Morning all.
A late night, early morning meeting, a quick jet set to the US of A and it seems Mikel Arteta is ready to fill the big vacant boots at Arsenal which Arsene Wenger left behind. Unai Emery tried but his feet were clearly too small and Freddie, well he was just keeping them warm. A bit like my slippers which I leave on the radiator before going out into the cold.
Mikel Arteta wouldn’t have been my first choice that’s for sure and I think appointing him is a big risk but it’s not my head on the block if it goes wrong. On the other hand, if he does well, I’ll be the first to eat humble pie. As long as it comes with custard. Or cream, I’m not fussy.
Seriously, Arteta has no managerial experience whatsoever, but he has spent the last three years working alongside Pep Guardiola, coaching Man City. Coaching players and managing them though are two different things. Working with the players City have and working with this Arsenal squad will be like having chalk in one hand, cheese in the other and trying to find a similarity.
One day you’re all friends as a coach, the next, you’re dropping some of them because they’re not doing enough to warrant selecting as a manager. Dealing with a sulky Mesut Ozil, and players with egos bigger than their pay-packet wont be easy either, not anytime during a career let alone with no previous experience. Unai Emery struggled and he’s dealt with a few characters during his managerial career, so I just hope the board have seen something in Mikel to make them believe he’ll be more successful.
Perhaps he’ll be pushing to sell a few of them to generate some funds so he can sign his own style of players. He sure needs to.
I wonder who will come with him if Arteta does get the job, who will make up his team of coaches and will Freddie stay on board? Having an experienced team around him will be crucial in his first managerial post. Perhaps he’ll reach out to one or two ex team mates from Everton and or Arsenal. Or Spain.
Not only has Mikel worked with Pep though, he had a few years as a player at Arsenal under Arsene Wenger. The Frenchman might have ended his Arsenal career under a cloud but when it came representing the club, he was a class above most. At least I think he was. He might have waffled on, talked poppycock, spun us a yarn or ten about transfers etc, but I truly believe he loved the club and still does. Arteta would have learned a lot from him in that department.
City players, Guardiola, Wenger, and anyone else who knows the Spaniard has nothing other than good things to say about him. Mind you, it’s highly unlikely they’d say anything else really.
As said, I think appointing Mikel Arteta as our next manager/head coach is a huge risk. Hopefully though, should he be appointed, he’ll prove to be a risk worth taking…
See you in the comments guys…
Morning Rico and all fellows and ,fellowesses who are luxuriating in the warmth of the HH hearth.
I welcomed Arteta when wily Wenger signed him and I shall welcome him again if he becomes the new coach with the same level of enthusiasm as I did back in the day. I think he turned our season round after the 8-2 mauling that prompted the club into buying one or two to shore up the club. They found themselves in the sort of the same situation as we are now.
Let us hope he has the same effect, the second time around.
If citeh let him go, (by no means certain) we should see some serious changes to the playing style and tactics employed.
However, the issue of head coach has a way to run yet. It’s never over till it’s over and, I can’t hear the fat lady singing yet!
The fingers are well and truly crossed, Rico.
When Arsene left, it was the perfect time to enjoy an Ancelotti it Benitez to “steady the ship”, but now, imo.
It’s time to be bold and look to the long term future.
Is Arteta the man to take us forward?
We all hope so, I’m sure.
That’s assuming this deal happens, of course.
Morning all.
Wavy, I’m with you.
When he played, our win to loss ratio was far better than when he didn’t during his time at the club.
He reads the game superbly, imo, and just has a superb football brain.
Let’s hope the deal is sorted ASAP.
Good morning Rico and all.
Speaking in 2014, when asked to outline his managerial vision, Arteta said “My philosophy will be clear, I will have everyone 120 per cent committed, that is the first thing. If not, you don’t play for me. When it’s time to work it’s time to work, and when it’s time to have fun then I’m the first one to do it, but that commitment is vital”
“Then I want the football to be expressive, entertaining. I cannot have a concept of football where everything is based on the opposition. We have to dictate the game, we have to be the ones taking the initiative, and we have to entertain the people coming to watch us. I’m 100 per cent convinced of those things, and I think I could do it.”
I have my doubts as to the wisdom of putting all Arsenal’s eggs in Arteta’s basket, but if he can stick to his vision and get the squad on-side, then half the battle will have been won.
