Arsenal legend Michael Thomas has admitted that he didn’t agree with Arsenal’s decision to make Mikel Arteta their manager, but the Spaniard has surprised him now.
The Gunners made their former player their latest manager at the end of 2019 when they had a poor spell under Unai Emery.
Arteta was unproven and had only been an assistant manager before his appointment.
Several fans were against it, including Thomas, who admitted that he thought former Nice manager, Patrick Vieira was more suited for the job.
Arteta won the FA Cup in his first half-season and also won the Community Shield some days later.
He has now started reshaping the team he inherited by getting rid of players that will not help his cause.
Thomas says he has been made to change his mind about the gaffer when he sees him making the tough decisions and adds that the Spaniard needs time just as Jurgen Klopp had at Liverpool.
Speaking in association with the Jason Roberts Foundation, Thomas said as quoted by TalkSPORT: “I was sceptical when he first came in, but to be fair to him there was an instant change in the team.
“When he cut out players who weren’t good for the team – I thought to myself ‘I like this man’. It showed he takes no prisoners and stamped down his mark on the team.
“He still hasn’t got his players in and the squad he wants. You’ve got to give Arteta time; people laud Klopp but it took him time to put the team together that he has now.”
What so many gave not enough attention to was thE fact that MA spent over three seasons learning under PEP, POSSIBLY THE WORLDS GREATEST MANAGER . And Pep was loathe to lose him. That alone told me a great deal from the outset!
It is being able to properly intepret the info out there that separates the better analysts from the hasty ones.
Mr Fox- do you not believe your immortal comment “ never before have I been more convinced than I am now that Unai Emery is the right manager for Arsenal Football Club” which you posted here on JA immediately after we were EMBARRASSED by the total capitulation at Anfield in August 2019 was not a hasty comment? Or are you still hiding from that embarrassment and therefore you are above your own comments?
Perhaps you should take a little more time in THINKING about what you write. You are continually contradicting yourself PAL as Dan Kit so hilariously highlighted recently.
I always notice how you never say anything of your own when replying to me but ONLY choose to attack me. I have noted over my long life too, how when people do as you do, it is commonly because of jealousy and feeling intellectually inferior.
To keep chasing, as you choose to do, someone who said something a long time ago, that YOU now consider proven wrong but actually is NOT proven wrong , is both spiteful and reeks of your frustation at being called out for the bully you so obviously are.
Had you been more of a real man , you could have – but chose not to do- argued constructively why you think Emery was a poor choice. You assume that I now think differently to what I thought at the time he came BUT I do not. I think, by the time he was sacked he had not had a chance and that remains my view, though I also know he could not turn the general fans anger around, by that stage.
FANS WHO, BY AND LARGE GIVE EVEN OUR PRESENT MANAGER NO REAL AND PROPER CHANCE. Older, wiser and more mature fans know better. At least SOME of us do!
What I actually think was that he never had a fair and real chance here. His language difficulties were his own fault I will accept but he had no real say over who came in. He was just head coach NOT manager.He wanted Zaha , not Pepe as was widely known but ended up with Pepe . He was harried from the start by people like you who said – as I well remember,” I will give him a free pass for a year”. But you did not, did you!
But why not actually address the subject with some positive reasons of your own, in preference to just trying to bait me. Those are the actions of a juvenile ,Phil! And you are not a juvenile in actual years, are you!
Just as I thought PAL- an embarrassment of a reply.
And for what it’s worth PAL. You know nothing of me, so you are only guessing, or hoping I’m the type of person you believe I am. Whereas you PAL, are exactly the person you portray yourself to be. You attempt to intimidate because of your self opinionated intellect. But you ALWAYS make sure you sneak away from replying when continually called out. The Dan Kit exposure a few weeks ago being the most perfect example. You could not even remember something you had written not that long ago and when Dan hilariously brought this to your attention you accused HIM of having an agenda against you.Which is pretty much what you are implying here. Well guess what PAL? I have nothing other than contempt for the way you continually deride the comments of others if they do not agree with you. Your a bully of the worst kind PAL because you hide behind your keyboard safe in the knowledge that nobody will ever actually be able to bring you to account face to face. That’s COWARDICE PAL, and pretty much sums up my feelings for you.
So, as I expected, still no thoughts of your own! Constant attempts to belittle me with nothing but sheer frustration at being unable to get the better of me in words. As you have chosen to go deliberately down this spiteful and juvenile path , even though you have proved that you have consideable intellectual capacity, though with me you choose never to use it.
I find that sad but for you personally, as it reveals much about your life attitude. I had, foolishly of course, hoped to try debating with you as a human but you have declined.
Well so be it, so I will not repeat the mistake of trying to debate ,as you are intent only on baiting me, Go ahead, if it floats your boat. There are plenty on here with morals who wish to and do debate sensibly. Goodbye!
Ha Ha- your trouble Foxy is that you don’t debate, yiu only preach. I have asked you on many numerous occasions to explain comments you posted and knowing full well it would make you look foolish and embarrassed you spout your rubbish and slither off hoping nobody notices.
Pathetic.
I see you as bring someone with a lot to say with nobody ever prepared to listen. A Billy No Mates if ever there was one and don’t feel you have too many on here either PAL
How many players does Arteta need to rebuild his team? He bought Partey, Willian, Runnarson, Gabriel, Mari, and Soares. Ordegaard and Ceballos were on loan. We are still in mid-table as Emery left us. Does he need to replace everybody in order to rebuild the team? If so, he’s not a good coach. He’ll be buying trophies like Pep
Well said!
I don’t dislike MA but he gets a lot of freedom compared to others
Emery did well with a lot less and a worse squad. Im not saying Emery was the best but he was not fairly treated when compared to MA.
We are mid table…..never mind champions league we might not get a Europa spot
MA gets rid of a few players that were not playing for nothing in return and everyone is excited? Really? Ozil showing up to training everyday what was holding us back?
It’s possible we will finish strong, do some good business in the summer and go back to seriously competing for a champions league spot next season. I hope so. However, If we do not finish strong and minimum get a Europa spot we have to dump this guy.
We have a few really exciting young players….. so what! We are Arsenal we have always had that!