as Pep and Klopp (Lampard belongs in that group as well) and will make Arsenal a proper force provided he gets the funds and the control in the market.

Today’s result was a fluke because City would beat this Arsenal side 9/10 times, but you can see the impact Arteta has had in terms of defensive organization and keeping the ball.

The effects of Emery’s chaotic mess are being slowly overcome and you can see that the players have been set up with a purpose.
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I wonder when our Pep and Klopp will manage to dig us out of the hole we find ourselves in?
 
Mamoon said:
You can’t draw such parallels with the past because the context is different.

The formation of the PL led to a commercial boom in English football from mid 90’s onwards and Arsenal, along with Man United, was at the forefront of that boom.

There was no reason for Arsenal to revert back to long periods of mediocrity in spite of Chelsea and City changing the dynamics in the 2000s.

Arsenal has been in slow decline since 2006, but even six years back, Arsenal finished ahead City, United, Chelsea and Liverpool in the league.

The real disaster started from 2016 onwards. The transfer policy of the club has been ridiculous.

Arsenal have spent over £500m (gross) over the past 5 years but the squad has only declined.

A smart transfer strategy like Liverpool post Coutinho would have put Arsenal in a far better shape than it is today.
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I don't disagree money has been misspent but Arsenal fans must realign their expectations with the realities.

Even with this recent spending splurge, Arsenal will never consistently outspend the likes of Man City, Chelsea and Man Utd over the long haul. Their net spend in the last 10-15 years reflects that. And no Champions League football will hurt their ability to recruit elite players.

Obviously they should expect more than 20th place (albeit it's only three games, two against Chelsea and City), but frankly getting into Europe plus the occasional cup triumph and a focus on developing young players would be a decent achievement for Arsenal.

Yet these clowns on AFTV and online explode after every defeat as if they should be beating teams left and right like it's still 2004.
 
Arsenal now have run of easier fixtures for the next 2 months and this is where they need to make the most of it otherwise Arteta can say goodbye to the job.

No one expects them to beat the likes of Chelsea or Man City as they're mostly a mid-table team now. Those fixtures are over and now its time to get serious.
 
Rana said:
I wonder when our Pep and Klopp will manage to dig us out of the hole we find ourselves in?
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When the board can actually deliver the players that he demands.

Edu & the Indian guy couldn’t even wrap up the Aouar deal in three windows even though no other team showed proper interest in him.

On the other hand, it took Man United two hours to conclude the Ronaldo deal.
 
Mamoon said:
When the board can actually deliver the players that he demands.

Edu & the Indian guy couldn’t even wrap up the Aouar deal in three windows even though no other team showed proper interest in him.

On the other hand, it took Man United two hours to conclude the Ronaldo deal.
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Aouar is very much available this year to any club who makes an offer and nobody is interested. Nobody at all.

A lot has changed in a year. Reported attitude problems, a greedy relative for an agent and an average season has seen Aouar's stock plummet.

Now that Odegaard has joined i don't see how Aouar fits into an Arsenal XI. Any new midfielder needs to be able to sit deeper with Partey and cover defensively and it looks like Arteta wants Xhaka to do that job.
 
Mikel Arteta: Arsenal boss 'emotional' after Norwich win

Mikel Arteta says he has learned from the past two weeks after Arsenal finally got their season up and running with a win over Norwich City.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's goal earned them their first points of the season.

Arsenal had gone into the international break bottom of the table after losing their three opening games of a league season for the first time since 1954.

"I must say it has probably been the best 10-14 days I have ever had since I've been in football," said Arteta.

The Spaniard had started to come under pressure following the poor start to the season.

But he insists the work done by the club over the past couple of weeks has seem him rediscover his purpose.

Having lost their opening two games 2-0 against Brentford and Chelsea respectively, the Gunners were thrashed 5-0 at Manchester City.

They responded with a narrow win over Norwich which left Arteta feeling "emotional".

"After three defeats things get complicated," he added.

"You learn a lot in difficult moments, who you are with. In difficult moments when you see the people and the level of organisation and the fans we have.

"They were ready to suffer today but they just give, give, give to the team.

"You have to win football matches but it is a joy to watch how everyone was behaving around the context that we had around.

"I got pretty emotional to see that."

Arsenal visit Burnley on 18 September and then launch their Carabao Cup campaign at home to AFC Wimbledon of League One before the north London derby at home to Tottenham on 26 September.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58532644
 
Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal needed to endure this period of suffering before being able to "build something incredible".

Arteta got off to a bright start as Arsenal manager, winning the FA Cup in his first season, but it has been an uphill battle since, with the Gunners finishing eighth in the Premier League last season.

Three league defeats in a row at the start of this campaign left things looking bleak for Arteta, with pressure from fans mounting, but his side have somewhat answered the critics by recording three consecutive wins in response.

Arteta - speaking to Sky Sports News ahead of Sunday's north London derby, live on Sky Sports Premier League - is embracing the journey the club is on and is ready to be patient.

"We are in a different moment in our history," Arteta told Sky Sports News, when asked if perspective is missing from criticism of his work at Arsenal.

"Every club has to go through different patches, and we went through the patch of the last 18 months with a big covid situation on the back of a lot of instability in the club in the last two or three seasons.

"That's a difficult mix to suddenly turn things around and build something incredible. But I'm a big believer that this had to happen. For this club it had to happen - we had to experience this and that's going to make us much stronger.

"I can feel what is happening here, and I can feel what is happening with the supporters, with the generation of players that we have here, with everybody that is involved in the organisation. I think it is going to be pretty powerful."

'Wenger has left foundations for me to succeed'
Arteta says his former manager Arsene Wenger has left the foundations for him to succeed at Arsenal.

Wenger established Arsenal as a dominant force in English football in the first half of his reign at the club, winning three Premier League titles and four FA Cup trophies in his first seven years in north London.

The Frenchman struggled to replicate that success in the latter half of his time at Arsenal, failing to win a league title for the final 14 years of his tenure, but maintained the club's place in the Champions League until his final season.

Arsenal have experienced a turbulent period since Wenger's departure, but Arteta insists his legacy remains in place for him to use as a springboard to future success.

"I think those foundations are in place," added Arteta.

"I think those foundations are in place because of people like Arsene and what he did for this football club. When he left, everything didn't go with him. A lot of things stayed.

