Former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan insists Mikel Arteta lost the Premier League title on the brink of victory.
The Spanish manager helped Arsenal to reach their goal of returning to the top four at the end of this season, but Arsenal set the bar higher during the campaign.
Having topped the standing for most of the season, the Gunners were on course to be crowned champions at the end of it.
However, they eventually choked on the challenge and will no longer win it unless by a miracle.
People have praised Arteta for even challenging City, but Jordan believes he failed to deliver on what he should have.
‘I worry – to use a Souness-ism – that Arteta is a son-in-law,’ he told talkSport.
‘I am not sure he has this particular gear in those narrowing of the eyes that concentrates players’ minds to get them to the next level. Something was lost and it wasn’t just [William] Saliba that didn’t get you past those games.’
Adding: ‘Well done for finishing second in the league. Not so well done for snatching defeat from the joys of victory. Are they going to build on it? Is the next step to win the league? I don’t think it is.’
Just Arsenal Opinion
We set the bar very high for ourselves in this campaign, so people will hardly celebrate finishing inside the top four.
It was our main goal and we achieved it, so the fans must show appreciation and continue to support the team.
Video – Mikel Arteta explains what went wrong against Brighton “Individually we were below par”
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Arteta has got to learn massively from this season because we boobed big style. Is he good enough to win the league? I doubt he will have a better chance than this and made some really bad judgement calls.
@Reggie
RealTalk. The same team mismanagement as last season and the one before. Jus sayin…
I think Simon Jordan is being a little bit harsh, but it may also be true that Arteta doesn’t have enough to win the league. At the moment it is hard to look beyond Pep. Klopp has won it once so can’t be ruled out but are ETH or Poch likely to oust Guardiola?
@Sue P
In all fairness to Poch, he knows how to manage a team and has inherited a decent enough squad. He only need to add a few players to get Chelsea flying again. Mikel, on the other hand, has to learn how to utilise those players he has better. Jus sayin…
“We set the bar very high for ourselves” is the quote that caught my eye….. Yet from 2008 onwards, certain Arsenal fans derided the fact that this was commonplace and expected from Arsene Wenger and considered a failure by them.
So where has the measurement used to judge AW gone with regards to MA?
Can’t use the old “he inherited dross” because the same set of fans have lauded Mikel for getting rid of the “prima donnas, the lazy players, the ones who undermined him and have seen over £350, 000,000 spent on new players.
We are kidding ourselves if we think we set the bar very high, after nearly four seasons of Mikel being in charge, enough of the excuses for how Mr Jordan has rightly described as throwing the title away.
Now, I’m not denying that Mikel has done extremely well this season and the way he has brought the club, it’s fans, players and the owners together is amazing this season and I would say it has been the best ever season since we moved to the Emirates.
But let’s stop this nonsense about excusing his faults, as if he’s just started the job – four seasons is not being a novice who’s learning as he goes.
We threw the title away, no arguments there in my opinion.
Unlike Mr Jordan, I believe MA will achieve great things, but can we stop making excuses for him and judge him properly, not as if we’re being disloyal in pointing out his mistakes?
@ken1945
RealTalk…👍🏾
It’s 3 “ full “seasons & anyone who says anything else is just being disingenuous No one’s making excuses for him.At least not the fans I know or the other blogs I come across.He’s made mistakes.The best do.No one’s infallible.As for this season,with the youngest team in the prem( for much of the season) surprised everyone.Yes including the likes of Jordan.A well known Arsenal hater.
We will get even better.Wait & see.I can’t wait.
Actually it’s three and a half seasons, but as Mikel has been credited with the fa cup in that first half a season, it would be disingenuous not to include it.
So aiming high as being a top four position, isn’t excusing the way we have lost the PL this season?
You obviously didn’t read my post, because I said that I believe MA will succeed, but let’s be honest.
That’s Toney of our transfer list then – banned for eight months!!!
Mikal Arteta lost the premier league on the brink of victory.’
This one hurts .
All I will choose to say on this matter is that I think comments so far are extremely harsh and unfair.
Not a single post mentioned the huge financial advanntage that City have. I mention it though.
And I will NOT be discussing this further with folk I consider unthinking and unfair. END OF POST!
I think you are being harsh and unfair Jon
Pep is at present the best manager in our league and the Oil money makes a massive difference. Would Lampard or Steve Bruce have brought multiple titles to City? I’ll be delighted to see Arteta wrest that title away from Guardiola but he hasn’t reached the top – yet.
I have to largely agree with Jon on this one. It is disingenuous to directly compare what Guardiola is able to do at MC with the options available to Arteta as so many are doing. So I can understand his frustration with other fans. Guardiola can start de Bruyne on the bench for much of the season whilst we have no real replacement for Odegaard. Players like Foden, Alvarez and Mahrez are struggling to get playing time. Arsenal fans are angry that the likes of Nketiah and Nelson are being benched. It’s a joke.
I’ll be the first to agree David, that Man City have an embarrassment of riches in their team, in Pep and from questionable financial practices
What cannot be denied, unfortunately, is that we faltered from a position of strength. It grieves me, but that’s what happened. I can put some of that down to having a smaller pool of excellent players but not all of it.
I’m not of the opinion that Arteta has reached his potential so soon in his career. Some think he has had enough time but to me that’s ridiculous. But none of us know just yet what his ceiling is. That’s why I thought Jordan was harsh because he didn’t think Arteta could go to the next level
Sue P a disapppinting post, esp from you of all people.
I SAID that City have endless money, so when you mentioned their oil money, you agreed with my point.
I also agree and never said differently, that Pep IS the worlds best manager. I also never claimed that right now MA is on his level. But some of the above posts are ridiculous and ignore all he has done and THOSE ARE VERY HARSH INDEED, . AS WELL AS BEING WRONG.
So if you think(puzzlingly) I AM BEING HARSH, you then presumably think your OWN post harsh, as you agree with me all down the line.
Puzzling , to say the least!
I thought you were being harsh on me Jon. My original post attempted to answer the question about whether Arteta has what it takes. Jordan thought not and I described that as harsh. It maybe true as he hasn’t won the league yet. That’s not to say that I don’t think Arteta is on the right path. This season’s end will come as a blow so let’s see what he can improve on for next. Money has – as we all know – played a significant role in ManC’s success. I also consider that Pep is the reason for only Liverpool having a title over several years. No Chelsea, no ManU – both clubs having had large injections of money. He is key. That was my point and I didn’t make it very clear. .
Toney.Ready to play just when we need him.A timely boost for 2nd half of season.I say go for it.Perfect for us.
That’s a huge call, he could be very ring rusty by then.