If he does sign up, then I wish him all the best.
Morning Wavy, Scott, Cicero and all.
I’ll be right behind whoever gets the job. 😆
Not excited, not underwhelmed, bloody furious. Disastrous appointment. No experience, no WC player status, nothing that demands respect from international players. Not what we need at all
But Stan, Emery had all what you’ve listed and where did he get us?
I’d have rather we went after a guy with experience but it could be Arteta is the next up and coming excellent coach. Like Pep when he first started his coaching career.
I’m slightly underwhelmed but these guys at the club know more than me so I guess you, me, all of us have to trust them to a degree.
Stan, yet Pep, Poch, Alonso and others all cant speak highly enough of him.
Then, what would they know lol
If he gets the gig, get behind him and don’t write him off before it even happens.
Hi Rico and All just read one paper claim Arteta will sign tomorrow for five million per year and they believe Freddie will be his assistant if this true I might hang on before I renew my membership next season
Hi Geoff. That’s a bit negative surely?
After what the club has been through, a new guy, even if it’s not your choice, has to be given a chance doesn’t he?
Like everyone else here I suspect that should he be announced I will wish him all the luck in the world . I will have my reservations but much will depend on those that come in to join him off the pitch as well as those on it.
I will however be very much against losing Freddie in the process , he has the respect of all the young ones that are forming the fringe selection of the first team just as perhaps he may gain respect from the older players we can’t afford to distabilise Nelson , Saka , Willock , Smith – Rowe ,etc if Arteta comes he needs to be told that Freddie stays .
It is clear that much needs to change , the decisions on this is not solely in the domain of the manager , things need to change upstairs . We appear to have a divided board as the old guard are getting shoved into a corner and Raul is taking the reins , the old ones realise that they have no football experience and their attempts to employ O’Leary was rejected by the new ones that are building their power base .
Meanwhile it looks like the club is being handed to Josh who might turn out to be different to Stan and a little more hands on .
Anyway if Mikel gets it Beuna suerte is all I have to say .
He will need it.
Hi Rico I don’t think so, Just saying if is true 5 Million a year he better win and nothing less than 5 place first year 4th second year after all talk is cheap he has never coached but acts like he is the best. If he thinks it will take 3 years to rebuild then he better take a pay cut to pay for new players because Kronke will not spend a cent
Morning Rico and All
Over the years and years we have seen the merry go round of the so called rent -a- boss,
Fat Sam,Pardew,Sparky,Woy Hodgson and so on,
The Chavs and Mancs have decided to go with ex-players,plus we have the interims now doing the rounds.
Arteta could hold the mid I thought when he played,most I know respected him,deep down I think he loves The Arsenal.
Is he the answer,is he too young,can he manager our millionairs..Who knows
What I’m sure of is he will be great for our young lads,we need a clear out.
If the yanks back him all the way,it could work out for us.
The press seem to know how much his wages are..so it looks like Micky
When you look at Big Dunk scaring the life out of them toffees,and what we had in place with little
Freddie to do the same.
Im hoping our new board have got it right about Micky and have told the yanks not other way round.
I would have given Paddy a chance at this stage,even though he has not cut the mustard.
Paddy,Big Tone and Frank what captains are made of for me,
them days are long gone,it seems.
Well said Potter, totally in agreement.
Geoff, when has Arteta made out he’s the best? I don’t think he ever has..
Morning Fred, my concern over Arteta is how he handles the likes of Ozil etc, the big egos who will possibly think he’s not big enough to tell them what to do or how to play.
If what he said back in 2014 is true and he gets support from the board, I hope he carries out that statement. Arsenal are too big and too good a club to be bossed by the likes of Ozil.
Find it hard to like Ozil,for me this league is 90mins graft,
Just a cherry on top player is how I’ve always looked at him.
Hard to fathom out what is a top manager is these days,lose a couple at home with a manager that has no connections from the past with the fans and he is skating on thin ice.
Rico, I see a strength in Arteta that leads me to think handling egos will be the least of his problems-I hope I’m right 🙂
Gee, the guy hasn’t even signed yet and is being torn apart by so many fans on social media, it isn’t funny.
What’s wrong with people??
How can they be so damn negative and adamant he’s not good enough without even seeing him in action?