"I think the biggest thing that stayed is the way that he was able to educate, and transmit the values and respect and what this club is about.

"I think he was incredibly good at engaging people to believe in what he and the club were trying to do.

"He did it in a magnificent way because he played really attractive football when he was able to recruit some top talent that just glide together in a generation that just brought a lot of joy and fun to the football world in general and of course to Arsenal supporters."

SKY
 
Patrick Viera beat him tactically today but Arteta got lucky with a late late equaliser.

Good point for Arsenal.
 
Vieira to manage Arsenal one day? Maybe even after Arteta gets sacked.
 
KingKhanWC said:
Patrick Viera beat him tactically today but Arteta got lucky with a late late equaliser.

Good point for Arsenal.
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Arteta may have got lucky but this just prolongs our agony!!!

Viera would be a masssive upgrade on Arteta.

He has absolutely no excuses. Everyone was fit and no mid week games...
Players he brought in. Yet no passion and urgency (until Lacassette came on), no pattern to the play.
We're literally all over the place... what was the game plan?
 
^^^
We should be beating palace at home, especially when we go one up early on...
 
IMMY69 said:
Arteta may have got lucky but this just prolongs our agony!!!

Viera would be a masssive upgrade on Arteta.

He has absolutely no excuses. Everyone was fit and no mid week games...
Players he brought in. Yet no passion and urgency (until Lacassette came on), no pattern to the play.
We're literally all over the place... what was the game plan?
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He isn't. If there was any ambition Potter would be lined up by now.
 
IMMY69 said:
Arteta may have got lucky but this just prolongs our agony!!!

Viera would be a masssive upgrade on Arteta.

He has absolutely no excuses. Everyone was fit and no mid week games...
Players he brought in. Yet no passion and urgency (until Lacassette came on), no pattern to the play.
We're literally all over the place... what was the game plan?
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Viera has always had a great footballing brain. He wasnt the quickest on the field but because he was so smart, he would be other mids to the ball. ATG PL player and imo has the potential to be great manager too.

From what I can remember, Arsenal weren't interested in him as manager a few years ago. I think they would take him in a heartbeat now.

Arteta and Ole have enough good players to keep them ticking meaning a long hard tough life for the fans for a few more months.
 
Arteta: McArthur should have seen red

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was left bemoaning the lack of VAR intervention at the end of the first half as Bukayo Saka was kicked on the back of the calf by James McArthur.

The Palace midfielder was booked by referee Mike Dean, but Saka had to be substituted at the break and Arteta was unhappy that McArthur stayed on the pitch.

"If we want to detect things that are really relevant in a game and can change a football match, then they have to be looked at," he said.

"That situation is not only affecting them, but we have to take the player off because of the action so it is affecting it two different ways. It is not right.

"You [need to] make a straight decision, when it is so clear and so obvious straight away and they have to play with 10 men.

"Bukayo could not continue, we had to take him off at half-time, I saw the action and I can't believe how the player continued on the pitch.

"I don't get it. With what we were explained at the start of the season and what happened tonight, it doesn't make any sense."

https://www.skysports.com/football/...lace-deserved-to-win-on-his-return-to-arsenal
 
KingKhanWC said:
Viera has always had a great footballing brain. He wasnt the quickest on the field but because he was so smart, he would be other mids to the ball. ATG PL player and imo has the potential to be great manager too.

From what I can remember, Arsenal weren't interested in him as manager a few years ago. I think they would take him in a heartbeat now.

Arteta and Ole have enough good players to keep them ticking meaning a long hard tough life for the fans for a few more months.
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What's Viera actually done ?. He needs this stint at Palace to work
 
SpiritOf1903 said:
What's Viera actually done ?. He needs this stint at Palace to work
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He's got 5 years of managing experience, New York and then Nice which is more then Lampard and more high profile then Ole's experience prior to Ole joining Manu.

If it's a choice between Viera and Arteta I would go with Viera all day long.
 
You don't spend £150m in the summer to bring in the likes of Viera though.

There's only one way to get out of the hole now - double down on your spending and bring in a proven manager.
 
hitthestump said:
You don't spend £150m in the summer to bring in the likes of Viera though.

There's only one way to get out of the hole now - double down on your spending and bring in a proven manager.
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The owners with Ashley gone are the most toxic in the league
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Arsenal since losing 5-0 to Man City:<br><br>Games: 9<br>Won: 7<br>Drawn: 2<br>Lost: 0<br>Clean sheets: 6 <a href="https://t.co/rFyW2RifHn">pic.twitter.com/rFyW2RifHn</a></p>— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNUK/status/1454439359227305989?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Just 3 of the players that started in that Man City 5-0 loss also started in today's 2-0 win away to Leicester. It's almost as if a manager should be judged when all his preferred players/signings are actually fit and available!

For context, Arsenal's two draws in this run were against Brighton (who today drew at Anfield) and Crystal Palace (who today won 2-0 away at Man City).

We also have the youngest starting XI in the entire league. With the addition of Lacazette into the team recently, that makes just 3 players above the age of 24 in the starting XI. So the players and manager will only get better.

Early days still but perhaps Arteta isn't taking Arsenal into the Championship as many have suggested :)
 
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Firebat said:
Just 3 of the players that started in that Man City 5-0 loss also started in today's 2-0 win away to Leicester. It's almost as if a manager should be judged when all his preferred players/signings are actually fit and available!

For context, Arsenal's two draws in this run were against Brighton (who today drew at Anfield) and Crystal Palace (who today won 2-0 away at Man City).

We also have the youngest starting XI in the entire league. With the addition of Lacazette into the team recently, that makes just 3 players above the age of 24 in the starting XI. So the players and manager will only get better.

Early days still but perhaps Arteta isn't taking Arsenal into the Championship as many have suggested :)
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He's certainly bought more time, until the end of this season.
 
IMMY69 said:
He's certainly bought more time, until the end of this season.
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You're being bit harsh. He deserves a lot of credit for turning it around. The losses in the first 3 x games isn't a fair reflection on Arteta because our line-ups in each of those games were heavily under strength, at best it was half of our full strength team.

Wins against Spurs and away to Leicester shows me that there are early signs of progress for Arteta's Arsenal side this season.

