Wayne Rooney does not believe Mikel Arteta is the best manager in the Premier League, a distinction many would still attribute to Pep Guardiola. That view is widely accepted, but the debate becomes more interesting when considering who should be regarded as the second best manager in the division at present.
Arteta has overseen a period of remarkable consistency at Arsenal over the last three seasons. While silverware has so far eluded his side, the Gunners have established themselves as the most consistently strong team in the league during that time. This level of sustained performance is widely credited to the work Arteta has done since taking charge at the Emirates.
Arteta’s impact at Arsenal
Under Arteta, Arsenal have rebuilt their identity and competitiveness. His side regularly challenges at the top end of the table, displaying tactical organisation, intensity, and balance across the pitch. Although trophies remain the ultimate measure of success, there is little doubt that Arsenal’s resurgence is closely linked to the manager’s influence.
Arteta is now considered one of the finest managers in world football, recognition that reflects both his tactical acumen and his ability to develop a cohesive squad. However, expectations continue to rise, and there is a growing sense that tangible success in the form of trophies is required sooner rather than later. Many believe Arsenal are moving in that direction, and that Arteta has the capacity to deliver major honours in the near future.
Rooney’s alternative choice
Despite praising Arteta’s work, Rooney does not see him as the second best manager in the Premier League. Instead, he believes that honour belongs to a former Arsenal coach. Speaking as reported by the Metro, Rooney explained his reasoning and highlighted the challenges faced by that manager during his time in north London.
He said, “Unai Emery was the first over to come in after Arsene Wenger and we saw with David Moyes and Sir Alex [Ferguson] how difficult that can be.
“That’s a huge pressure. That was a difficult one but the Arsenal job isn’t a true reflection of him.
“In my opinion he’s probably the second-best manager in the Premier League when you look at what he’s doing. You can’t judge Emery on what happened at Arsenal.
“Mikel Arteta is doing fantastic as well.”
Rooney’s comments underline the complexity of judging managerial success, suggesting that context and circumstance play a significant role alongside results and trophies.
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I don’t know if I would go that far; interesting to see though what Emery could do if Villa backed him with 1 billion to spend in 5-6 years.
I will not diminish what Arteta and our club owners and staff have built over the last couple of years. Now we are seeing what fruit it yields, we are in the best position to win the league and possibly the CL. If Arteta does this, then there is good reason to say Arteta is the 2nd best manager in PL behind Pep.
However, in head-to-head matchups between Arteta and Emery, Arteta has 2 wins, 2 draws, and 4 losses. Emery dominated early matchups, but since Arteta has built his squad he has started gaining ground.
If Villa had more depth I would be more worried, but I think they will start to fade away with the Spring.
Durand,
You say that Arteta’s gaining ground regards his games against Emery. I beg to differ, Emery has won their last three encounters.
Derek, we beat Villa at Villa Park last season and then drew at home against them. So it’s a win for each manager and 1 draw.
Herr Drier,
Thank you for you’re correction, for some reason I regressed back to the 2023/2024 season.👍
Durand,
My apologies, for some reason I regressed back to the 2023/2024 season. But with Herr Drier’s correction, I have seen the error of my ways.🤦♂️😂👍
Derek
no problem, looking at the 2-2-4 you raise a fair point. The win and draw made it look better, but Emery seems to have Arteta figured.
Emery did us at home and City walked passed us couple years ago. Arteta started Jesus and dropped Havertz back to midfield, can’t remember if Partey played RB or not. Either way, it was a sh!t show where we were outplayed at home by Emery’s squad.
I did judge Emery on what he did at Arsenal.
That’s not to say, he hasn’t had an excellent career before and after, but his time in north London was marred by 2 highly achievable chances to get back into the CL disappearing by a poor end of season and a worse showing in the EL final. He has managed at a high level so wasn’t exactly inexperienced. Clearly his English language skills were lacking and the dressing room shenanigans played a significant part in his sacking which was a result in a slump in the league. He was given money to spend. Not who he wanted, particularly in Pepe’s case, but neither was Arteta who got Cedric and Mari, until Sanhelli was shown the door.
