Why sacking Arteta this season would be a massive mistake

Sacking Arteta This Season Would Make No Sense by Dan Smith

There are some gooners suggesting Mikel Arteta’s job will be under threat if we lose this Sunday. While it would increase the pressure on our manager during the Christmas period it would be an over-reaction. Not just an over-reaction, but something that wouldn’t make sense.

Even if your view is the Spaniard isn’t the right man for the job, if you care about the integrity of being in charge of Arsenal then you need to have more patience.

Even if you’re his biggest critic, consider the damage you would do to our proud reputation if you sack someone less than 12 months into his employment?

I wouldn’t even start thinking about appraising the current regime ‘til next summer.

Just morally, I think it’s wrong to recruit a candidate you knew had zero experience, then less than a year later panic because he has…. zero experience. It would make the club a laughing stock.

The moment we hired someone who’s coaching experience was as qualified as being an assistant for a few years, that’s sending the message your prepared to take little steps, even take a few more blows, because long term you have a vision.

If it was about reaching success as quickly as possible, Pep Guardiola’s right-hand man shouldn’t be top of your short list. You would simply pick an Allegri and give him a 200 million transfer kitty.

To appoint a rookie you must have accepted he would be learning on the job, making it obvious there would be mistakes? If his employers run out of patience so soon, I would question if they are suitable for their positions?

I resigned myself long ago to the fact that it doesn’t matter who is in the dugout, we won’t win the title under our current owner.

I said it when we replaced Mr Wenger and repeated it when we replaced Emery. If Stan Kroenke wanted to, Arsenal could be a vacancy that every top manager is interested in. Yet the very best want assurances that it’s realistic to win the EPL in North London. Once they hear your transfer budget, they realise the scale of ambition is low.

So your left looking at names in a bracket below the top tier, who are so grateful they will accept limitations. They back their ability, we get carried away, then get disappointed when we realise while things change yet they stay the same.

Getting rid of Arteta will just see us go through the same cycle, like a sequel to a movie
Mark my words, if we don’t give Arteta time I will be writing the same thing next year just about a different name.

The irony’s never been lost on me that those who called fans disillusioned for not wanting Arsene Wenger out, are in fact the most disillusioned of them all.

I was @WengerIn because I wanted someone to safeguard the club, someone who at the very least loved us.

Despite countless evidence to the contrary, still some sit there and think the solution is to sack Arteta and suddenly we will get a world class alternative and live happily ever after.

That won’t ever happen.

Unless we ever properly show ambition, we will not attract a proven name.

It’s okay if you think Arteta is not the right man, but to protect the prestige of the job, you have to give him more of a chance till your final judgement.

Think of a name you might like to manage us next. What message are you telling him by saying half a season (where you win the FA Cup) and 10 League fixtures into a new one is enough time to decide your fate?

Use Nuno Santo as an example, as I know some rate him (I don’t). If we treat Arteta so harshly he might be put off. Why leave a stable job where you are respected for Arsenal who pull the trigger so easily?

We are not called Chelsea. In fact, at least at Stamford Bridge you know when going in that, yes, you get limited time, but you are given every resource to win trophies.

Arteta was 11th by the time of his first ever match as manager. You then allowed a rookie only loan signings in January.

Then having seen our worst league finish in over two decades our billionaire owner spends over 20 million on Gabriel (paid for by selling Martinez and Sam Greenwood), Willian arrived for free (replaced Mkhitaryan salary) and 45 million to activate Party’s release clause.

He made 55 staff redundant to buy a cheap keeper.

He knew Ozil was being frozen out, he knew Arteta didn’t think Saliba was ready, and our owner did what? No coach tolerates that if they see their predecessor then gets the sack less than a year later.

Unless there’s evidence he’s lost the dressing room, we shouldn’t even be talking about Arteta being in danger of the sack.

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Dan Smith