Anyone who thinks we should be fighting for top 4 is clueless. Chelsea, Liverpool and the 2 x Manchester clubs have much stronger sides.

This season is a straight 5th place battle between us and Spurs. I reckon we'll pip them to it as well.

We will then need another big summer transfer window to compete for top 4. It's a big transition and rebuilding phase for Arsenal. Arteta is a great fit for this long-term project and I have a great feeling we have found someone who has a great chance to deliver the revival of this great club.
 
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topspin said:
You're being bit harsh. He deserves a lot of credit for turning it around. The losses in the first 3 x games isn't a fair reflection on Arteta because our line-ups in each of those games were heavily under strength, at best it was half of our full strength team.

Wins against Spurs and away to Leicester shows me that there are early signs of progress for Arteta's Arsenal side this season.

Anyone who thinks we should be fighting for top 4 is clueless. Chelsea, Liverpool and the 2 x Manchester clubs have much stronger sides.

This season is a straight 5th place battle between us and Spurs. I reckon we'll pip them to it as well.

We will then need another big summer transfer window to compete for top 4. It's a big transition and rebuilding phase for Arsenal. Arteta is a great fit for this long-term project and I have a great feeling we have found someone who has a great chance to deliver the revival of this great club.
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Yes I think I am being a tad harsh on Arteta and yes I do agree with you in that we are now in the midst of a re-building programme. Finishing 5th would match most fans expectations.

The reason for being harsh is that yes we have beaten a poor spuds and just took three points from an inform Liecester but the second half against Leicester was poor and I would hate to think how many goals Man City or Liverpool would have scored against us in that second half, irrespective of Ramsdales' heroics.

I give credit to Arteta for sticking with the young guns and not being afraid to drop our 72M Pepe from the starting eleven. In this respect he has shown faith and courage so lets see how this season progresses.

In past transfer windows we've actually done ok in the January window, I think one or two astute purchases in January may set us up nicely for the second half of the season.
 
Some people don’t have the courage to admit that they were wrong about Arteta.

He is a world class manager and will only grow into this role. He is here for the long-term and will bring glory back to the club.

Thankfully the board didn’t listen to the ignorant and short-sighted fans and didn’t sack him.
 
IMMY69 said:
Yes I think I am being a tad harsh on Arteta and yes I do agree with you in that we are now in the midst of a re-building programme. Finishing 5th would match most fans expectations.

The reason for being harsh is that yes we have beaten a poor spuds and just took three points from an inform Liecester but the second half against Leicester was poor and I would hate to think how many goals Man City or Liverpool would have scored against us in that second half, irrespective of Ramsdales' heroics.

I give credit to Arteta for sticking with the young guns and not being afraid to drop our 72M Pepe from the starting eleven. In this respect he has shown faith and courage so lets see how this season progresses.

In past transfer windows we've actually done ok in the January window, I think one or two astute purchases in January may set us up nicely for the second half of the season.
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Pepe clearly hasn't justified his price tag and as it's his 3rd season, we may as well try to cash in on him after the end of this season. That Raul Sanhelli guy we had on the board still makes my blood boil. How on earth did he get Arsenal paying £70m+ on Gervinho 2.0.

The problem with buying in January is we'll have to pay way above market value for players, I don't think adding 1-2 players will help us clinch top 4. If we're injury hit then I'd agree but generally speaking we're better off going all out next summer and spend £150m to take us from top 6 calibre to top 4 calibre.

I really hope Ole stays at Man U. It gives us an outside chance (slim) of getting top 4 at their expense.
 
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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has furiously defended his move to freeze Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang out of his Gunners squad amid intense criticism from celebrity fan Piers Morgan.

Aubameyang was stripped of the Arsenal captaincy and removed from consideration for selection for the Premier League clashes against West Ham and Leeds, as well as the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Sunderland.

The reason behind the move was described in a club statement as being in response to an alleged disciplinary breach committed by Aubameyang.

The striker signed a new contract in September 2020 which substantially increased his salary, but he has struggled for goals and form since then.

Amid those struggles, Arteta has now frozen him out of his squad, with Alexandre Lacazette, Eddie Nketiah and Florian Balogun the senior striker options.

Many have backed Arteta for taking such strong action against one of the leaders of the Arsenal dressing room.

But former Good Morning Britain host Morgan has frequently blasted the Spaniard for his approach with the striker.

Morgan has highlighted the reason since given for the alleged breach of discipline, as well as highlighting the fact that Amazon have been filming Arsenal for their All or Nothing series.

“Shameful decision by Arteta. What a disgusting way to treat a man who went - with the club’s full knowledge & permission - to help his sick mother,” Morgan tweeted when news of Arteta’s move broke.

“Arteta’s ongoing public shaming of @Auba is disgusting. Horrible classless disloyalty that I suspect is purely designed to make him look tough for the Amazon cameras, and to distract from his own very mediocre performance as manager,” he tweeted the next day.

“Second time Arteta’s publicly thrown @Auba under the bus like this over internal ‘discipline’ issues. Just outrageous disloyalty to a guy who’s scored 68 goals for us in 128 games,” he added after Arteta had been questioned before the win over West Ham.

We’ve teamed up with LiveScore to invite fans of all teams to vote for their favourite results... The Matches That Matter.

So from Arsenal to Accrington Stanley, Wolves to Wycombe Wanderers, polls are now open for you to tell us which game for you was more than a score.

What magical memories does it bring to mind? We’re talking the kind of games which give you goosebumps thinking about them even now.

Arteta has now hit back at those criticising him, insisting that his actions with Aubameyang are about “respect and commitment”.

“I do not establish my authority by being dictatorial or ruthless. I just ask for one thing: respect and commitment,” the Arsenal boss said.

“At this level, if I don’t get that, I will pack my bags and go somewhere else because that is the minimum I can ask for.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsenal-mikel-arteta-aubameyang-update-25777769
 
Mikel Arteta talks Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah futures; wants commitment from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Mikel Arteta has revealed he is trying to resolve what he sees as a "cloud" of varying issues hanging over his Arsenal forward options.

Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah have been sharing responsibilities up front in recent weeks for the Gunners, alongside Gabriel Martinelli, but both are out of contract in the summer.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has also missed the last four games because of internal disciplinary action, which has seen him stripped of the captaincy and forced to train away from the first-team squad.