I’ve no doubt Emery could get a concerto out of the current squad but this is now, and Arteta has done well to build a team able to compete domestically and in Europe
SueP,
As well as Arteta has done in re-building the squad, I wonder how Emery would have faired given the same amount of time as Arteta has been given.
Of course we’ll never know, but I wonder.🤔
I gave that some thought Derek, and my overriding view was the dressing room discord was his undoing, and I don’t think that was recoverable. Too much had gone wrong.
He has come back to England with much improved English and no doubt a better understanding of working in the EPL.
SueP,
I have to say you’re probably right. The language barrier probably got in the way to a certain extent.
That final he lost with the experience he had wrapped me badly sueP. He got his tactics all wrong, and Chelsea just ‘bullied’ us. They just got away easily in my opinion.
The question is how did Mr Rooney come to that conclusion, as that is what matters. What criteria was used and what would be the outcome over What period.? there was a very interesting piece posted using age, experience etc. That bench mark makes MA the best manager in EPL and most probably in Europe. Winning the league trophy is not a 1 season matter.
MA gave the Gunners an identity, which is far mor important than trophy to start with
Can I ask you the same question?
How did you come to the conclusion that Arteta is the best (LOL ) manager in the prem and probably Europe.?
It is opinion, nothing more nothing less. Unless someone states metrics everyone agrees on, then it is a moot point, and just a matter of opinion.
Personally, without a league title, you are not the best in the league, forget about Europe. Then again, if trophies don’t matter to some, then how do you judge?
Interesting question though, how would one judge or rank managers, based on what criteria?
I think there are two ways to approach the topic of rating managers objectively.
1. Hard performance indicators (titles, trophies, points earned, GF/GA metrics etc)
2. Soft performance indicators (team performance improvement over time, consistency of points earned over time, team cohesion, attracting excellent players, dressing room morale, tactical decision quality, fan morale, individual player improvement attributable to coaching, successful integration of club academy players into first and second teams, etc.).
On these soft performance indicators – true management skills – Arteta has excelled, regardless of a few errors here and there and the expected learning curve. He is arguably better than Emery on this level right now, and the numbers show it.
The hard performance indicators are simple, obvious and don’t require any deep attention or analysis. ONLY ever pointing at those is lazy. Few if any people posting here would fall into that category, if you’re here you’re probably a fan. Other than the titles and trophies we all yearn for, Arteta has excelled at points earned, GF/GA metrics, and done very well at essentially everything else. On the basis of this, titles and trophies are surely inevitable too eventually.
Lol. Soft or hard, unless you can come up with a scientific way to compensate for the fact that they are managing two teams of vastly different quality and budget, no indicator can effectively gauge who’s better.
In the end it’s all a matter of opinion, since we can’t swap their roles and see if Emery can win with the current Arsenal squad or if Arteta can get Villa into the Champion’s League
The hard indicators like titles that you’re talking about are the ones that managers of the very top teams are most likely to earn, purely based on greater resources, yes.
The soft indicators don’t have much, if anything, to do with resources. Any manager can be judged on how their influence has improved individual players and the performances of their team, for example. Regardless of whether they coach a top Prem team or a Championship team.
It’s how we know coaches like Iraola, Glasner and Le Bris are good at their jobs. They don’t have to literally win titles to be judged “good”.
You may have made good points with regards to using different types of measures.
Where I will disagree is that you find that several contributors only reference accomplishments. They aren’t happy with the “soft” indicators as, of course, when taken into account they make Arteta look good.
In fact, until recently, if you referenced any measure or positive attribute about Arteta that wasn’t a title it wasn’t unusual to be called an apologist or insulted in some other way.
He’s a pundit. It’s just vibes based on how well Villa are playing right now, beating Arsenal etc.
I guarantee he wouldn’t have argued the same thing 2 or 3 months ago.
Dammmm….
Managers are judged on what they win. Draw your own conclusions? But Emery bloodies his nose very often, with inferior teams. And many managers have won more than Arteta. He can not be judged as equals until he does what he should be doing. Winning the league!!!!
On that basis, Slot is a better manager. Though no-one would seriously argue that at this point, surely.
He won the league, so no argument!!!!
