Mikel Arteta says he delayed the signing of his new deal until he was sure he’d recovered from his ankle surgery and could maintain the level required.
The 33 year old missed the last 6 months of the season after struggling through the opening months with a debilitating calf problem which was linked to an ankle problem corrected with an operation in November.
And despite the fact the new contract was on the table, the Spaniard wanted to make sure he could play his part before putting pen to paper.
“First and foremost I had to decide whether I could do another full season here and I believe I can,” he told Arsenal Player.
“I was injured for the last six months with an ankle surgery, that’s why I wanted to wait, to see how I was feeling about the end of the season and if I could have another go at this level.
“We waited, they were really keen to maintain me on the team and that was my first option, so I’m really happy to stay.”
His absence from the team, along with other injuries, opened the door for Francis Coquelin, but Arteta isn’t willing to give up his place easily, saying competition is important.
“Everybody is starting from zero from the beginning of the season,” he said, “and you need to earn your place.
“When I have been fit I have always been involved. Obviously the years go on and you have some players coming in, which makes the competition strong, but that’s what you’re here for, to make each other better.”
Despite being one of the club’s most consistent performers since his arrival from Everton in 2011, last season has left him with something to prove, let’s hope he can do that.
Love him, love his hair.
Sorry, but his hair is not moved
Mikel has a slight advantage in that his hair is perfecto.
Having said that, I’d love to see those two boss DM together from 60 minutes after we go 2 or 3-0 up against Man City and Chelsea. It’d be such a solid and disciplined partnership.
I’d love to see anyone come on after 60 minutes! 🙂
Cue Wenger subbing himself on, pirouetting past Kompany and Mangala, and smashing one in off Hart’s face.
2 or 3 up against Chelsea? It’s bold… I like it
Never going to forget that He-man style picture of him training in the gym.
Him and Coq together could be incredibly solid. Mikel with his distribution and mastery of the standing tackle, and Coq with the tenacity and eagerness to win the balls that mikel’s legs no longer enable him to get. Now all we need is to lure Flamini into a room with some crayons for a season till his contract runs out.
Let’s not forget the intensity of Flamini’s attitude and his “enforcer” mode!
….not saying play him/keep him… but no need to disrespect him with “crayons”…:-(
Don’t worry, no disrespect here. We all know he’s capable of snapping stronger things in half
We as a fan base are setiously underestimating this man’s value. There’s definitely 10-15 match winning performances in him. Never left us down
He is a class act. Not many of them around, but they seem to congregate at AFC… F*, I love this club! !
Extending Arteta means Wenger is prepared NOT to spend in DM. He will wait next summer if he does not get value this time round. And frankly, with supply low and demand high, there is real likely hood he will not spend. Schneiderlin is over priced and overrated and not the sort of player we need, think Yohan Cabaye. What has happened to him then? Similarly Carvalho does not impress me despite all the media accolades. Wenger probably prefers a bit of experience to come into the position if he is to let Arteta leave. We’ve had players like Melo… Read more »
It really does look like Arsene’s plan for the DM role in the upcoming season is to suffice with what we have. I don’t doubt he tried to sign Schneiderlin but United will offer him regular starts so that may have tipped the scale; that says a lot about his attitude as well. Looking around I can’t put a finger on any other DMs on Coquelins level apart from Shneiderlin and Kondogbia which is why I’ve come to accept terms with Arteta and Flamini. They’re both not awful but at the same time if Coq gets injured or loses form… Read more »
Big mistake. A club captain should be first name on the team sheet…
McClintock, Sansom, Adams, Viera, Henry….Arteta lucky to be on the bench. This is a decision that could cost us…he’s just not good enough any more. Too old and slow.
Imagine…away to Barca with him hobbling about. Fuckin’ hell.
Eh, captain smachtain
I know there is a massive love fest for him but this is a backwards step. He simply isn’t good enough. Much better out there that we should be signing to challenge coq
Absolute class
I think people underestimate what Arteta gives us. I also think that some might overstate what Coquelin brings. Both of them can actually compliment each other.
