Pundit defends Arteta and claims he took over a “sinking ship”

Joe Cole feels sorry for Mikel Arteta as he struggles to steady the ship at Arsenal.

The Spaniard was made Arsenal’s latest manager at the end of 2019 and hasn’t succeeded in stopping the downward spiral at the club.

The Gunners have instead continued to go downhill and are currently facing a season outside European football.

Arteta won the FA Cup and Community Shield within his first year at the helm and those wins seem to have bought him some time.

Things are not getting better despite the club signing the likes of Thomas Partey and Gabriel Magalhaes in the last summer transfer window.

Some fans believe Arteta is inexperienced and there have been calls for him to be replaced, but Cole thinks the Spaniard is a good coach who is probably at the wrong job.

He says Arsenal was already going downhill when he became their manager and it’s a pity he hasn’t been able to stop the rot.

He told BT Sport as quoted by Sun Sports: “I feel for Mikel in the sense that he joined a sinking ship, in my opinion.

“The club had been on a steady decline, I think he’s a talented coach.

“It’s a massive job to take as your first job, Arsenal Football Club, but then you’ve also got to look at Edu bringing the players in.

“Whoever is bringing the players through the door, whoever it may be.

“Mikel needs to take some responsibility and I hope he’s doing that privately when he’s doing his appraisal, but this is where they’re at now, Arsenal, and the fans need to understand that.

“The bright spark is that they have some of the best young players in Smith Rowe, Martinelli and Saka.”

Tags Joe Cole Mikel Arteta

14 Comments

  1. Well said Joe Cole…..But that doesn’t mean MA isn’t responsable as we’r not seeing progress…Kloop inherited a mess in the Mersyside but he took theme to pinnacle of Europe…..

    1. Klopp took over at LFC in 2015 and they didn’t win any trophies until 2019. Arteta has had less than 2 years.

      I agree that progress needs to be made sooner rather than later, but I blame the players more than Mikel Arteta. The club was a mess before he took over and he has only had 1 summer transfer window, so I would like to see how things go after one more. Not everything about MA’s tenure has been bad, after all, and he will get better with experience.

      1. Sack him now and the stuff he’s learnt- please God he’s learnt something- goes to the benefit of his next club. People keep acting as though we were good and Areta came along and ruined it all. Truth is, we’ve been shit for years. I think he can turn it around but it’s not a case of a torn hamstring, open heat surgery required.

      2. Are you really comparing klopp with arteta? I can’t believe how some fans think.. Klopp’s Liverpool wasn’t winning but their attack was feared under klopp! Their problems were in the defence and goal keeping.. And it was obvious that they had a style and were improving a lot even when they didnt win any trophy.. Once they got their defence sorted they won the league and the champions league.. What have you seen from arteta on the field to give you the courage to this comparison? Nothing! Bland football! Our defence is leaky.. Or once feared attack is now heartless and can hardly create an attack let alone score a goal! Most of your goals this season are from indivisual efforts not from team play or from a plan! Look at your recent goals against west broom.. A free kick and a great indivisual display from pepe… You will regret hyping and supporting Arteta mark my words!

  2. Don’t compare MA with Klopp, it’s unfair. It’s experience versus inexperience. A man compared with a boy.

    1. lol
      You cannot listen to the truth.
      LET ME SPELL IT FOR YOU
      INEXPERIENCE AGAINST EXPERIENCE.
      INFLATED EGO OF A FOOL AGAINST A WINNER.
      A fool that sold Martinez, brought Willian, Runarsson, Cedric, Ceballos and exiled Martinelli, Guendouzi, Willock and who would have done the same with ESR.
      Foolish and Inexperienced and a total lack of Man management skills.

  3. My issue is with his tinkering, changing the team every week. We need a stable defence, 4 players that play week in week out. They know each other they get better and better each week playing as a unit. Give the young players a chance! He should have given balogun and azeez a lot more minutes this season. Recognize ceballos and bellerin should be on the bench and only play if others are injured. Ceballos has let us down big time too many times this season and bellerin has never been himself after his long lay off. The fans can see this why can’t he!
    Reality is he will be our coach next season and as we all know “FOOTBALLS A FUNNY OLD GAME” next season he could have a blinder! Look at klopp he was magic 2019/2020 and then this season never reached the same heights. Arteta has struggled badly this year but next year he could really do well. If he is to be our manager going forward we still have to support the team. We will improve the team over the summer and we will get rid of some player that no longer fit the team.
    Let’s all try to be as positive as we can!!!

  4. At least with Klopp you could see his influences on the field; the team’s pressing, the style of play, the all around intensity.

    Arteta never settled on a consistent starting 11.
    What is his philosophy? what is his style of play? Does anyone even know what type of player Arteta prefers?

    We look every bit a club managed by an inexperienced rookie, incompetent management, and an indifferent owner. Optics are bad, not to mention the performances on the pitch. How many matches did you even consider to be enjoyable? how many were atrocious and unwatachable?

  5. We were sailing along slowly then MA came and took control of the ship we are sinking after hitting an iceberg he was told about the iceberg but would not listen

  6. No!! He didn’t take over a Poor Squad!! D team had Auba, Martinelli, Partey, etc..
    But Arteta is poor in Players selections for matches!! Fields players@certain games dey shouldn’t play!!
    E.g playing Luiz against teams with fast strikers like Aston Villa, Wolves, etc…
    If Arteta is a Good coach, He would have@least taken dis team to Top 3 or 4!!
    If he becomes a Great coach, it’s our Criticism and Bashing recently dat will b reason!!

Comments are closed

Top Blog Sponsors