Any new manager should be given our full support.
Afternoon Rico/everyone
Arteta wouldn’t have been my choice – Allegri, the guy from Ajax,or Nagelsmann from Leipzig,they would likely be expensive though.Also Patrick Viera ticks the boxes for me, management experience,knows English football/Arsenal,plus leadership and a tough attitude.
However it looks like Arteta will be the man, he certainly knows British football well,and Arsenal too,
I’m right behind him,I hope he gets time.
Just a few words for Ljungberg,it was unrealistic to expect him to transform things straight away,he is forever an Arsenal legend. We love you Freddie !
Hi Rico I sore a soccer show on pay tv a fair while ago in Australia and they interviewed Arteta and the way he spoke in that interview turned me off him. He tried to compare him self to Wenger but sounded like little pep. I hope if he gets the job he can prove me wrong but I will not hold my breath after all I can not see Aubameyang listening to him or even some of the young players the way they should no respect to Emery
Afternoon Everybody. Thanks Rico , great post again.
Much as I don’t like the Arsenal bigwigs,they do have a difficult task on their hands.
Some supporters won’t be happy unless we get Klopp. Guardiola or Zidane and clearly that isn’t going to happen. So… do they go for an older tried and tested manager or go for someone younger and fresher like Arteta.
Damned if they do and damned if they don’t I think.
If we are all honest, Whoever takes over this spineless squad of players has a massive ,massive task ahead of them.
Our team don’t lack skill, but they lack heart and guts which I think is just as important, if not more important.
You can teach people skills,positioning and tactics, but if they haven’t got the heart and grit to play for the team in whatever position they are asked to play in…..Well you can’t teach that.
I feel sorry for Freddie, he was let down by the club and in particular the players.
Many are the same players who professed a great affection for Wenger, but when he was struggling they let him down.
The same players mainly, who also got shot of Emery.
And now they’ve shown again, whilst under Freddie, that they don’t care about the club.
If Arteta gets the job, he has to have 100% support from Josh, no excuses.
So if Arteta bombs Ozil out of the team, the Board have to ignore his fanboys and stand behind their manager. Ozil will be gone by the summer of 2021 and good riddance.
There’s a few others he can take with him…
Hi Scott, Whoever they pick are going to get slaughtered mate. You can’t win.
I think it would be a brave decision for him to come to Arsenal because if it all goes tits up that could be his managerial career over,especially with our squad at the moment.
Maybe that’s why if rumours are correct, he want’s 5 million. He can give it a proper go and if the worst happens he’s still a very wealthy man !!
If sky sports are to believed, a deal for Arteta is far from being done…
Afternoon Limey. NN headlines suggest Edu still wants Vieira….
Thanks Mike, well said. Ozil is the perfect example of someone with all the skills, yet born without a backbone.
Agree Kev re Freddie. Player power at its best, or rather worst for us, him and the club.
Is Arteta any wiser in management than Freddie?
You’re right, Mike, and it’s a shame because the fans have got what they wanted-Emery out.
We all have opinions, but so we know better then those making these decisions about what it takes to be the club’s manager?
Ok, they’re not always going to get it right but no matter who comes in, they really do deserve our total support.
Good one Rico – you should have been a sports writer, always something different and, getting some good rewarding banter in the process.
If that’s what Arteta said in 2014 Cicero and it’s still his mandate in 2019, then I for one will be on his side, providing he comes on board.
Any news on that?
Afternoon, one and all. Weather drab whether you’re in Europe or down there in Oz where it’s hotter than drab. Hope all’s well there where you are Scott? I spent two years in Perth on a contract (mid-nineties), and I have relatives in Brisbane. Love the country..
I digress………..
Yes, hope Freddie gets a good position despite the slight demotion.
Unlike Brexit, we won’t have to wait 3 1/3 years to get a result on who it will be.
Andorra, I’m good mate.
Bushfires still rage, other areas are flooding but that’s life in Oz.
Apparently, the area burnt out in the past 6 weeks is equivalent to 1/8th the size of England so that gives a little perspective.
I’ve never been to Perth but have never heard a bad word about the place.
I agree with everyone on Freddy-he deserves to be treated with the utmost respect.
Yeah , like everybody else I agree what Kev said regarding Freddie. He had an unthankful task dumped on him and has had no help from his players.
