At the end of last season, Arsenal were fighting against Tottenham to finish in Fourth Place in the League and gain a coveted Champions League berth, but had suddenly notched up losses to Crystal Palace, Brighton and Southampton and handed the advantage to our biggest rivals.
There were many Arrsenal fans calling for Arteta’s head at the time, and saying that he should be sacked if we lost Fourth Place, but suddenly Arteta was given a new contract. This is how the boss described it at the time:”The club offered me the contract on the day we lost three matches,”
“That day I said ‘chapeau and we go’. That doesn’t happen in football. That’s a part of what they think, the belief they have in myself, the coaching staff and what we’re doing. The people that we have now owning and leading this football club. I hadn’t seen it, and I just got emotional when I saw it because I thought ‘these guys are serious and these guys are committed, so I’d better push forward’.”
Obviously the person that okayed the new contract was Edu our General Manager, and the reasoning behind the move was to ensure stability in the transfer window and in continuing the rebuilding project. Edu told the Sun: “It’s not my plan — it’s the club’s. I lead the ideas and open the discussions but we are all building together.
“Mikel is also a big part of that plan and that was why the timing of his new contract at the end of last season was such an important part of the process.
“We were going into a transfer window and we wanted people to see Arsenal as very organised and well-planned.
“For that to happen our manager’s contract had to be renewed, so we could say to players and agents, ‘Mikel is our manager and he’s going to be with us for a minimum of three more years’.
“That’s how to avoid any doubts when you’re going to sign a player.
“The way I sell this club is to tell the player, ‘OK, we’re not in the Champions League yet but you can be the guy that gets us there. How long since we won the title? You can put your name in Arsenal history’.
The project looks like it has now taken on a positive shape and Arteta and Edu are building a team for success in the near future and beyond. It now looks certain that Arteta will still be the manager for the next two years to continue his plan, and who knows how much longer after that if the club starts winning more trophies…
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Trust the process.
We are half way in the middle of the process, According to Edu.
Nice article
One the most ridiculous decisions at that crucial moment in the the season ,sitting in 4th place with 4 games to go and they decide to be clever offering him a new contract ,low and behold he messes up which we have seen countless times which makes the timing even more comical .
Let’s hope the stabilisers are off this season and we are not going to still hear that he’s a novice or learning on the job ,this is AFC not some early learning centre for 2 chancers to try and make a name .
Such a wilfully wrong and above all , a short sighted view of the clear progress that less pessimistic by nature fans than you can clearly see .
Your relentless pessimism and refusal to EVER write ANYTHING AT ALL POSITIVE about MA will become so embarrassing for you and your accomplice Reggie too, that you will BOTH look very foolish indeed and that will be widely thought, VERY SOON NOW.
Fk Yes indeed and a most welcome relief from yet more relentless pessimism from another “woe is me” type, so called Gooner.
All proper fans have natural concerns and worries mixed with hopes and we vary fron concern to expressed hope at times and all that is quite natural for any TRUE fan.
But when someone who calls themself a fan and even more inaccurately a SUPPORTER, but all they ever write is EXTREME PESSIMISM, I suggest most normal Gooners will query whether or not those types really are Gooners. OR NOT!
🤫
And why increase his salary by nearly 40%?
Its not like he would have turned down the same payment he was on before. Which club would have hired him in the EPL or the Championship if he refused our terms?
@HH,The queue for his appointment will be too long.
HH, you ask why increase his salary. Is it not obvious to you,as it is to me, that the reason is because Kroenke and those who advise him, possibly Josh and the board , could clearly see MA is a special person who will be taking our club to new heights, , given necessary time, patience and financial backing.
THAT is the answer to your question therefore! Wise people reward special talents, before others can lure them away Duller witted folk do not understnd that.
Some folk do not see the talents, that to others are blindingly obvious!
I’m sure you don’t find it funny cos bright minded folks don’t.
And he is going to do it on the cheap. 350 million doesnt count 😂😂
Jon with your 50+ years of football experience you really beleive if MA was to leave Arsenal tomorrow any club above league one will be interested to sign him?
The truth is even clubs battling relegation or promotion wont approach him. They dont have that checkbook for 0 achievements.
