Former Gunner Kevin Campbell has claimed that Arsenal have finally signed the right manager, but will need the players to match our new philosophy.
Mikel Arteta agreed a deal to become the first-team coach in December on a three-and-a-half year contract, and has already impressed the Arsenal faithful with the new style of play which has been instilled.
Results had finally started to come after all the hard work on-and-off the pitch just before the Coronavirus halted play, with our team getting maximum points from three consecutive league matches for the first time this season.
Former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell is also impressed with the work that Arteta is doing, but insists that the club will need to allow him the personnel to get the full potential out of the coach.
“Everybody thinks Pep Guardiola’s system is attack, attack, attack,” Campbell stated.
“Pep Guardiola’s system is work hard, graft and press the ball. That is what his system is.
“Once you can do that you can play all the pretty football you like because you wear teams out.
“You have to, one: be extra fit, two: you have to have the buy-in from the players in order to do it, and three – and this is probably the most important thing – you have to have the right players, to play it.
“Unfortunately, Mikel Arteta this season is our third manager, so it may take a bit longer because now I think we’ve got the right manager, but now we’re going to have to get the right players in.
“I don’t think we’ve got the right balance of players in our system to play the way Mikel Arteta wants.”
There is talk about Lucas Torreira leaving this summer, while Matteo Guendouzi has had very limited action (started twice in the PL since Arteta arrived), which could tell us that Arteta’s sees his midfield options as his weakest area coming into the coming window. Dani Ceballos loan deal ends in June and a creative player who has energy and is comfortable on the ball will definitely be top of the wish list this summer.
An inverted full-back is also believed to be important to Arteta, although is a tough find with very few right-backs adept to slotting into a midfield role, and it remains to be seen if Cedric Soares can earn a move to our club following his loan from Southampton.
What is the team lacking that Arteta needs to build on his impressive start to life as head coach? Will the midfield be our focal point in the coming window?
Patrick
