Former Arsenal and Manchester City man Samir Nasri has opened up on what Mikel Arteta was like as a player and coach.
Nasri did not play with the Spaniard at Arsenal before moving to City, but they trained together when the current Gunners gaffer was the assistant manager there and seemed to follow Arteta’s playing career.
They worked together for some months at City before the Frenchman left and Arteta is now the manager of Arsenal.
The Spaniard has emerged as one of the best young coaches in Europe this season and Nasri reveals he still played with the lads when he first became a coach at City.
The Frenchman also admits he is not surprised Arteta is succeeding as a coach because he was a leader as a player.
He says via The Daily Mail:
‘The first year, Mikel was still a bit of a player, he took part in training with us. Then he took on more responsibilities,’ he said.
‘He explained the exercises very well, he was a passionate person who knew his subject.
‘I’m not surprised at what is happening to him today because even when he was a player, he was a real leader.’
Just Arsenal Opinion
Arteta has been a superb manager and was a leader in the Arsenal dressing room when he played for the Gunners.
He has transformed the club as its gaffer, and we expect the standard he has set to remain.
Mikel Arteta in positive mood ahead of Man City visit – “If you want to be champions, you have to win those matches. It’s as simple as that.”
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I think Arteta was the best thing that has happened to Arsenal for a long time.
Sure, he is still learning and makes mistakes, like all managers. But what he has done with this squad this year and with the identity of the club and they way we play is phenomenal.
We have a thin squad compared to City and played them twice with some key personnel missing and lost twice. No shame in that. We missed our supposedly key striker for months after the WC and were written of, but he managed for us to keep the pressure on City. This guy has done short of a miracle with half the investment in the squad and half the payroll of City.
Anyone who dumps on Arteta effectively claims we should have been favorites from the start of the season to win the PL and that falling short is failure. Whilst any reasonable fan would have signed for a 2nd place before the season started.
City has 2 starting 11 capable of winning the PL, we have barely one starting 11 capable of competing.
We have done great and kept the PL race alive until last night.
Bravo Arsenal!!!!!!!