Your negativity and cynicism is irrelevant at this point as Arteta is here now. If and when he leaves you can laugh to your hearts content if he does not get a job.
@JF
And the extra cash from getting back into Europe?
Shame you deleted my post Pat ,but rules are rules I suppose.
Don’t think jonny snowflake foxy as got the memo though as Ihe said he would t respond to my posts .
Opinions are opinions I don’t need some idiot I’ve never meet telling me how to support my club and especially one that wished that a manger became I’ll so he would leave .
@dan kit,if not for injuries to three of his major keymen translating his philosophy perfectly on the pitch,i’m confident we would have finished fourth or above but now the issue is addressed to aid proving doubters like you totally wrong.
Or you could argue that had he not waited 3 games to use Elneny instead of Sambi or moving Xhaka to LB.we might have got at least 3 points out those 3 games.i think MA showed his inexperience by trying to be too clever.i would have stuck with Tavares and given him extra protection instead moving players out of position.
Lokonga is not who i’m talking about,mate.
Correct DK, really strange decision that doesn’t make any sense in any language but a lack of football sense and knowledge running this club is very worrying. Not very ambitious and why didn’t they wait, especially if they had money to spend. A top manager could do something with the players and funds available at this club. I think the days of great Arsenal are gone and replaced with Average.
And you have the footballing knowledge and brains that u allegedly claim that the bunch of arsenal board lack?
There are lots of things going on behind the scenes that we are not aware of……for calling the arsenal board lacking football sense and knowledge running this club….this statement is wrong…..are you the best in what you do in life?…..Agbaya!!!!!!!
No but i have an opinion thank you very much!!!!!!
The irony is he could have waited three games till the season end and his (edus) statement would still be true. ” stable for the transfer window ” so i doubt that was the reason why they announced it when they did . IJS
They were speaking to Jesus for a number of months he clearly respectd Artets and would likely.have chosen Chelski over Arsenal if Arteta wasnt manager
So it makes a lot of sense for Arsenal to confirm their manager is extending so that Edu can continue the conversations with transfer targets
Just another cock and bull story. If there was any truth in Arteta getting the sack it would have been after the 0-3 start not after climbing from 20th to 4th. There was no way Arteta would be sacked because the club slipped from 4th to 5th late on because of serious injury issues.
I don’t believe a word of this story because Owners, Board Members, Managers, Coaches Techincal directors, Scouts and Players are paid to peform specific roles but telling fans the truth is not part of those roles. They talk but never actually say anything. The Sun newspaper speaks more truth
I am of the opposite view. It shows with the manager at his lowest point of the season that the club is willing to back him and the process. Unfortunately in this day and age the expectation is that success needs to be immediate, which was never going to happen with the squad we has 3 seasons ago. Arteta had clean out and start again. The 3 year extension given to him, shows belief within the club.
That was suppose to be a reply to Dan.
@OZGooner. The lowest point of the season was not when we had 63 points and still in with a chance of top 4. The lowest point was when were had gone 0-3 conceded 9 goals and were in 20th place in August having just finished our 2nd consecutive 8th place. That’s when the club showed faith. I too showed the same faith at that point. One of the few on this site who did I recall
Splitting hairs FF, but I would just say I was more disappointed at missing out on CL that loosing the first 3 games of the season.
True but it could also go the other way around.the team are not performing well but the manager gets rewarded.he might start thinking that he is untouchable or that he can get away with mediocrity. that’s what they call a double edged sword.
Maybe because there was no better manager available at that time and Kroenke might still believe in Arteta’s potential. Had Guardiola, Klopp, Tuchel or Nagelsmann been available, I bet Arteta would’ve been sacked
Unlikely. But that’s a pointless discussion
Yeah, we’d better see the results in December
I don’t understand this statement all the time.
Arteta wasn’t even a manager when we sacked emery.
Saying only 3 managers would replace it make it sound like only 3 managers are better than him.
I find this your own preference than reality.
There are a lot of proven managers better than him and which can still be employed.
Not saying this because I want arteta gone though.