Those inconsistencies and absences mean Arsenal head to Norwich on Boxing Day with midfielder Emile Smith-Rowe as their top scorer this season with eight goals in all competitions.

The Arsenal manager said: "We have a cloud and the cloud is there. At the moment we're not able to change it.

"We're working on it to try to make it as small as possible and as clear as possible but it's the situation we are in because contracts have details, the timing of them is tricky and we are trying to resolve it."

Arteta is not ruling anything in or out on the future of Lacazette, who has stepped in to captain the side in Aubameyang's absence despite his contractual situation, or Carabao Cup hat-trick hero Nketiah.

Both players have been the subject of media speculation but Arteta says transfers, given the length of time remaining on their contracts, could prove to be out of his control.

"It depends on every single case, depends on the player's situation, the minutes he's playing, his willingness or the offer that you have, but it's something that you have to consider," Arteta added.

https://www.skysports.com/football/...nts-commitment-from-pierre-emerick-aubameyang
 
Arsenal went into the Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool overflowing with hope and expectation, only to end well beaten and empty-handed on a night when manager Mikel Arteta's trophy hopes were extinguished.

The cards looked to have fallen in Arsenal's favour. The semi-final legs were reversed to give them the conclusion in front of their own fans after Liverpool were granted a cancellation of the scheduled first game. The Gunners had achieved a superb goalless draw with 10 men at Anfield. Liverpool were without world-class striker duo Sadio Mane and Mo Salah.

What better chance would they have to make a statement about their current status under Arteta than by beating a superpower such as Liverpool?

They made a statement all right - but not the sort Arteta would have wanted as even a stripped-down, although still strong Liverpool simply had too much nous, street wisdom, quality and ruthlessness for Arsenal.

As Arsenal's players applauded banks of empty red seats after the final whistle, the reckoning on their season so far was an unflattering one.

No European football after last season meant they could firmly concentrate on domestic cup competitions and the fight for a top four place in the Premier League.

Instead, the last fortnight has seen a miserable FA Cup third round shock at Championship side Nottingham Forest, and here was an opportunity squandered for a Wembley final to inject fresh momentum into their season.

And the sub-text to what was a largely average performance was that Arsenal remain a level below the top teams and now face a real dogfight for the top four, with West Ham United and Tottenham above them as they lie sixth and Manchester United on their shoulder.

It cannot be ignored that there is real potential within this Arsenal side. They have young players of high quality in Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith-Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli. Kieran Tierney, Ben White and goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale - despite an indifferent night here - are guarantees for the future.

Arteta, however, will know that a club of Arsenal's stature and expectation will not satisfy themselves with potential forever and if they do not reach the top four then this season must be regarded as failure. Transition periods have to end sometime.

For all the quality they possess, Arsenal also have temperamental flaws that can be preyed upon by the top teams and they were on show again here.

Arsenal, as is their habit, flew out of the traps but once the superb Diogo Jota's scuffed finish put Liverpool in front after 19 minutes, there was a lack of conviction and self-belief about their work that was palpable.

They pushed and Alexandre Lacazette missed a great chance to equalise but there was never a great sense of expectation that they would overcome Liverpool, who always carried the more ominous threat, as was confirmed by Jota's late second.

Arsenal's fans had stayed right with them and frustration only surfaced towards the end but once Jota scored again there was a rush for the exits. They knew the game was up, as did their players.

And yet again Arsenal showed that damaging streak of indiscipline, something Arteta either cannot or will not get to grips with. He needs to and fast.

It was there when Gabriel got himself sent off at a crucial stage of the Premier League home defeat by Manchester City. Serial offender Granit Xhaka was in the dock again for a wild challenge on Roberto Firmino that got a red card in the semi-final first leg and here Thomas Partey was guilty of a reckless, not to mention pointless, challenge on Fabinho that saw him make an early departure.

The game was in stoppage time and already lost when Partey, who at least showed his commitment as well as arguably the lack of depth in Arsenal's squad by playing despite only arriving back from the Africa Cup Of Nations at midday, lunged in after already receiving a yellow card. It left referee Martin Atkinson with no choice other than to complete the formalities.

This was the 14th dismissal under Arteta and it is up to the manager to arrest that problem. It is simply not good enough and, obviously, hinders not just games but continuity when players are serving unnecessary suspensions.

Arteta may not be approaching crisis point and there is much to be admired in this Arsenal team but there is no doubt he is approaching a crucial phase of his time at Emirates Stadium.

He needs that fourth place as a minimum requirement and, without question, that chance is still there. It is an opportunity Arsenal and Arteta must take.

There is the nucleus of a good side but the next step is vital for Arteta and Arsenal.

The future (not that he has one in north London) of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and his ludicrously expensive contract must be resolved.

Fiorentina's Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic appears to be the preferred option should they be able to ship out Aubameyang, although it might yet prove a deal too difficult to do in January, while Arsenal are trying to agree a loan deal for Juventus midfield man Arthur Melo.

Arsenal will find this loss a particularly bitter pill to swallow because they will never have a better chance of beating Liverpool to reach a Wembley final.

In the end, the Gunners, having raised hopes, came up short again and ensured this will be another season without silverware. This was a huge missed opportunity for Arsenal and Arteta.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/60078091
 
According to reports Arsenal will offer Mikel Arteta a new contract before the end of the season to ward off any interest Manchester City might have in the Spaniard eventually replacing Pep Guardiola.
 
Where is the Arteta Out brigade now?
[MENTION=133972]shaykh[/MENTION] [MENTION=130076]PetroDollars[/MENTION]

Do you think Arteta will get Arsenal relegated?
 
Mamoon said:
Where is the Arteta Out brigade now?

[MENTION=133972]shaykh[/MENTION] [MENTION=130076]PetroDollars[/MENTION]

Do you think Arteta will get Arsenal relegated?
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How confident are you of us getting 4th place?

I still think it'll be tough when you consider our games in hand are against Liverpool (home), Spurs and Chelsea (both away).

But Arteta is giving me more confidence.
 
topspin said:
How confident are you of us getting 4th place?

I still think it'll be tough when you consider our games in hand are against Liverpool (home), Spurs and Chelsea (both away).