Arteta is a great deep-lying playmaker who sometimes struggled in top match ups where he was over-run with physicality (e.g. Yaya Tore), while Coquelin, a more standard DM, struggled to make an impact vs. teams that wanted to sit back and defend with 9-10 behind the ball.
I think Wenger might switch them up based on what the team needs so we have a good matchup.
^This. Exactly.
Arteta and Coquelin are both very good at what they do, but their expertise lends itself to different situations. By slotting each one in where he is most effective, we not only tailor our line-up as required but also ensure neither gets burnt out from overuse.
Ild say cazorla is playing the deep lying play maker role better than arteta ever has
Exactly. We do not need Arteta anymore with Coq emergence. There is a reason why wenger prefers to pair Coq with Santi rather than Ramsey.
Arteta’s had his best moments with us with a squad that’s not nearly as good as it now. At a key time of improvement, after having struck up a great partnership with Ramsey in ’13-’14, he was injury ridden. While it’s fair to say that Cazorla turned more than a few heads with his style of close control and short/quick distribution, I believe that Arteta really hasn’t been able to showcase just how he could utilize the squad’s forward talent. I’m willing to give him a chance, given the fact that he’s been elemental in holding this club together for… Read more »
Holding what? To the best of my knowledge, we have never relied on Arteta for survival. Quite the opposite actually. You could make a case that Van Cunt held us together for a season, but Arteta — pfffttt!
Erm, check your memory. Somebody played the deep midfielder/deep playmaker role adapting to an out of natural position Pre-Coquelin.
He also consistently led the team in passing accuracy and totally orchestrated the passing and possession for the team.
For a team that plays the Arsenal Way, I’d say that’s pretty pivotal.
I just love that the ad underneath the article is for some medication called “Osphena” 🙂
If he was found to be “hobbling about” against Barca next season, then he clearly would have earn’t his right to be there?
It’s all good imo.
Pukka hair!
More likely because aw has failed to sign the player we need again and signing arteta was ‘easier’ than schneiderlin or carvahlo
Chelsea won the league by a distance, would arteta get anywhere near their team let alone their squad?
…but who was cover in their squad for Matic? Obi Mikel?
Please, that guy would struggle in our reserves.
This place can be weird some…
October last year and this place was full of “I love Arteta, but he’s passed it I’m afraid”.
But come summer and with the good vibes and a general sense of optimism, people do a 180 on him.
Of course come the season, or even a poor pre-season game, it’s another 180.
Happens every year. I expect the same with Giroud.
Wenger considers the captain’s role ceremonial, he has said he wants many leaders in his team. I understand Wenger’s position, as compared to say Cricket, the Captain hardly makes any decisions but in a right game, a Captain’s performance can be inspiring, then again in a tight game it’s difficult for one man to make all the difference (he can certainly make some difference). Cutting my rambling short – I think we should add another DM replacing Flamini from a headcount perspective but competing with Le Coq from a role perspective. Arteta after a year out, is not at his… Read more »
The only player we’ve signed so far is a “quality player who became available.” My question is; when will Arsene execute the plan he had for the summer? I am tempted to believe that if no other quality player becomes available, we are done for the summer.
I don’t see Cech as the “game changer” signing. To be fair, Szczesny and Ospina were not the problem last season. They may have cost us a meagre 6 points combined.
We need an improvement in the forward line if we are to mount a serious challenge this season.
6 points is half the gap. Then there is the intangible of confidence that has the potential to move even more points. When a high cross comes in, who do you want making the shout and coming out for it? And then we add the long view of Szcz learning from a recognized great. That can only be a good thing. We have a squad half full of game-changers. I’d say as many as anyone else in the League at the moment. Aside from that, this is solid movement. To me it would have been silly to pass up this… Read more »
I sadly think your right
Let’s not get this wrong, cech is a significant improvement on what we had but he still wasn’t good enough to be first choice in the title winners team
we need more
Are you serious? Courtois just came to chelsea and took the goalkeeping position. He didn’t even have to fight for his place. What kind of message does that send to a player like petr cech, who’s given so much to chelsea? Very disrespectful if you ask me. He’s still in the top 10 best goalkeepers in the world right now. Talent aside, his experience and winning mentality will be massive for Arsenal. You can buy a talented player, but experience and a winning attitude is priceless. Same with arteta. his leadership and experience cannot be bought. Very few players we… Read more »
Are you seriously attempting to compare Arteta to Pirlo? Look at yourself in the mirror and try again. You might get to see the great sea of talent that divides them. For starters, one is a world cup winner, the other has never been to the world cup. Don’t compare apples to stones (not even oranges).
