Are Arsenal lucky to have Arteta or Arteta is Lucky to have Arsenal? by Muha
Arsenal are on top of the league for another week after a dominant win against on of their main challengers for the top four, Tottenham. As a result a lot more people are rightfully starting to give Arteta the credit he deserves for turning Arsenal in to a serious force once again. Something not so many would have imagined possible just at the beginning of last season. In fact, football pundits seem to praise Conte more for dragging spurs to fourth last season than Arteta for getting us 5th against all odds.
So who’s the lucky one? I would love to read your thoughts in the comment section but here’s my two cents on the matter.
When Arteta joined Arsenal, we were languishing in a relegation battle after Emery’s nightmare season at Arsenal. He managed to drag us to eightth and win an FA Cup despite all he had to face. You have to remember he inherited a bloated team with big egos and only one recognised albeit unreliable number 10 with an ego as high as his wages. This actually bought Arteta a lot more time according to many.
What he had to deal with.
A bloated squad full of players not suitable to his philosophy while on a high wage.
A team of overated player at their lowest confidence.
Covid 19 – well this affected everyone but you have to remember this was his first ever job and getting infected very early on and dealing with the effects of it, like no fans, salary reduction and the general psychological challenges wasn’t easy.
Poor defensive record/players and a misfiring yet aging strike force.
He didn’t shy away or hide behind the fact that he knew he inherited a mess. He kept on fighting and focused on what he could change.
What did he change?
CULTURE
This was and still is the most important achievement he has achieved so far with his “non negotiables”
BALANCE THE SQUAD
He got rid of big egos and big earners who were not performing, Brought in young, hungry and exciting players, reducing the average age down to the youngest team in the EPL.
REINSTATED DISCIPLINE
One thing that is obvious is his guts to make bold decisions putting the needs of the team ahead of anyone. This included cutting ties with Ozil and our then Captain Auba and the likes of Guenduzi and loaning out Saliba.
Improve defensive DEFENSIVE SOLIDITY by overhauling the whole back 4 and its depth.
Showed TACTICAL flexibility by adopting to his first squad to win FA as well as creating an identity.
RECONNECTED the fans and the players by breeding players that showcase passion, energy and character, which makes it easier for fans to identify with. The atmosphere at Emirates in recent seasons has been nothing short of brilliant.
The future is definitely promising but it hasn’t always been all rosy and in many people’s opinion, Arteta should’ve lost his job after the run he had at the beginning of the season before last, a run of just ONE in 10 matches as well as the way we begun the season last season.
In a lot of other big ruthless clubs, like if Tuchel) was bottling up Top Four like we did last season after being the highest spenders in that season without having European commitment and early exit in Cup competitions off the back of a second 8th finish running, would have been more than enough to get a manager fired let alone being handed a new contract.
All these came after he was promoted from being a head coach to a manager, handed trust in the transfer window as well as being supported by the club with his bold decisions including letting Auba go in January without bringing in a striker and losing top four by 1 point.
So whats my verdict? I think its fair to say that Arteta should feel lucky because Arsenal taking a chance on a novice manager, gave him time and resources without a big CV behind him can be considered VERY BOLD – if not stupid! So Arteta should feel VERY lucky, but on the other hand, in a league where brilliant managers like Potter, Rodgers, Silva, Howe, Vieira are spending millions, while tacticians like Conte, Ten Hag and Tuchel (up until his dismissal), and arguably two of the very best managers of our generation in Pep and Klopp in the EPL, getting a young manager going toe to toe with them tactically, as well as proving to be top notch in talent ID and management, we MUST consider ourselves VERY lucky to have Miko (as Edu😜 calls him) in our hands.
I am first to admit it can all change in the twinkle of an eye, but hey, let’s enjoy it while it lasts as we continue to TRUST the process.
Muha Al~wattan.
COYG.