Yes, there is an argument. The poster has suggested an approach that could possibly be used to assess a manager’s performance or ability.
Certainly titles are relevant but they are not the only factors to consider when assessing a major influence.
Yes they are!!!!!
The Reggie’s Dictionary definition of “better” (adj.):
“Better managers than Mikel Arteta in the EPL currently include Ruben Amorim, Vitor Pereira, Nuno, and Marco Silva. Because they have won leagues.”
Nice one, Reg, lol!
If so, why was Arteta nominated for the FIFA coach of the year award?
If is’s as Rooney is saying top European clubs would have rushed to sign Emery and he wouldn’t have landed at pressureless Villa.
Knowing his prospects Bayern tapped up Kompany while Emery was available.
Emery had a good spell at times with us but ultimately his lack of English bought him down along with him losing the dressing room and obviously the respect of the players. He’s doing exceptionally well presently with Villa and apart from being right on our coat tails, is Arteta’s nemesis.
Let’s not forget the club tagged him with “coach” when he joined, not “manager.” That did not go unnoticed by the players I would bet, and they started chipping away at his authority from there.
Also, Emery did not get the players he wanted, he had to manage players others bought, we should all remember that.
It was never a good environment for Emery, and I believe that he was never hired to figure into our rebuild, he was hired as a bridge between Wenger leaving and a manager they really wanted.
He was always a “band-aid” a get me over hire, not a manager trusted to pick up Arsenal and take us where Wenger could not.
I’d like to add a couple of things Durand.
I think both Emery and Arteta were hired as coaches and as I mentioned earlier, neither was in control of who came in. That changed for the start of Arteta’s first full season
Arsenal were rubbing along very nicely under Emery for a large part of the season and there was no reason to think that during the run in it would fizzle out so dramatically. Why would the players have tried to work against him when a top4 place was so attainable and CL football would be back again?
I had never considered the possibility that Emery was a stop gap. He had managed PSG and won several trophies. It makes the hiring of Arteta afterwards almost incredible as he had nothing more on his CV than being Pep’s right hand man
Perhaps Sue, only the club knows. I think Emery was riding out the chaos, the divisiveness in the fan base, and Wenger falling short again.
He was hired as coach and sacked as coach, kept that moniker. Never had the support Arteta did, never allowed to buy out contracts, or get rid of the troublemakers.
Worked out well for both, but different situations and power held at the club between Emery and Arteta, and backing by ownership.
Both were hired as Head coaches. Arteta was simply more effective at influencing senior management regarding the need for a fundamental restructuring in addition to demonstrating his coaching ability.
His effectiveness in selling a vision and outlining a plan to achieve it was part of what led to his being appointed as manager.
Lol. For once here’s something I could agree with you, David.
Arteta has to be commended for being able to sell his ideas to the Kroenkes so much so that for the first time since taking over as owners of the club, they were happy to bring out their cheque book and spend like we want to win the league.
The Kroenke’s financial backing of the manager now compared to the spend some fxxking money days is truly night and day. Arteta should take some credit for making the owners believe in his plans
Agreed
It was perhaps a case of wrong place wrong time for Emery, I guess.
Like many others, I had less patience with getting us back in the Champions League when Emery was appointed. Failure in doing so was a big red flag. Unfortunately it didn’t work out and we had to shallow the bitter pill that our expectations were somewhat too high.
By the time Arteta was appointed. More amongst us had tapered our expectations and accepted that we needed some time to rebuild. Failure to get us back into the Champions League was seen as a transition rather than an outright failure.
Too bad for Emery. If he was appointed after someone else had failed before him, perhaps we would have been more patient towards him
Good post
We were on a downward spiral when he got the sack! I think we were winless in 10 or so games! And he’d lost the dressing room. I see him as a good manager when too much is not expected of him.
Rooney is a well established and accomplished player. That is undisputed. Equally so, he is the worst, under- achievet coach whose opinion about Arteta and Arsenal is immaterial, immature, and at worst reflective of all Man Porto United players jealousy and envy towards Arsenal
Why would they be jealous ?
Because of where the two clubs are currently at Dan, both on and off the pitch.