Harry Redknapp has warned Mikel Arteta that he needs the players at Arsenal to succeed no matter ‘how clever he is on the training ground’, as he told his own podcast.
Arsenal are potentially heading for one of their worst finishes in recent decades and they could end the season with no European football at all.
Nevermind the Champions League, Arsenal might not even finish in the top-seven this season, which then makes them having to win the Europa League itself pretty paramount.
Former Premier League boss Redknapp shared his thoughts on Arteta and how it’s ‘very difficult’ for the club to go down the British route in terms of recruiting players.
“I like Arteta,” said Redknapp. “Again, he needs the players. This becomes about recruitment. They need to go out and buy some good players. And then he has a chance.
“If they don’t get good players. I don’t care how clever he is on the training ground – you need good players if you are going to be a top manager.
On getting British players: “I don’t know where you would get them from. Where do you get British players from? It’s very difficult.
“Oh, they are getting some decent kids coming through but you look at their defence it’s not strong enough.”
Whether it was in November when Jack Grealish was ripping Arsenal to shreds or in December when Granit Xhaka was losing his head once again against Burnley.
Arteta could have easily, on any of those occasions, lost his job. But those in the North London boardroom stuck by him and it’s now starting to show.
The likes of Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka have shown real quality going forward, whilst Arsenal have looked a lot stronger from a defensive standpoint and those big wins, such as Leicester away and Tottenham at home are now being credited into the bank.
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