Mikel Arteta has been quizzed on his future, and asked if he would consider stepping down as Arsenal boss as his side endure a torrid run of results.
The Spaniard has struggled to turn his side’s fortunes around of late, and could well be the victim of his own amazing start to life in the role, as calls come in for the manager to be moved on.
Arteta has no intention of leaving however, and is solely concentrated on helping his side to resurrect some kind of form by staying positive.
“I don’t like to think about those steps because then I will be thinking in a negative way and I cannot do that,” Arteta claimed during his pre-match press conference (via Arsenal.com).
“At the moment, I have to try to be as positive as I can, believe in what we’re doing, try to modify things to make it work better, and stay strong.
“We’re going through a lot of difficulties, the last thing we want to be thinking of is more problems coming up in the next few months.
“I’m not in that state of mind. I know the responsibility that I have and why I am here. Everybody knows that from a few months ago, this wasn’t going to be resolved really quickly. I think that’s the consciousness of everybody at the club.”
The decision could well be made for him should his side’s woeful form continue however, with a return of just five points from their last 10 Premier League matches dangerously below expectations.
It appears unlikely that the club’s form in the Europa League or domestic cup competitions will be enough to secure his role as manager, while the prospect of being relegated looms over their head, but at this relatively early point in the campaign it would be a little hasty to consider dropping out of the top division.
The team now has the worrying task of taking on PL giants Man City and Chelsea in consecutive matches amidst our torrid form, but while we may not be expected to win, the team will need to show some fight or Arteta may not see out 2020.
Patrick