Arteta doesn’t see this game as one of the biggest in his career!
If a semi-final in a European competition is not one of the biggest games in a managers’ career to date, especially if they have not been there before, then I don’t know what is!
Speaking to arsenal.com before the game tomorrow Mikel Arteta doesn’t feel that the second leg against Villarreal is one of the biggest in his managerial career so far stating; “Well, it’s a big moment again. Not for me, but for the club and for everything that has happened in the last two years and the last months. All the instability that we’ve been living with for many different reasons. So I think it will be really important and a big step forward if we are able to be in that final and have the opportunity to win that trophy.”
I honestly don’t know how to take that comment!
It is not a big moment for him, but for the club it is. Is he not part of the club? Does he not care about the club as much as he should?
Now I could be misunderstanding of course, but if I was a manager new into my managerial career and I was asked if this is going to be the biggest game of my managerial career so far, I would of course answer with ‘yes’, naturally.
If he gets through this game and gets to the final, then of course the final will then be the biggest game of his managerial career to date. But for me, any chance a manager has to win a trophy should be seen as one of the biggest games in their career no matter the competition.
I guarantee had you asked Pep Guardiola if Tuesday’s second leg semi-final against PSG was the biggest in his managerial career to date, he would have said yes, despite City going into the game 2-1 up. Because winning would put him into his first ever Champions League final and losing would have only handed City two titles this season. But the Champions League is the one that has so far gotten away from Pep with City and now he is through the final will no doubt be the biggest in his managerial career.
So I honestly don’t understand why Mikel doesn’t see this game as one of the biggest so far.
He HAS to win to get through. No other result will be acceptable and I hope for his sake they do win, because then the final will surely be the biggest game of his career to date right!?
Shenel Osman