But Arteta is giving me more confidence.
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The games in hand are tough but Man United and West Ham are not looking good. Spurs are playing well but they will be 3 points behind Arsenal even if they win the NLD.

Arsenal will be in the top 4. In fact, they should target third because it is possible. Chelsea have been poor for a while and Tuchel looks bereft of ideas.

He is lucky Roman is gone otherwise he could have been in trouble over the next 2-3 months. He had a short memory and no manager was safe under him.

Arteta is fantastic. He has gelled the team and has brought character back into the Arsenal squad, the type of character that was missing throughout the Emirates era.

There is a good chance that Arsenal can get something out of all three games in hand including the one against Liverpool. They were extremely unlucky not to be City at home or at least take a point.

Any Arsenal fan who is still apprehensive is clearly unwilling to accept that he was wrong about Arteta.

Let’s not even talk about the opposition fans who labeled him as clueless.
 
Arteta is doing well.
But we have to be honest here and admit that our competitors for 4th or even 3rd have dropped off big time. Spuds are in disarray with their manager doing a Mourinho, West Ham are unable to maintain their early season form and ManU are all over the place in terms of strategy and clearly having dressing room issues.

Our schedule has been good too with plenty of rest between games but this is because we're out of all the cup competitions.

So far we've done well to take advantage of this and yes Arteta is doing the right thing by promoting our youth (he has no other choice) but we have to show discipline. Whenever we play there is a chance of someone (Xhaka, Partay or another player) being sent off.
 
Back up to 4th place after an impressive win against Leicester City.

The only frustrating thing about Arsenal is though how they don't kill teams off and try to score the perfect goal. A few of their players a bit greedy too instead of playing in team-mates.
 
<b>Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta after his side’s 1-0 win at Aston Villa —</b>

“It’s a very big win for us. I thought we played fantastically well, but we didn’t put the game to bed when we had the chances. Then you suffer, but we showed the resilience to win.

"Villa are a very good team and to come here is always extremely difficult. We managed to do the things we wanted to do in the match and I think we deserved to win the game.

"The connection between the players and the fans is exceptional and that gives you a lot of energy and belief. There’s still 10 games to go and you can see how small the margins are. The key is that we are there [in the top four] and that we believe we can do it."

"We talked before the match about the need to be sharp and physical. We controlled the game. We could have scored more and that is where we have to take the team. We have to put chances away; in the Premier League, you cannot dominate 96 minutes, this is impossible, but I'm really pleased with how we competed in every phase of the play. I'm really proud of the boys.

"They are showing character, courage and quality. You can see the connection they have. It is phenomenal to watch. If you want to be a top team, you have to win home and away. We are doing that consistently and we have to continue. We really want [the top four] and we are going to give it a go."
 
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Mikel Arteta apologises for 'unacceptable' Arsenal performance in 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace

Arteta criticised his team's performance, admitting they did not compete physically with Palace.

He told Sky Sports: "Congratulations to Palace for the game they played but we made it impossible for ourselves with the way we competed.

"You have to be physical and run and then you earn the right to play. We were really inconsistent on the ball and that is unacceptable.

"We were poor, especially in the first half. I apologise to our supporters. We didn't have the presence today or the composure to dominate the situation so that is what I'm most annoyed with. Some days you are not there and you are late all the time. They got on top of it and had a good atmosphere and we could not get out.

"When we had the big chances we didn't score to give ourselves the best chance to get back in the game. First of all we need to put our hands up and get the criticism we deserve. Then we accept it, look ourselves in the mirror and look to the next game. This was not good enough.

"We have to face the challenge and the opportunity is in our hands. We have to be honest with ourselves and support each other.

"From the beginning we were not at the races. When you come here you have to compete, you have to win duels and second balls and be aggressive and we were none of those and on top of that we were really poor on the ball.

"We tried in the second half, we had three or four big chances but the only half chance they had they got a penalty.

"It is time to accept the criticism, put your hand up and apologise because this performance was not good enough for this club, and then react. When everything goes well everyone wants to be there and be supportive."

Arteta was asked if perhaps one of the reasons for the defeat was the pressure being applied to them by Tottenham in the top-four race.

He replied: "No, the pressure has been there the last seven or eight weeks. Today we didn't perform it's as simple as that. We were second best in every department it's as simple as that. We have a game in hand still. In the nine games a lot will happen. We have to focus on ourselves."

https://www.skysports.com/football/...l-performance-in-3-0-defeat-to-crystal-palace
 
Firebat said:
Mikel Arteta apologises for 'unacceptable' Arsenal performance in 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace

Arteta criticised his team's performance, admitting they did not compete physically with Palace.

He told Sky Sports: "Congratulations to Palace for the game they played but we made it impossible for ourselves with the way we competed.

"You have to be physical and run and then you earn the right to play. We were really inconsistent on the ball and that is unacceptable.

"We were poor, especially in the first half. I apologise to our supporters. We didn't have the presence today or the composure to dominate the situation so that is what I'm most annoyed with. Some days you are not there and you are late all the time. They got on top of it and had a good atmosphere and we could not get out.

"When we had the big chances we didn't score to give ourselves the best chance to get back in the game. First of all we need to put our hands up and get the criticism we deserve. Then we accept it, look ourselves in the mirror and look to the next game. This was not good enough.

"We have to face the challenge and the opportunity is in our hands. We have to be honest with ourselves and support each other.

"From the beginning we were not at the races. When you come here you have to compete, you have to win duels and second balls and be aggressive and we were none of those and on top of that we were really poor on the ball.

"We tried in the second half, we had three or four big chances but the only half chance they had they got a penalty.

"It is time to accept the criticism, put your hand up and apologise because this performance was not good enough for this club, and then react. When everything goes well everyone wants to be there and be supportive."

Arteta was asked if perhaps one of the reasons for the defeat was the pressure being applied to them by Tottenham in the top-four race.

He replied: "No, the pressure has been there the last seven or eight weeks. Today we didn't perform it's as simple as that. We were second best in every department it's as simple as that. We have a game in hand still. In the nine games a lot will happen. We have to focus on ourselves."

https://www.skysports.com/football/...l-performance-in-3-0-defeat-to-crystal-palace
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Why does he need to apologise? Losing is part of the game!
 
