Arteta The Yes-Man by Dan Smith
There is a beautiful irony that after the backlash to the Super League, the fixture list just happened to work in a way where 5 of the ‘big six’ had to play midweek, forcing each of their managers to be in the spotlight.
Thursday was the turn of Mikel Arteta, the first Arsenal representative to speak publicly since our withdrawal from the ESL.
He confirmed in his press conference what I always suggested. The only reason he was given the job as head coach was because he’s a yes-man, and so willing to land such a high-profile job that he will tolerate limitations from his employers.
That’s no slight on him.
I like Arteta and want him to succeed. He speaks well, and I believe he is well educated and has faith in his own philosophies that they will work.
It’s not his fault what criteria the recruitment team are set. Like when they claimed Unai Emery was first choice out of 50 applicants; that’s because many candidates walked away when they realised there was zero ambition at the club. Enrique and Allegri are believed to have said that off the record.
I respect no one is going to criticise their boss live on TV, but Pep Guardiola proved you can be critical of an idea without being critical of those who came up with the concept.
Arteta tried to go down the angle of ‘it’s noble to admit you are wrong’, ‘it should be admired they acknowledged mistakes’, ‘it’s takes bravery to say sorry’, etc. About 3 or 4 times he felt the need to remind the press that he works for good people who care about what’s best for the Gunners.
It’s an individual choice whether you believe Stan Kroenke’s apology. My view is that common sense suggests he has zero remorse.
After 15 years in power of one of the biggest football institutions in the UK, the idea that he didn’t realise the harm he was doing – yet saw the light inside 48 hours – is offensive.
At least Real Madrid’s president has taken ownership of his choices since Sunday.
The media were pushing for Arteta to pick a side, but his priority was to always paint those who pay his salary as the good guys.
He even lied.
Like a politician, he said he couldn’t give an opinion on the SL because he never knew all the details. Sorry?
If I know enough to give an opinion, then it’s safe to assume the manager of Arsenal does?
He knew we were going to be cherry picked, a founding member of a division with a closed door to the rest of England, with zero consequence for failure. He knows full well that the business model was Arsenal are not good enough anymore to earn things on the pitch, let’s get 350 million a year for being a brand.
How the Spaniard with a straight face claimed he worked for people who stepped up and have been there for us during tough times is an impressive skill.
There for us?
Stank Kroenke made 55 staff redundant during a world-wide Pandemic to save 2 million a year, while the whole time he had a break away League up his sleeve. Morally I can’t get my head around that.
He claimed Football had to be played in Covid because it was an escapism, a comfort to the public. In reality, he was having secret meetings to take football away from us.
He then painted a picture of greedy players refusing a pay cut knowing full well he was the greedy one.
Ozil always said he was happy to give up money, he just wanted to hear Mr Kroenkes intentions. He couldn’t say it at the time, in other words he didn’t believe a word being said to him.
Didn’t Arteta win the hearts of Gooners when he first spoke about the standards of the club and how he wouldn’t tolerate anyone not meeting those standards? Well Stan Kroenke has hardly acted ‘the Arsenal way’, yet Arteta yet again is being a puppet.
It’s moments like this where I miss Arsene Wenger.
A football man who had so much control that this wouldn’t have taken place.
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Dan