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.”