Arsenal has to steer clear of making Mikel Arteta their new manager urges Paul Merson.
The Gunners are looking for their next permanent manager after they fired Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta has suddenly jumped to the top of the list of possible replacements.
The Spaniard has been Pep Guardiola’s assistant since he retired from playing but Merson believes that his lack of experience at the senior level doesn’t make him a good candidate for the job.
Writing for Sky Sports, Merson slammed the Arsenal board for even considering him and insisted that the mess at Arsenal could see managers like Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp struggle to achieve any worthwhile success.
“This is a big, big gamble putting someone that has never managed before in charge of a club the size of Arsenal,” the pundit said.
“It’s all well and good saying he’s worked under Pep Guardiola, but let’s be honest, Guardiola would struggle managing this Arsenal team. Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp would struggle!
“You’re only as good as your players at the end of the day and the idea of Arteta replicating Guardiola’s style of football at the Emirates just falls apart when you look at the players he’ll be working with.”
He also insists that the club’s board members were clueless to consider giving Arteta his first senior managerial gig.
“Arsenal are in this mess because the people upstairs simply aren’t fussed,” he added. “I mean, who’s making this appointment?
“Who believes Arteta is the best appointment possible, one that will really steady the ship? I cannot make the case for Arteta because he’s never managed before, yet someone at Arsenal can.
“How can you do that? I want to know who is upstairs at Arsenal saying this is a good appointment. From the club’s perspective, it’s clueless.”
It seems to me that Arteta is going to be a controversial figure.
In a way, I already feel sorry for him and he has not even been given the job yet. Comments on here and among pundits have left me sensing that the 37-year-old will have quite a short honeymoon period.