Former Premier League defender Danny Mills insists the jury is still out on Mikel Arteta despite the progress his team has made in recent weeks.
The Spaniard could lead Arsenal to a return to the top-four by the end of this season despite having a small squad and losing experienced players.
He won the FA Cup and the FA Community Shield in the early days of his stint as the club’s manager.
But the team is being rebuilt from scratch now and the progress being made is commendable.
Mills admits he is doing a decent job, but he says it doesn’t qualify as a great job yet.
He said, as quoted by Sun Sports: “I think the jury is still out on Mikel Arteta.
“He does really well then has two or three bad results which bring question marks again.
“A lot of it depends on whether they get into the top four and the North London derby will be huge in that race.
“Whether they can hold off Spurs to get into that position. I would say he’s done a decent job, but not a great job.”
Just Arsenal Opinion
Arteta deserves credit for the work he has done, even though some fans will feel he could have done better.
He inherited an underperforming team, and he has gradually rebuilt it into an opponent that is tough to break down.
When he gets a quality striker, we will see his team deliver even more returns.
Inherited a bad team but won trophy with it.
Now he has his own team which is allegedly the best but zero trophy..
I am not against giving credit, but some of these reports are either blind followers or have forgotten what team we were before.
You called a team that won a trophy dead, when same team finished a point below top4 with an euopean league finalist. You could say a lot of things about that team but definitely not dead. but a performing team are not with any trophy yet and might not be with the dominants between Liverpool and City..
Man united finished 2nd last year, now they are in 6th this year with the likes of varane , Ronaldo, and Sancho being added to that team, should we say the manager also inherited a non performing team..
A dead team won’t finish 2nd.
Not in EPL with the way you all hype the league.
Exactly!!!!! Give him credit when he has earned it. Until then its all conjecture. Its very easy to throw cliches about to make an impression. He has made far too many errors of judgement to say with any confidence he has done a good job, far from it but actually finish higher than we have done for 6 years and we can say OK, he may have something.
The author feels that Arteta deserves credit for the work he has done but accepts that some people feel he could have done better. Danny Mills says the jury is still out.
So how does any of this add up to “blind followers”?
I am not even against giving the manager the credit he deserves.
Weather he deserves credit it or not, that is another issue.
Personally I think he has done well if we are to judge base on this season only.
What I am standing against is saying he inherited a non performing team which cant be entirely true.
This manager won that trophy with that same team and that team has been disbanded mostly.
That team arteta inherited appeared in 3 different competition finals in 3 season.
Lucky Arteta won the 3rd one, so how are they not performing but make It to 3 different finals with different coach and competition.
Now that team is no more and we all know we are likely not to lift a trophy soon with city and dominant.
Easy for Danny to judge given how many teams he’s managed which is zero. Bet if Mikel was English he would have done a great job too.
These pundits know nothing. Absolute twats most of them.
He would have force his self in the conversation of manager of the season if e manage to finish in a top four spot.
There are Arsenal legends who thinks a top six spot will be job well done, and am talking smart and clever people with football sense.
Mr. Gunsmoke, hope you are not drinking gun powder over there
Make sure you read your comments before posting
Do leave off mate FFS. He’s the only one with any sense.
Haha no gun powder thing Nugent’ no gun powder thing.
Am going to repeat my main argument,
When Arsenal finished in the top four in three weeks time, The gaffer will be part of that conversation of manager of the season.
As to whether he will be selected is another matter
Top 4 spot and he has done a good job. Top 6 spot is not impressive. Spent 250 million dollars, bought over 14 players since he joined the club, and has not managed to finish above his predecessors.
In fact, what some consider a success and an accomplishment, is what got 2 previous managers fired.
THERE IS NO “JURY”. NONE EXISTS.
IT IS JUST A MEANINGLESS PHRASE THAT HAS NO BEARING ON THE REALITY AT ALL.
THAT REALITY IS THAT WHATVER A PROPORTION OF OUR FANS MAY WISH, MA WILL BE OUR MANAGER FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE , WHICH MEANS SOME CONSIDERABLE TIME INTO THE FUTURE.
THAT IS THE REALITY, SO FORGET STUPID “JURY” TYPE MEANINGLESS PHRASES.
Long term project…Arteta seems to be good in putting a team together but tactically he makes some stupid mistakes……..He does really well then has two or three bad results which bring question marks again.
A do think you are more likely to get inconsistency from a young team as opposed to a more experienced one