Has Arteta impressed so far? by ThirdManJW
Firstly, I must make it clear that it is far too early to draw any real conclusions on Arteta’s reign. He joined us at almost the half-way stage, so no pre-season, he hasn’t made a permanent signing yet (although it’s looking likely Mari may be his first), and he inherited a mess! Despite that, has Arteta impressed us? Yes and no, for me.
I must admit that I wasn’t enthralled with his appointment. Given the mess at Arsenal, we needed an experienced head. It’s not to say that Arteta hasn’t got potential, but is the Arsenal job just too much for someone with no experience? Maybe Arteta is the right man, but at the wrong time? As I have already said, Arteta has not got a lot to work with, but these are my thoughts on the current Arsenal manager anyway:
Pros
Young, hungry manager that wants to make a name for himself.
Former Arsenal player. So, he has some idea of the culture, values of the club, and its problems.
Spent a long time playing under Moyes, and Wenger, before working with Pep as a coach. Hopefully Arteta will have learnt a lot about the defensive, and attacking side of the game from these three, which could give him a balanced view of how his team sets up tactically.
I love the way he conducts himself in interviews, and the language used. Very firm, straight down the line. Seems very confident.
Has already proven he’s not afraid to make bold decisions.
He has spent the last 16 years in English football as a player and a coach, so he will have a deep understanding of our league.
Although the results, and performances haven’t been fantastic, I do feel that we are playing a little better as a unit (pre lock-down). I think Arteta has identified our defensive issues as a priority, as we seem to be slightly more defensive than attacking.
Seems to have recognized the disconnect between the fans and the club. As a fan, I appreciate this.
Cons
Although I feel we’re slightly more defensive under Arteta, I am still not 100% sure of what his style is?
Some of his team selections, and substitutions have been utterly baffling. Most notably Martinelli’s exclusion. There are a few theories as to why he’s suddenly out the team, but let’s not forget that Arteta pretty much excluded Martinelli pre lock-down as well, which would render these theories redundant. Has Arteta even picked his best starting XI yet?
The results, and performances haven’t been great, and I don’t see any signs of that changing anytime soon.
Has he got the experience to deal with so many problems?
I haven’t been overly impressed with Arteta’s in-game management. He seems to be more reactionary, than proactive. The Olympiakos, Chelsea, and Brighton defeats are good examples of this. Not just because we lost, but one could tell that there really needed to be some tactical changes before it was too late.
We’re being told that Arteta is involved in the signing of players, if this is true, then that is a worry, given that there’s rumors of Mari, Cedric, and Luiz staying at the club.
He had a mini pre-season during the backend of the lockdown, and we have looked terrible since the restart. Very surprised by this.
So, there is more pros than cons for me, but the lack of experience coupled with the state of Arsenal, is a huge con! I will only make a proper judgement on Arteta deep into next season, or even at the end of the 20/21 season.
What are your thoughts on Arteta so far?
ThirdManJW