My personal Arteta conundrum. by Ben Dungate
At what point did Arteta become synonymous with Arsenal? He was a good midfielder for Everton but a poor replacement for Cesc. It is probably this that tainted my opinion of him from the start.
I watch Arsenal matches with morbid fascination, gazing on as he stalks the touchline, eyes wide, the terror behind them barely concealable. Will we jump into a 3 goal lead, only to then spend the rest of the game struggling to hold them off. He makes bizarre selection choices, demonstrates limited tactical awareness, and fills me with dread every time.
Despite this, I cannot fault what appears to be his vision for the club. Wanting the right types of people at the club, not just the right names. Giving young players a chance and trying to build a foundation for the future. And it leaves long-term cynics like me tearing my hair out on match day but applauding him for his effort.
For the record I think Emery is a superior coach should’ve been given far more time in the role, but here we are now. And whilst Arteta frustrates me every single match day, he seems to want to bring stability and harmony to the club and will not tolerate anyone that doesn’t buy into the plan or is a disruptive influence (Guendouzi). And you have to applaud him for this.
I also have to remind myself, he’s younger than me and one of the youngest managers in the league and presumably will only improve as a coach and as a man manager. With this in mind, I think we have to remain positive and hopeful for the future.
But this is Arsenal.
Ben
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