The new Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta has offered an olive branch to Granit Xhaka and has made it clear that he doesn’t want him to leave the club at the moment. The newly arrived coach has admitted that he wants the Swiss international to become an integral part of the team again and win the fans back onside.
Arteta told the Guardian in a very eloquent first interview as the Arsenal boss: “When I was going from Arsenal to City to start coaching and we were looking in that position, he was one of the players on my list,”
“This is how much I liked him. I was happy when Arsenal signed him because I thought he was going to be a terrific player.
“He has done some really good things and now he has got stuck in a very difficult situation that, I think, was growing and growing and growing and one day it exploded. But I have been amazed as well by how this relationship is starting to come back a little bit and I think the fans have been very, very positive about him. Obviously it is difficult to change completely the scenario from where he was to a magnificent one. But I think we are in the right direction with him.”
Xhaka came back to the starting XI in the weekend draw at Everton, and seemed to be back to his best, despite the rumours linking him with Hertha Berlin. Arteta also revealed that he had spoken to Xhaka personally about his hopes for the midfielder. “I told him how much I like him and what I expect from him, how important he is for the team. I am here to help him, I want him to feel that we are right behind him. Not just myself but the whole club. If we can get the people in the right way as well, the fans with him, I think it will be helpful for the team, which is where it matters.”
Despite his high hopes for Xhaka’s return to the fold, he is not going to reinstate him as captain just yet, in fact he is not going to make many changes too quickly until he gets the lay of the land. “I don’t want to change everything drastically in two days,” he continued. “I want to put my feelings slowly, I want to see what is going around, and in the right moment I will make the decisions for the benefit of the team and the club. At the moment I don’t think it is the right time, with the amount of games coming up and the amount of things that have to be done, to change too many things.”
Arteta was then asked if he wanted to get the Gunners playing like the Man City side he just left, and although attacking football is his ultimate aim, he just wants to try and get the team playing with confidence first and foremost for now. He replied: “That’s what I was born with, that’s what I understand and what I believe is the best way to play,”
“But the context is very important, and the context right now, here, is not Manchester City. It is completely different. So I can’t demand the players to do some things because I will expose them and that is the last thing I want to do. I want to give them confidence, reassurance and guidance. But slowly, slowly, slowly, hopefully we will get to where I want.”
A very measured interview in my opinion, and that augurs well for getting the fans back onside as well. Let us hope he is ultimately successful, but let’s not expect miracles straight away from our new coach, eh?
Admin Pat
At least a manger that can bring calm and order, I think every player deserves to be loved and looked after even if their future belongs somewhere else. This is one of the thing I truly hate about Emery, he likes confusion and creates arguments.
Fans have every right to criticize some players but maybe sometimes we should not only concentrate on the mistakes the players do and also look how well they do the simple things for example it can’t be that Wenger Emery Favre and Arteta think highly of Xhaka but the fans on here believe and are ironically absolutely sure that Xhaka is worse than their grandma.. These coaches surely know better so maybe don’t only believe your eyes believe some stats (yes yes now Jon fox will say how stats are stupid and how genius he is blabla) stats aren’t everything but mistakes aren’t also..
we tend to over exaggerate the mistakes and forget the briliance of simple plays.. I think the best example is mertesacker:
he was a brilliant defender IMO and he was the reason koscielny could be so brilliant but if (he didn’t make a lot of) he made a mistake or was too slow it looked pretty stupid and that’s why a lot of fans didn’t like him.. and I think Xhaka has the same problem the mistakes he makes are soo eye catchy that a lot of fans think he is the problem.. but he surely isn’t
I hope Arteta comes in and gets rid of the big egos. We need to change the culture of the club. We need a complete reset with players who are hungry and desperate and play for the badge. We don’t need any Big Egos.
Sell the deadwood – Ozil, Miki, Elneny, Mustafi
To fix Defence:
Buy Upamencano or buy 2 of Demiral (Juve), Sarr (Nice), Kamara (Marseille)
To fix Midfield:
If we sell Xhaka in January we must try to get Rabiot on loan.
Rabiot and Torreira at the base of the midfield would be exciting. Full of energy and defensively solid. Rabiot passing ability is equal to if not better than Xhaka.
Bring Partey in the summer and even try to get Rabiot on a permanent transfer (even at the expense of Torreira) we would have an amazing midfield base.
Partey and Rabiot would be a dream pairing. Strong, athletic, defensively solid and lots of energy.
Bring in Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Salzburg as rumoured.
To fix Attack:
If the rumours of Real Madrid wanting Auba for Jovic & cash we must take it. Or take cash and buy Moussa Demebeli from Lyon.
Sell Laca for $50m+
Transfers Out:
Auba – $50m
Laca – $50m
Xhaka – $30m
Torreira – $30m
Ozil, Miki, Elneny, Mustafi – $25m
= $185m
Transfers In:
Jovic/Dembele – $45m
Upamencano/Kamara+Sarr – $50m
Partey – $45m
Rabiot – $30m
Szoboszlai – $15m
= $185m
Team:
Leno
Bellerin Upamencano Salilba Tierney
Partey Rabiot Szoboszlai
Pepe Jovic/Dembele Martinelli
That’s enough FIFA today mate. Time to clean your room.
🤣🤣🤣
Imagine if FIFA introduce a virtual girlfriend.
Director of football
Arteta is not “new” like Inspector Emery Clouseau was.
Emery spoke no English, + never played in the PL.
Arteta played in the PL 8 years and was assistant at Man Sheiky 3+1/2 years.