What is it with Pepe?
Against West Ham he took some tasty tackles and kept on driving forward…………Against City, he took a challenge and after that couldn’t get rid of the ball quick enough!
Something else I’ve been meaning to say…….Freddie did an interview where he stated that Saka wasn’t happy because he was asked to play wing back….. Really! If that’s the case he can p##s off in my opinion. I think any player, especially those fresh out of the academy should be honoured to play in any position for the first team.
I hope I’m blowing this out of proportion but if we have kids getting stroppy with the manager. what chance have we got?
Thanks Andorra, kind words indeed. I think my bank manager would prefer me to be a sports writer, then he wouldn’t have to write to me… lol
Mike, I think that was more about Freddie saying how willing Saka was to switch. I read his comment as a positive rather than negative with the ‘moan’ reference slightly tongue in cheek.
Afternoon rico, house, good read as always.
Something that has always puzzled me. I read Arsenal would have to pay Arteta’s remaining contract at City. Now if a player or coach is sacked, obviously they can claim the rest of their wages that were under contract. But why on earth, if someone walks out, should their wages be paid? Only in Football do we always hear this?
Afternoon Andrew, I guess it’s just compensation for City losing him. I wonder if he’ll make the move though or stay put…
Evening all and thanks Rico.
It`s safe to say that me and Scott have been Arteta`s main advocates on here and I`d love it if he gets the job.
There is no one better and in that I mean nobody coming in is going to immediately make us competitive again as this is a massive rebuild, even huge amount of money spent on players in the next window would still mean this is going to be something that will take years and we know we aint going down the money investment route. So why not a up and coming young vibrant coach who knows Arsenal, knows the history and has worked under the worlds best coach in Guardiola, he hasn`t been working under Fat Sam ffs!…………..assistant to Guardiola………………….not Pulis!…………………..Guardiola, the man our Adam has a shrine too ! hahaha
Not only will Mikel be the best choice for us, he will be the best choice for millions of frustrated women as Arteta masquerades of a night as Zorro!…………………………..do any of us want to come home and find our wives being made love to by Fat Sam, Fat Ancollotti or Bald Pulis?…..NO!……………………but we come home and find Mikel dressed as Zorro making love to our wives and we will pull up a seat and applaud him for his ball retention and his disciplined pressing tactics whilst being observed by an impressed Guardiola and Brian Kid taking notes standing naked in the corner of the room.
This is our chance of getting the next big thing in the coaching world, lets like Zorro with his fonding hands on your wifes globes grab it with both hands!
OK Rico thanks, just me getting over sensitive again !
Hi All the reason why I say Vieira is because of the players big ego;s lets face it when they look at Ateta they see a young guy that has never coached who played in a good arsenal team but when they see Vieira they know he has coached and played for a great Arsenal team and his more mature looking with a stare that may intimidate the older players and there ego;s lets face it how many people in the normal work place like taking order from some one who has now experience
Geoff,
You are underestimating Arteta massively imo.
He will not be stood over by players, that I’m very confident of.
I dare say with the players we had on Arsenes arrival, the situation would’ve been more dicey than this current one yet that squad quickly embraced Wenger.
As soon as Arteta speaks, they’ll either believe, or they won’t, I reckon.
I must say Pep has been incredibly classy in this entire situation.
He’s supported Arteta entirely and done everything to help forward the mans career so hats off to the man.
The fact that such a classy individual is fully supportive of Arteta makes me even more confident he’s the man for the job.
https://mobile.twitter.com/Talkinoutmyarse/status/1206589515340689408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1206643866738286592&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fle-grove.co.uk%2F2019%2F12%2F17%2Farteta-close%2F
Hi Scott I admit Pep is a great coach how ever there are some small roomers that Pep may leave at the end of this season and if Arteta is as good as Pep says then I would of thought Man City and it’s supports would have been more vocal and tried a lot harder to keep Arteta
Hi Rico As me and Scott Do not agreeing on Arteta does that mean you have to agree with one of us LOL
Morning Scott, Geoff, all.
As said Geoff, Arteta wasn’t top of my list but should he get the job as expected, I’ll be right behind him.
New post up now.
2-08 Geoff, better still would be selling the big egos. Arsenal don’t need them.