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Both of them are lucky
Arsenal have a passionate young manager who has a lot of energy to bark in the field, was connected to the fans as a player for years and had learned a lot from Moyes/ Wenger/ Guardiola
Arteta has a patient boss who supports him a lot financially
Dude I have been reading your posts and you are one of the few that stood with MA1, you were saying he is intelligent and it infuriated me as I wanted him gone now I see what you meant. We are lucky the board stood by him
Thanks man
Both are lucky, and shown patience when other managers were not. As well as given 350 million & counting in funds.
Point of fact though, we WERE NOT in a “relegation battle” as author said when Emery was fired. We were 8th or 9th in the table, hardly relegation battle.
Sticking with Arteta through his learning curve is paying dividends, and all are happy to be where we are now.
Before we gloat and brag, let’s finish in the top 4 first. Let’s finish the season on a high like we started.
Many games left and much can happen. Returning to CL is a must, top 4 is a solid goal, anything else is gravy. So far we’ll done to Arteta and the players; more please.
👍correct!
Are we finally seeing Arteta as a manager to mix it with top 4? Are we finally seeing Edus influence in the team? Are we witnessing an owner bankrolling success? Are we lucky? We will see how lucky we are at the season end. BUT we have to say that this season, so far has been a breath of fresh air from the previous couple. There seems to be a confidence in the team and a belief in what they are doing, which wasn’t there in the previous seasons. Early signs are we are actually putting a title challenge in, which is what this team should be doing and there cant be any excuse for actually achieving some form of success this season. Arteta is learning from his mistakes, which is the sign of a good manager. Are we lucky at the moment? Yes we are top of the league but the saying, its not how you start its how you finish! Is what ultimately counts. Lets stuff Liverpool and we can really start dreaming. I think City are way ahead of everyone one but that doesn’t mean we still cant put a serious challenge in. We can have a serious final analysis as to if we or Arteta are “lucky” at the end of the season. In the mean time lets just carry on doing the job and not give trophies out until they are won.
@Reggie
RealTalk Reg. RealTalk…👍🏾
If you look at the two managers on the weekend, you notice one was afraid to lose and the other was convinced and unwavering in the style they wanted to play no matter the result. With all there attacking prowess, Conte put 10 men behind the ball. Whilst being at home has its advantages, Arterta demanded that we play a style of football no matter who we were playing. If I was a spurs supporter today I would be envious.
OZGooner, agree with you except for the last sentence. If you were a Spurs supporter you would be deluded not envious. You have to read the comments on the matchday thread on one of their forums.
I still think Eddie can work his way into the starting 11 while shifting Jesus to the left, I love Martinelli but I think we can get more goals with Eddie in the team
Hahaha several months ago if you had said this you would’ve been seen as the dumbest like me. Odegaard should be the one to make way because Nelli been good but Nketiah’s time will come to cook. It may tarry but he will prove his quality.
99% agreement from me for this excellent article. The 1% where I disagree is the word “OR” in the headline. There is NO “OR” at all.
What there IS though, is a “both”, as in both Arsenal AND Arteta are lucky, precisely as the article says .
As so very often on JA, I DO NOT ACCEPT THE MISLEADING HEADLINE as being fully representative of exactly what the article says.
I should remind Gooners that the headlines are written- or rather miswritten- by Ad PAT and NOT the article writers.
As to the substance of the article, I could not agree more with the mature and wise writer!
Okay Jon
If you look BELOW my headline you will see the headline the author sent me.
Send in the grammas police!
And as you must surely admit , Pat, this is a rare occurrence. On THIS occasion then, you have my apology.
BUT WHY DO YOU NOT LET WRITERS COMPOSE THEIR OWN HEADLINES REGULARLY?
That way, they would not misrepresent their own articles the way YOUR headlines so often do.
The gaffer is hungry and smart the owner is clever and calm.
As a season campaigner in the working world ,one of the key things to do is to knows your boss knows what he wants or what is expected of you.
In retrospect all the ranting and conspiracy theories against Arteta last season was never going to go anywhere.