Mikel will have compiled a detailed dossier on every PL player including the Arsenal squad.
In fact his last game at City 2 weeks ago was against Arsenal so
he would have the most up to date information on the present squad available.
He will already know every Arsenal players strengths and weaknesses.
He probably knows the Arsenal players better than they know themselves.
So if Clouseau Emery got 5th and made the EL final expect Arteta to do
a whole lot better and by seasons end should win the EL and get CL football.
Good Ebbening 🙂
the problem is emery left the team in shambles and in a difficult table position to expect 5.place.. but Arteta has to win EL that’s for sure
Agu eman, excellent points!!!!
agu eman you were doing so well until the silly last four lines. I had thought you were a kid because your unthinking regular posts pointed to that being so, but it seems you are older. Why THEN DO YOU NOT THINK PROPERLY AND STOP MAKING OUTRAGEOUS COMMENTS, as you do about Arteta winning the EL and getting CL football. Are you deliberately trying to become a laughing stock? Or are you studying to be a comedian? Which?
Maybe Arteta sees the similarities between Xhaka’s playing style and his. But no Man City’s first team player plays like Xhaka
Man City’s CDM is not a deep-lying playmaker, but a pure CDM who sits in front of two CBs. All big teams that play with 4-3-3 have central defensive midfielder like Fernandinho and Fabinho
If Arteta wants to keep Xhaka, we would probably keep using 4-2-3-1 with Xhaka as one of the DMs. I don’t think Xhaka can defend well as a CDM
please people stop telling Arteta what to do. some have line ups that includes Willock and Rowe and nelson and still expect Arteta to get top four, My God and if it doesn’t work out they start complaining I am already pittying Arteta considering some gooners here have top four expectations with a team compriaing of willock, Niles, saka, martinelli and Rowe playing the de bruyne role???. Arteta you are in big trouble.
I really like what I’m hearing from Arteta so far. I think the fans have to look at themselves and take responsibility for the part they have played in generating the recent atmosphere at the club. It’s one thing to be disappointed with the way the team has been playing, but quite another to heap the kind of personal vitriol on individual players like Xhaka and Ozil we have seen. These guys are being attacked at knife point and sent death threats, so when they then get booed off the pitch by the fans this will certainly feel very, very real.
I’d like to see a fresh start for 2020, with the fans playing their part in developing a positive atmosphere. Leave Arteta to do his work but let’s do our bit by getting behind the team.
Hear Hear!!!
Yes Martin , and “hear hear” is fine, as far as it goes. But if you REALLY wish to play your full part in preventing contrasting comments and arguments, have you ever thought that perhaps you should close down this site? I will be clear; it is a perfectly fine and good site and very useful BUT the price we ALL pay when we choose to use social media, and this site is not different in that respect from other sites, is that comments you may not like to hear or read are out there. This is a prime reason, as I recently posted to KEN 1945, that I am personally seriouly considering leaving ALL football related social media. IT IS NOT GOOD FOR ONES MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL PEACE OF MIND. THAT is surely the widespead truth for many folk, I’d humbly suggest! I have made no final decision as yet!
No idea why you use my name here Jon
Sorry MARTIN, I SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN PAT.
Eh? I was only agreeing that we should get behind the team! I was not trying to stop any comments at all! Je ne comprends Pas Monsieur Jon
well said 🙂
one day we will miss Emery
As I often remind folk, Ken 1945 among them , who are fond of issuing quotes from various football folk, AS IF EVERY WORD THEY SAY IS THE 100% GOSPEL TRUTH with no elememnt of tactics in their words, I take the Arteta statement on Xhaka with a huge pinch of salt. It is clear to all that we have a lot of injuries right now and that our midfield options are very few. It would be stupidity therefore to ostrasise or exclude ANY one player, so the sensible and pragmatic Arteta has, rightly, NOT done that. But to take him at his word, without employing our own rightful scepticism of this severely limited player, from our own bitter experience of having seen him play these last few years, would be naive in the extreme. NAIVETY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IS THE NORM. It is natural and I too, when a kid, was naive. Back in 1966 weeks before Billy Wright was correctly sacked, I stupidly walked along Avenell Rd(outside our ground)) with a pathetic home made banner saying “Wright must stay”! If ANYONE can REMOTELY equal that for naive stupididy, I salute, but pity you!
But worldly wise fans who buy this quote from Arteta as an honest statement that Arteta highly rates Xhaka and wishes to keep him, long term, are in for a rude shock a few weeks or months from now. I will be amazed if blunderer Xhaka is at this club next season, which he won’t be!. THAT IS JUST ONE REASON WHY I AM A REALIST.
Jon, i wouldn’t be amazed if xhaka was still at the club next season, i would be horrified.
Xhaka was terrible today, he he should released right away, during the press conference!
Krish, Sheer personal abuse but without the wit to explain your comments or substantiate them ,shows you to be lacking in language skills but worse than that, the ability to think, rather than just to react. Try again! You might, just might, be able to do better. IF YOU WOULD ONLY TRY!
Reggie , Please read my post below yours and think again! You and many others, NEED to think far deeper about things. All is not as statements issued make them appear. Not in the REAL world.
Yes agree jon, he has to keep xhaka sweet because circumstances might be we have to play him.
Precisely Reggie!
Harsh. I think he’s trying to instill a positive atmosphere, and so answered positively when asked. Just judge Arteta on how he deals with players who underperform under his reign. Fans really need to stop being so damn negative.
Sean read my post, properly. It wasn’t a pop at Arteta but the situation. The first line was irony, i think thats quite clear.