Paul Merson says that Mikel Arteta has to return to making Arsenal harder to beat just as he did when he became the manager of Arsenal initially.
The Gunners were tough to break down when Arteta was first named their manager and he was able to win the FA Cup and the Community Shield for them in August.
They have now become softer at the back and that has seen them become easy to beat.
With new signings, Arteta has expectedly made some changes to his tactics, but they haven’t worked so far and Merson says that he simply has to go back to when things were working.
He says that Arteta can forget about impressing and instead get on with the job by bringing back the style of play that help him win trophies.
He can understand that Arteta wants to impress because he is new as a manager in the game and that is probably making him shy away from negative tactics even if they bring results.
‘Of course, confidence isn’t great at Arsenal and that can play a major part. Man United look a different team with confidence, but Arteta needs to go back to what brought Arsenal success – the tactics against Man City in the FA Cup semi-final, the game against Chelsea in the final,’ Merson said on Sky Sports via Mailsport.
‘They need to go back to that way of playing, but he’s in a position now as a young manager new in the game, he feels he needs to keep impressing.
‘He has to go back to being hard to beat, using pace on the counter-attack. At the moment, it feels like Arteta is shying away from using what are seen as negative tactics and is focused more on trying to entertain – it’s no good.
‘Leeds are like the old Arsenal of the past eight or nine years. Arsenal didn’t win anything but everybody loved them because you knew you would watch a good game.
‘Arteta needs to go back to what brought him success at the first time of asking. They beat a very good Man City team at the time and Arteta needs to show the players that video and get back to that.’
Great idea and it makes sense
Arteta had probably forgotten the “Manual” he brought from “Etihad” which he used against Man city, Chelsea and Liverpool.
He probably borrowed from the long list of Sam Allardyce’s Manual, known for accepting to take over a drowning club, where he always jubilate for escaping relegation as if he won major tournament.
The problem is that that tactic works again teams than attack u and dont wait for u…that’s why it works against pool, city, etc, un league games where the game is win or win…our problem allways would be against those who park the bus…our tactic about play from our goal from the bands (when works) were good yo make spaces, but when the other teams figure it out our problem start, because we dont hace the movements, the Tactics and the accuracy to create good chances when we have the control of the ball, against a team that gave us the ball to hurt us in the counter
I fully agree with PM. Last season when Wolves and SU were riding high,Arsenal beat both on the way to the Cup win.
I believe his constant tinkering caused the gunners to slide. Now it could get worse.
He could not put the same team for two matches in a row which could upset the co-ordination.
If Arsenal lose to Chelsea,thats it. No more ifs and buts.
Arsenal have been become too predictable like passing from the back,sideways and back again.
Arteta could become a great manager in the future but Arsenal’s need is greatest now: get out of the relegation quicksand before it becomes too late.By then the premium managers may not wish to take over a sinking ship.