Blowing top 4 without European competition. Conte came in and Spurs have finally found form and favourites. Will United regret not taking him?. Arsenal are never getting back in top 4 if they fail this
 
One thing you can always say about Arteta is that he very rarely makes excuses or whines about injuries or referees or blames the players, he always owns up, takes responsibility on himself first and talks in the collective. Probably why he never lost the dressing room, even during all those horrible runs of losses, while Emery's reign rather blew up under a lot less stress.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">�� "This is an opportunity to see when we talk about unity, if you are on board. When everything goes well everyone wants to be there."<br><br>Mikel Arteta says they have to accept their bad performance and react when the club is in a bad moment <a href="https://t.co/EENUdgzMgI">pic.twitter.com/EENUdgzMgI</a></p>— Football Daily (@footballdaily) <a href="https://twitter.com/footballdaily/status/1511092034488184844?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
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Faltering when Arsenal need to get themselves sorted - what is Arteta doing?
 
Marginalising and then getting rid of Auby for free and not replacing him shows extremely poor management skills.

Still will wait until the end of this season before casting judgement but as things stand it's not looking good.
 
"You have to be ahead of the game," Mikel Arteta tells Sky Sports with a smile. "You have to try to understand what can happen next, and how you are going to be first to make that decision and take advantage of it."

In a first-floor meeting room at London Colney, Arteta is discussing the challenge of building a club up and, specifically, his efforts to turn Arsenal into a side capable of winning major honours again.

We are speaking a few days after Jurgen Klopp signed a new contract at Liverpool, extending a seven-year managerial reign during which he has totally transformed the club's fortunes.

Elsewhere, Manchester United find themselves at a very different stage of their development having turned to Ajax's Erik ten Hag to take over from interim boss Ralf Rangnick in the summer.

Arteta has overseen steady improvement since his appointment two and a half years ago. A Champions League finish is within reach. But the road to the top is a long one and he is adamant Arsenal must plot their own route in order to get there.

"There are things you can try to compare, and you can acknowledge how other clubs have been through these processes and these phases of a project, like Liverpool," says Arteta.

"But what the league was six years ago and what the league is today is completely different. Those leagues were won with 83, 84, 86 points. Now you need 95, 96 or 100 points to win the league.

"The context is completely different, so what was good three or five years ago is not good anymore, because the standards are so high. We need to focus on what we want to do and how we are going to execute it, and not look too far ahead."

Arteta's immediate focus is Sunday's meeting with West Ham at the London Stadium, where Arsenal will attempt to consolidate their position in fourth place. Beyond that, though, a crucial summer looms.

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher recently said Arsenal's next signings must be equivalent to Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk in terms of how they elevate the side if they are to close the gap to the elite. But Arteta is also bound by the resources available to him.

Alisson and Van Dijk transformed Liverpool. But they also came at a combined cost of £142m. "I don't think we are in a position where we can do that, so we have to find other ways to do it," says Arteta.

"Liverpool, as well, have improved their players immensely, which is as important as bringing players in. And then, the ones that you buy, [it's important] that they can have an impact straight away.

"That's a big decision they have to make in recruitment, and then they are human beings as well. They have to adapt, and sometimes that's a tricky question to answer before they are actually here."

Arsenal enjoyed success on that front last summer, with all six of their new recruits contributing positively this season, while the progress of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe in particular shows Arteta has also improved the players he already had.

Still, though, there is a clear need for further strengthening. There are gaps in the squad up front and elsewhere, and Arteta confirms plans are already in place to fill them - albeit with an understanding of how quickly plans can change.

"We want to make the squad stronger, we want to make the starting XI stronger, we want to make the specificity and the personality of our players stronger, and that's what we are going to be seeking to do," says Arteta.


"It will depend on many factors… How many players are back from their loans, with the commitments we still have with them; our financial position in relation to where we finish; the clubs' demands when we want to buy players or sell players.

"There are a lot of question marks there, but this is football." Arteta smiles. "We've been through a lot in the last two seasons and we are going to try to manage it in the best possible way.

"The good thing is that the plan is clear, but the plan is just the plan until you start to work through that plan. Then, every decision and every situation is going to allow you - or not allow you - to be as close as possible to that plan, which is our aim."

What happens in the summer remains to be seen but Arteta has already had to make major adjustments on the pitch.

Earlier this month, Arsenal were rocked by long-term injuries to Thomas Partey and Kieran Tierney in the space of a few days.

"We have a really short squad and we knew that in the beginning, especially after what happened in the January transfer window, so we have had to adapt," says Arteta.

"Obviously, we didn't expect those long-term injuries to come at the same time, but the team has now found a way to try to compete, play well and win football matches, and it is all about that."

Their recent wins have come in exhilarating style, with Arsenal putting four goals past Chelsea at Stamford Bridge then beating Manchester United 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium having previously lost to Crystal Palace, Brighton and Southampton.

But their performances in those games also featured a level of openness not normally associated with Arteta's Arsenal.

In the absence of Partey, in particular, has Arteta had to sacrifice defensive stability in order to unlock his attack?

"We didn't concede a lot of chances in the three games that we lost," he says. "We conceded a little bit more in the other two, which I wasn't happy with because we want to control the games better, but it's true that going forward, we have been a real threat.

"It's about finding the balance and that is what we are trying to achieve."

Is it also about making the side more unpredictable? Arsenal dominated many of the games they lost but Alexandre Lacazette was largely nullified and cutting edge was sorely lacking.

"More efficient, I would say, especially in the final third," replies Arteta.

"We got into so many situations, we had so many shots and we weren't efficient enough in the final third or in and around the box to find the right pass and hit the target much more often than we did.

"It's something that we've been working on a lot and in the last two games we've been better."

Their improvement owes a lot to some unlikely individuals.

Eddie Nketiah scored twice against Chelsea on only his second Premier League start of the season, while the previously out of favour Mohamed Elneny has impressed since being drafted into midfield.

Even Nuno Tavares has returned to the fore having suffered the ignominy of being substituted before half-time during Arsenal's FA Cup defeat to Nottingham Forest in January.

"The pathway of a young player is so unpredictable," says Arteta. "What they need for sure is support and clarity all the time and I think Nuno has had both of those things - in the good moments and in the difficult ones.

