There are no two ways about it. Arsenal must put their money where their mouth is…
From having one manager for over two decades to keeping his successor for only one season, times are changing at Arsenal. Some see this as a good thing, others a bad thing. Personally, I think it’s good that the board are becoming sterner with their managerial choices. Unai Emery simply wasn’t the man to bring the Gunners forward, hence he was dismissed promptly.
Now Freddie Ljungberg is desperate to see a worthy manager come in and take his place. And rightly so, as he was thrown in at the deep end as interim manager. The academy boss has done a tremendous job with a number of youth players at London Colney, but not so much with the first team.
The name of social media right now seems to be Mikel Arteta. Having only retired as a player at the Emirates a few seasons ago, he has spent his time since learning from Pep Guardiola. I mean, the Spaniard isn’t the worst manager to spectate, let’s be honest.
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According to the Daily Mail, Manchester City are requesting a fee of £1m from the Arsenal hierarchy if they want to release Mikel Arteta from his Etihad Stadium contract. Only then will he be free to sign a contract as Arsenal manager.
If this report is to be believed, then Arsenal have no other options but to pay the fee. It’s hard to say and even harder to believe but £1m is loose change to Stan Kroenke and company. If it’s an investment that will greatly benefit the future of the club, then it is his and his partners’ responsibilities to pay up.
Mikel Arteta was the captain of Arsenal for many years and, unlike a recent example, was actually worthy of the armband. He enforced a positive mindset into his teammates but he was also quick to shout at his players if they were out of line. It goes without saying that this style of management is exactly what Arsenal need right now.
Unai Emery was a stern character but the problem was his players didn’t respect him. This is what resulted in the power struggle. Freddie Ljungberg, on the other hand, simply isn’t stern enough.
Many of the Arsenal players, including a contender for the future captain of the club Hector Bellerin, know and respect Arteta. I mean, it’s pretty hard not to given what he and Guardiola have achieved in the Premier League over the last few seasons.
Mikel Arteta might not work out for the Gunners in the short run. It’s a difficult task to come in and secure a top-four spot. However, Arteta is the sensible option for the future of the club and, like I said, there’s no excuse for the board not to recognise this. They must cough up the funds or they may live to regret it.
Do you think Mikel Arteta is the man to carry Arsenal forward?