What could Arsenal’s philosophy be if Mikel Arteta took charge? He explained it over five years ago.
Sky Sports revealed on Monday that Arsenal and Manchester City are discussing the possibility of the Spaniard leaving the Etihad to return to North London to take over as the club’s new manager. Arteta is the favourite to take charge of Arsenal at the moment and Arsenal fans will be wondering about his style of play.
Will Arteta try to replicate Pep Guardiola’s hugely successful system or will he go back to Arsene Wenger’s philosophy which worked so well during the Frenchman’s tenure? The Spaniard was asked about it back in 2014 and here’s what he said.
“My philosophy will be clear. I will have everyone 120 per cent committed, that’s 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,” Arteta said over five years ago.
Arsenal fans have been craving for beautiful, attacking football since Arsene Wenger left the club 18 months ago. Unai Emery failed to convince the supporters with his system and Freddie Ljungberg, in his short time in charge, is yet to fully put his philosophy into practice.
Arteta certainly checks most of the boxes required to manage Arsenal but his inexperience at the top level remains his only negative point. However, working with and under Guardiola and Wenger is always a good thing for a budding manager and the Spaniard could well go on to emulate the two greats of this generation.
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