Even if the gaffer had finished six, as he had demonstrated given time he will be a top top manager.
His handling of the deadwood alone is impressive, more accomplished managers never dear touch,
Nah its we the fans that are lucky
I think we are lucky to have Arteta..The Kroenkes had faith in Arteta and a plan to take the club forward..I think they chose Arteta because they felt he is good and has Arsenal in his blood..Taking us to 5th was seen as an achievement…We don’t always know what’s really going on behind the scenes..None of us knew that Xhaka was yet to be played to his strengths…Arteta has selected a group of players that plays for the badge and we are seeing the players playing with their hearts
We made our mistakes and must admit we are not professionals and don’t realize or know everything
We’ve seen Arteta make mistakes but the observant will notice Arteta learns from his mistakes
The question is in this point in time would we prefer Arteta or someone else….Conte..?
Anybody else..?
no I don’t think so
So I think we are lucky to have Arteta
Well said @Gunsmoke, I agree that the fans are indeed the ‘lucky’ lot. The past treatment of the situation that the club were facing after @MA initially stepped into the hot seat has been at times immature, not to say the least of the treatment of @Granit Xhaka for example, (sic) was horrendous. No apologies, we are either ‘Gooners’ thru and thru, lending support to cause, situation and players alike, or just there for the sake of pointing the blaming finger at scapegoats and fault seeking. It’s funny that thru the past few seasons of underwhelming performances, when asked by mates if I still am an @Arsenal fan, my answer is a resounding “NO!”… I am actually in reality, a ‘750 horse-powered Gooner air-conditioner!’ Gives them the chills…
Firstly, great article.
My answer to the question is BOTH.
Arteta is lucky to have been backed despite having no experience.
Arsenal are lucky that the backing of a person lacking experience has paid off.
When we hired Wenger all those years ago many thought we had hired an unknown quantity and the rest was part of our great history.
Now all we hope for is another repeat chapter to make new history hopefully.
I would like MA to win things that AW has not won. Like the Europa league this year. Then 2 years later the Champions league (I know this is wishful thinking, but unless there is Hope locked in as Promotheus did in the Greek myth, all we get is Pandora’s Box. As supporters at least we can dream).
@IndianGunnerLondon, it may well be worth dreaming of. Hopefully…
We are NOT lucky to have Mikel, even if he delivers the league! Rather, he’s SO LUCKY to have had the FAITH, TRUST and above all,
the PATIENCE shown when he’d have been let go.
You don’t INVEST heavily in some ‘unproven’ project, which when it eventually pays off, they’d say it’s luck.
I have said Arteta would come out good, and was in his I.T. (internship) days at Arsenal, which NO top club would do, not to mention when almost everything wasn’t working.
If hopefully Arteta has a successful spell with us (which I really pray for), he’d ever be grateful to Arsenal for having trusted in him. He may NEVER have had this chance elsewhere, and big ups to him for having learnt fast and have taken the opportunity.
Not many (top/proven) managers get such trust and opportunity, not to mention a rookie, unproven one, just getting his stuff together.
The most reasonable post here @ d02
Arteta owns arsenal all the thanks, No top club gives this kind of opportunity non, arsenal trusted in his potentials and had payed hugely for it, arsenal have given him everything he needs to reach his potential even when it was very expensive and painful, what is left is for him to reach his potential that arsenal saw in him and approached him, I can’t see top European giant club offering him this opportunity that alone supercedes everything
Both are co-related. In a big demanding club, Arteta would have bigger resources and better structure in place for him to succeed. Arsenal a bit different. A big club which just got its deserving big stadium without sugar daddy. The whole club structure went disarray when AFTV and its hoodies help to kick out the man who made it all possible. The club’s player recruitment suffered because of oil money corrupting football. Existing star players with star money poisoning the club from within. And finally, the China virus destroying economy everywhere. I don’t think a lot of managers would have survived and thrived during that 3 years.