Klopp and pep were not even option because they were here before him and I can’t see any of them coming to Arsenal even if they leave their current role.
We lost against Palace, Brighton and Southampton in April. In my opinion, the only better manager available at that time was Zidane and I don’t think he was interested
Bit of an old chestnut, this nobody available talk, it is such an untrue statement. There always is someone better, especially when you underachieve.
Favre/ Jardim have more experience/ trophies and were available in April, but I don’t think they can beat Arteta. As I said, this is just my opinion
That is totally your opinion and there were/are many more than that.
He had already stated that it is was his opinion so it is difficult to understand why you are belabouring the point.
David, was that a reply or you just trying to be clever? I had already agreed it was his opinion.
Or maybe, they all trusted in the plan they had.
The trust was not on him, but on the plan, they are jointly pursuing.
Which he is an active and important member of the plan.
I like the philosophy of this Arsenal.. There is clearly a working plan in place here.. The mentality has changed a lot since MA came in.. Only success remains to be achieved.. We shall rise again.. Coyg!!!
This explanation goes specifically to those fans who support a club only when it wins.
There are some of us who support AFC and it’s Project. Once this first team Founding 22 players stabilise this year,
Winning will be a consistent cultural behaviour of Arsenal. Arsenal has done it before.
Well I don’t see any issue there if some fans don’t buy into the project or they want a quick way to success.
Going by your statement, then no manager should be sack no matter how poor they perform simply because every club is not expected to win all their matches and win trophies.
If a low standard team with less ambition could sack their Managers, I see no reason why big club won’t when they invest heavily.
Not in the case of those who have a laid out plan as we do.
AA, you’re absolutely right we have done it before when we had players like Seaman, Adams, Bould, Keown Campbell, Viera, Petit, Ljunberg, Overmars, Pires, Bergkamp, Gilberto, Wright, Henry etc. etc. All winners and leaders.
To win the EPL today is a huge task considering the opposition so let’s just try to achieve top 4 first. Not being negative just realistic considering what happened last season.
Pretty simple 8 8 5 … Another 5 or worse on top of the hundreds of millions spent and the man has to be a gonna … Am on the fence right now as to whether or not we will see progress this season … And the biggest uncertainty factor remains arteta’s ability to get the most from a better squad than the one he inherited .. Looking forward to start of season to be proved wrong
Totally agree with you RW1 – Mikel has done nothing as yet, apart from winning the fa cup with the “dross” and “deadbeats” he inherited.
His negative results outweigh his positives by a long way and the rebuilding was supposed to have seen us winning the CL this season!!!
However, I can see some movement forward, with the 100% backing of our much maligned owner.
Top players being signed for today, rather than to, hopefully, become stars in the future – a great team spirit and actually having players in the positions they can actually play in (Xhaka at left back?!?!).
But it HAS to happen this season, otherwise £350,000,000 plus a salary of £8,000,000 plus will be a complete waste of time and money – I hope Mikel will do it.
OT Travelling down on the train for tomorrow’s Emirate Cup game and met a couple of fellow Gooners… they are of the same view.
Can’t disagree ken … though my real worry is xhaka as our DM … Enjoy the game .. Sevilla should be a good test
@ RW1 there as been progress if you look at the points gained per season since Mikel arrived. If we achieve a similar points increase compared to last season we are definitely getting 4th…
If we win 2 cups (Europa league) play great football beat the top 3 teams easily home and away. But finish 5th with 73pts I think that’s still progress.
Theoretically we could have 45pts and still be champions if all the other teams play sh*t , but I wouldn’t say that’s progress because we are the champions 🤔I know I’m playing devils advocate here. and personally I would want to see us get 4th at least with 4/6 games to go… so hopefully no Drama this season…😁
@GAI you love repeating this line a lot as if Arsenal are after those managers. there are a lot other managers out there and the reason not fire Arteta is not based on that. We have had Klopp and Tuchel available in the past but we never fired Wenger or Emery.