"The line is really thin when you make a decision to protect the player, and when you make a decision to protect the team," he adds. "It's inevitable at some stages that one has to happen in favour of the other."

Arteta has handled Tavares' return to the side carefully and feels the recent contributions of players such as him, Nketiah and Elneny after months on the periphery reflect the togetherness and commitment of his young squad as a whole.

"It shows the respect the players have between each other, with the coaching staff and the club, then the honesty that we have to try to look after each other and tell things as they are, whether they like them or not, or whether we like them or not.

"The role of every player in the team has to be very clear. Then the aim, all the time, is to challenge the player in that position, to challenge the manager, and to get better.

"That's what they have been doing when they haven't been playing and that's why they are performing when they have the chance to play.

"Of course, I would like to give more minutes to the players that haven't had enough, that's for sure, independently of who they are, but the reality is that if someone else is playing, it is for a reason, and the players need to understand that.

"This is football, it is not tennis. It is not an individual sport. You know that you are going to go through these periods. Then it's about how you go about them and how you try to change them."

From here on in, much will depend on how Arsenal's young players handle the pressure of the top-four race, especially with a potentially pivotal north London derby at Tottenham still to come.

According to Arteta, who experienced that pressure himself as an Arsenal player, the best way to do it is to remain focused on the task at hand and stick to the principles already in place.

"It is to try to keep doing what we are doing better every single day," he says. "Our aim to improve in every single training session, to learn more, to be more efficient.

"That doesn't change and that's going to give us the opportunity to fight right until the end to get what we want. Doing something that we've never done before would probably make us go backwards.

"We know where we want to go and how we want to do it."

That means being able to deal with setbacks too. "A bad result cannot influence what happens in the next game," adds Arteta, "because we don't want to be changing too many things.

"We want to continue to do what we want, and then be critical in the right way, to try to keep improving, because there are still a lot of things that we can do - and have to do - better to win football matches more comfortably."

Arteta hopes his players will take inspiration from the club's past and was pleased to see Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry and several other members of Arsenal's Invincibles in attendance during the recent 3-1 win over Manchester United.

"I always said they are all welcome here," he says. "The experiences they had together, what they transmitted as a team, and what they actually achieved was phenomenal.

"That's for the history and the legacy of the Premier League, so for us to have contact, for them to feel welcome here, and for them to be supportive with what we want to do, I think it's something really valuable and important.

"I was really pleased to see them back here with smiles on their faces, feeling relaxed and doing something that is natural, and that should happen in a natural way because it's their club. The way Arsenal is viewed today is because of players and people like them."

Arsenal's past holds plenty of lessons for his players but right now, Arteta's priority is to plot the club's future success - and to try and remain ahead of the game as he does it.

"We are where we are," he says with a smile when asked if Arsenal's top-four challenge has come sooner than he anticipated.

"For me, we are always behind where we should be because we are always seeking to improve and to do things better.

"We are always looking ahead.

SKY
 
Arsenal men's manager Mikel Arteta and women's boss Jonas Eidevall have signed new contracts with the Gunners.

Arteta was appointed in December 2019 and his new deal runs until the end of the 2024-25 campaign.

Eidevall joined the London club last summer and his contract extension takes him to the end of the 2023-24 season.

Arsenal director Josh Kroenke, whose father Stan owns the club, said the deals provide "stability and clarity for the future".

Arteta has guided his side to fourth in the Premier League as they try to secure a Champions League spot.

"We want to take the club to the next level and to compete really with the top teams," said the Spaniard. "In order to do that, we have to be playing in the Champions League.

"We have to be able to evolve the team, improve our players, improve all departments, generate even more connection with our fans, improve the atmosphere at the Emirates, be able to recruit top, top talent and the best people for this club to drive this project to that level."

Eidevall's side are in contention for Women's Super League title going into the final game on Sunday. with the Gunners one point behind leaders Chelsea.

"It's great," said the Swede. "It allows me to continue to work for a club that I love so much and be around people that I really, really like, and to be able to achieve things together, so I'm really looking forward to that."

Josh Kroenke added: "Mikel's commitment and passion are clear for everyone to see. We are confident that as we move forward, he will get us back to competing for the top trophies in the game.

"Turning to Jonas, he has had a fantastic start to his career in England. He has done a terrific job with the team, and we are in contention for the title on the last weekend.

"We are confident that he will continue to take us forward in the years ahead."

BBC
 
Club rewarding mediocrity, it loses 3 games in a row and gives manager a new contract.

2 shameful cup exits and not being in europe and clubs not guaranteed 4th spot in league. Mediocre owners and puppet manager.
 
Arteta a bit lucky to get a new and more lucrative contract at this point in proceedings I think. Don’t blame him for signing it of course! :))
 
Best young manager in the world. Arsenal are incredibly lucky to have him.

Those Arsenal fans who want him sacked have gone absolute bonkers. You have to be blind as a bat to not see the belief and steel that he has added to the team.

Back to back wins against Chelsea and Man United with fourth place on the line, no margin for error and three consecutive defeats on the back shows the character that he has instilled in the team, something that Wenger failed to do in his last 10 years and Emery never managed.

The fact that Arsenal are seriously pushing for a top 4 after the start that they had shows how brilliant the recovery has been.

He has been very good in the market as well - he has brought some proper characters with balls (Ramsdale, White etc.) the type of players that Arsenal have lacked for years and years, and he also knows the right time to move on from someone.

Looking forward to an excellent summer window - I am convinced that 12 months from now, Arsenal would not be challenging for the title (unless Man City/Liverpool collapse) but would have closed the gap somewhat.
 
The contact extension is well-deserved. By 2025, Arsenal under Arteta will be a proper force in England and European football.

He is doing at Arsenal what Klopp did at Liverpool. He is building a proper team and the signs are there for those who can see.

When Klopp took over in October 2015, he took Liverpool to an 8th place finish. The next two seasons, he scraped to 4th before his team took off in 2018-19.

It took a solid foundation (which Arteta is building) and 2-3 big signings that will take the team to the next level (Salah, Alisson, Van Dijk etc.) which will happen for Arsenal.
 
Love to see Arteta succeeding. Have been a lot of bumps in the road no doubt, but they have kept firm faith in him and we are seeing the fruits of that labour now. He had a huge job to reform the culture and overhaul a squad of past-their-prime mercenaries, all in a Covid pandemic in his first job.