I never said that arteta is as good as pirlo. The point im making is that his experience will be very useful to the arsenal team, just like pirlo’s experience is a great asset to juventus. Remeber pirlo was released by ac milan bcos they thought he was past his best, just like most people on here keep saying arteta is past his best. Just bcos arteta is not a world cup winner does not make him a bad player. George weah never went to the world cup and yet was voted world player of the year. Does missing the… Read more »
wow. you put arteta right up there alongside pirlo. that’s quite a leap. you must really love that hair.
Mourinho went for the younger keeper rather than the better one. Cech is still good enough for a “Title winning team” but my concern is that the goal-keeping problem was more a creation of pundits and the media than the reality on ground.
Love the fans crying about no loyalty when players were leaving, yet piss themselves at the notion of showing loyalty to a fantastic servant of the club over the last 4-5 years.
I second this wholeheartedly. The man had an injury that required surgery, for fuck’s sake. He even held off on signing because he himself was concerned about his ability to play. HE left that judgment to the one person who is really quite damn good at it. And Wenger said sign the damn thing, and so here we are.
Let’s see what Arteta can do.
Wish there’s an option to like your comment again!!!
um, you might be the reason why arsenal fc is content to charge the highest ticket prices in europe, finish in the top four, and win fa cups without ever seriously challenging for a title. next you’ll be comparing arteta to xavi and iniesta. loyalty? servant of the club? when’s the last time a club came sniffing around for arteta? did you forget that we bought him on the last day of the transfer window without a medical because wenger was so desperate for any midfielder after our 8-2 whipping by manure? do you realize that he’s probably the only… Read more »
Absolute nonsense. He didn’t play for spain, so what? Do you know how many quality players have not managed to play for spain? He brings experience and leadership, something that cannot be easily bought. i don’t care how old he is. If he can contribute to the team, that’s all that matters. I’m personally happy he’s staying for another season. Who’s the back-up to matic at chelsea? Mikel. Would I take mikel over arteta? Hell no! Mikel used to be a good player, but chelsea have totally wasted his talent.
Wish there was an option to like your comment again
SDB – your comment is spot. Arteta has never been to the world cup and it is telling that not even stoke has come around sniffing for him. The only reason why people have a repeated cumfest for him is his hair — disgusting.
Starting for Spain. Yeah, I doubt there are any decent midfielders that haven’t been called up for that shit squad.
Ticket prices. ‘World Class’. 8-2. *Yawn*
The Mik’s tight fluid style could be just the “gel” our Coq needs to really turn the screw in midfield.
Lubing up for the new season haha COYG. Forgive me it’s rather early in sunny South Africa. *Boilk*
Love this guy, love his attitude, love his footballing ability. He’s a phenomenal leader and he personifies everything this great club is about.
Very glad to have him around still and he could prove very useful next year. Coquelin’s emergence means we don’t have to play Arteta every single week, which will help manage his fitness too.
A very good player and a model professional who had a good stab at being played out of position. Excellent distribution often gets him out of trouble but the thought of returning to Arsenal being carved open at will is depressing. There’s a role there for him alongside Coquelin but who do you drop? If we don’t see a specialist DM back up/competition for Coquelin 2nd/3rd/4th is the best we can expect.
Coq is going to be stiff competition for him.
I think when we buy we should improve the 1st team. So unless mascherano or Marthinez is available, I think there are other areas we can address first.
Not to be funny but who can he genuinely displace ?
Nice to see the coq jokes aren’t getting boring now
Yes, you can always rely on someone to say they appreciate a player who goes in hard and scores.