It’s just my opinion, bro. It’s like arguing about Messi vs Ronaldo
Klopp and Tuchel were available when Kroenke didn’t want to fire Wenger/ Emery
Tuchel for the sack this season
Ladies and gentlemen
We are where we are with the management team
The reasons on why they do what they do is beyond most of us and to justify why is really not my concern
I am a person who lives for now a and not in the past
If MA fails to deliver then he will be gone
No contract and amount of money will justify his failure but on the other side if we are successful then we will all say wow didn’t he do well and didn’t we do that on the cheap. Don’t lose him and tie him down to a long term contract
Let’s see how the first 10 games pan out for us and then make judgement call after that
“Do it on the cheap” AB?
What, a manager on a reported £8,000,000 plus add ons and spending over £350,000000 with more to come and you say it’s on the cheap?!?!
Please let me know when you think Stan Kronkie should start spending some money!!!
8.8 million for losing a CL spot when it was easier not to and this was after our worst season in 25 years ,he’s a lucky boy IMO and like Ken said he’s now spent 350 million ,this season he needs to show us what all this talk I keep hearing about how much of genius he is ,no more excuses .
Hope you enjoy the game Ken and dont nod off after 10 mins .
Thanks DK and RW1.
Can’t understand why it’s a 12.30 kick off though.
I sure won’t fall asleep, as I’ve treated us to the club level and they serve some excellent, if outlandish expensive, wine.
Can’t wait to see the new team AND the refurbishment of the Emirates!! /
Posh seats then Ken boy ?
Well if the wine doesn’t send you to sleep maybe the football will .
I won’t be watching as playing golf ,but do let’s us know if it’s changed from the last 3 seasons seeing you will have first hand experience.
Have a good un 👍
Ken
I really couldn’t care less what we are paying him and yes compared to some manager, he comes cheap
Compared to others he is very expensive
350m over the last few seasons seems a lot but the whole squad needed a complete revamp . Prior to that under funded and poor contract negotiations o er the years prior to the.last 2 have left us needing to spend
We should all be happy that for the first time silent stan has finally put his money where his mouth is
DK
FOR ONCE lets stop harping on about the past and losing 4th spot when it was nailed on
I was more depressed then you as I said 4th and u said 8th
Let’s stay positive and see how the first 10 games go
You might get your wish of MA getting sacked if he falls foul and doest produce which i do hope doesn’t happen and he and we go on and do great things
@Alanball08
I am sure you are aware that there are a number of fans who have embarked on a relentless campaign of negativity, scepticism and cynicism where Arteta is concerned. You will never convince them and I would suggest you don’t worry too much about trying to convert them to your way of thinking..
The rest of us can look forward to the new season which looks more promising with the changes to the squad that we have seen. Arteta still has the support of the board and many fans. At this point, this counts more than the ravings of some disgruntled individuals.
Thing is though David ,you do worry ,I’ve never seen you post a comment without talking about other fan’s opinions regarding Arteta .
@alan heard it all before ,preaching to the wrong fan .
👍👍👍👍DK spot on!!!!!!!
I respect all opinions no matter how ludicrous it is at times
Mr K and Mr dk have had there knives out for MA which is fine and at times totally justified .
When the team go on winning r7n which we will a lot will back under ground and only come out when results aren’t going our way
It’s all about opinons and i respect most even though I do t always agree
Not here to preach or convert as some have already said they are the wrong person person to preach too and heard it all b4
Currently I am still still in the MA corner but he did test my loyalty in the Last 4 or 5 games but optimistic on this season
Will predict 3rd this season
yeah and who gave those willan and auba contracts. ppfffft get a grip.
MA should be without a job but he is very lucky.
350mil in 2 seasons, fail this season and i hope oe is gone.
actually i hope he is gone no matter where we finish because he can’t guide se us to the top.
A matter of opinions
Sounds like you want him to fail
Define fail in your eyes
Not winning the title ?
2nd
3rd
4th
Have faith Dan, the football will be exciting this season. I can’t imagine the players we have can’t play anything but intricate attacking football 🤞🙄
I’m also playing Golf tomorrow (I say playing, the fairways are so damn hard atm, surviving might be more appropriate 😁)
Might get back to the club house to watch the second half with a pint of gunners in hand 💪
Arteta doesn’t not agree the contracts or transfer prices… so let’s stop saying he is spending £300 million + !!!