He has done a superb job, and it's amazing watching him prove all these blind rival fans wrong who have been giving him non-stop crap since the day he came.

Anyone that actually watches this team on a weekly basis knows exactly the progress he is making. Hopefully he'll beat Conte to top 4 (with a team that includes Cedric, Tavares, Elneny and Nketiah :) ), with the youngest squad in the league while all predicted another mid-table finish.

Ramsdale, Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney, Tavares, Lokonga, Saka, Smith Rowe, Odegaard, Martinelli all 24 and under. We are building something special, just need those few marquee signings, the attacking equivalent of a Van Dijk-Allisson window.
 
This is Arsenal's first game since announcing Mikel Arteta has signed a new deal to run until 2025.

“I’m excited, grateful and really, really happy today,” says the Arsenal boss. "We want to take the club to the next level and to compete really with the top teams.

"In order to do that, we have to be playing in the Champions League.

"We have to be able to evolve the team, improve our players, improve all departments, generate even more connection with our fans, improve the atmosphere at Emirates Stadium, be able to recruit top, top talent and the best people for this club to drive this project to that level.”
 
Mamoon said:
The contact extension is well-deserved. By 2025, Arsenal under Arteta will be a proper force in England and European football.

He is doing at Arsenal what Klopp did at Liverpool. He is building a proper team and the signs are there for those who can see.

When Klopp took over in October 2015, he took Liverpool to an 8th place finish. The next two seasons, he scraped to 4th before his team took off in 2018-19.

It took a solid foundation (which Arteta is building) and 2-3 big signings that will take the team to the next level (Salah, Alisson, Van Dijk etc.) which will happen for Arsenal.
Click to expand...

:)) comparing a Man city ball boy to a world class manager to Jurgen klopp.

Your football knowledge is comical :))

If you think Arsenal are 3 players from next level you are really deluded. The top 3 teams in PL have lost 11 games between them, Arsenal have lost that many themselves.

Arsenal have just about scraped by this season without being in europe and struggled in both cups. The squad has about 11/12 decent players at best. Liverpool/city have over 20 quality players.

Have a look at Arsenals squad for next season

GK - Ramsdale, Turner (new signing and unproven) leno will be sold

RB - Tomi + new 2nd RB needed

LB - Tierney (made of glass and cant stay fit for a full season) , Tavares (rubbish) - a new LB to help compete tierney or act as back up

CB - white, Gabi, holding, Saliba (lets see if Dictator manager actually keeps him or sells him.

CM - xhaka (gets suspensions every seasons and mistakes), partey (cant stat fit for a full season), lokonga (unproven still) - At least 2 new CMs need to be signed, xhaka needs to be upgraded

liverpool and city have 5 or 6 quality midfielders and any 3 they pick the quality levels dont drop

Attack midfield - ESR and oddegard (1 more signing needed here)

Wide players - Saka, martinelli, pepe (who looks like he will be sold) so that means another winger needs to be signed as you cant play Saka every game in 4 competitions.

Strikers - Balagun (Atleast 2 CF and 1 wide forward needed)

Laca, eddie, elneny, leno and pepe will all be gone in summer. Add to that probably mari, torriera, guendouzi, bellerin, AMN and riess nelson aswell.

So your left with
Ramsdale / Turner
Tomi / New signing
Tierney / New Signing
Gabi / white / Holding / Saliba
Partey / Lokonga / xhaka? / New signing / New signing
ESR / Oddegard
Saka / Martinelli / New signing
Balagun / New signing / New signing

Thats a 22/23 man squad for 4 competitions - Arsenal are 6 or 7 players away from having a goos squad

Liverpool have 6 quality strikers, end of season Arsenal will have none (eddie n laca arent good enough anyways). city will go any buy harland or some other top striker.

Thats the brutal truth and reality. If Arsenal make CL they will be in pot 3, which means unless they get luck of draw they will be in a tough group. Artetas already shown he cudnt manage PL and europa.

But you and firebat are deluded enough to think thats going to change next season.
 
Mamoon said:
Best young manager in the world. Arsenal are incredibly lucky to have him.

Those Arsenal fans who want him sacked have gone absolute bonkers. You have to be blind as a bat to not see the belief and steel that he has added to the team.

Back to back wins against Chelsea and Man United with fourth place on the line, no margin for error and three consecutive defeats on the back shows the character that he has instilled in the team, something that Wenger failed to do in his last 10 years and Emery never managed.

The fact that Arsenal are seriously pushing for a top 4 after the start that they had shows how brilliant the recovery has been.

He has been very good in the market as well - he has brought some proper characters with balls (Ramsdale, White etc.) the type of players that Arsenal have lacked for years and years, and he also knows the right time to move on from someone.

Looking forward to an excellent summer window - I am convinced that 12 months from now, Arsenal would not be challenging for the title (unless Man City/Liverpool collapse) but would have closed the gap somewhat.
Click to expand...

Best young manager :)) is this a comedy thread? Emery in his 1st season with just 50M to spend finished 1 point of top 4 and got to europa final. Then 2nd season club failed to give him players he asked for nkuku, zaha etc..

Arteta has spend 250M and finished 8th twice, embarrassing exits in europa to olympiakos and villareal. Took the club out of europe for 1st time in 20+ years. Now with just the league to mainly focus on hes just bout scrapping 4th or 5th :))

Makes me laugh how you berate pakistani cricket for zero talent etc.. yet you hype up a guy who was a ball boy at man city.

Our so called 150M defence has conceeded more goals this season then it did last year.

we lost 13 games last season (1/3 of league games) and weve lost 11 this season (again embarrassing). yet your doing bhangra because a manger might get the club 4th? :))

Liverpool finished 4th after not being in europe, chelsea won the league season after not being in europe. leicester won the league after nearly being relegated year before.

But lets do bhangra because a managers spent 250M on some good signings and some rubbish ones.

Cudnt even get the best out of any Arsenal striker at the club in 2.5 years yet hes supposedly improved all man citys forwards when he was city ball boy.

Where are all Artetas signing willian, runnarson, Mari, tavares and lokonga now? as soon as a player does badly for a few games he discards them for good due to zero man mangement skills yet your comparing him to klopp and wenger :)))
 
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