Mikel Arteta has urged his players and staff to make the most of the impending summer break after a hectic season that has taken a toll on bodies and minds alike.
While many of the Arsenal first team squad will be involved in international tournaments of some sort – the European Championships, Under-21 European Championships, Copa America and Olympics all take place between June and August – and the boss himself is expecting a busy few months trying to reshape his squad, he couldn’t hide his excitement at the prospect of spending quality time with friends and family.
Speaking ahead of the penultimate game of the season, Arteta said: “It will only be for a low percentage of players [who get time off] because others have international duty but the advice from us, for those that have the opportunity, and I include the staff and myself, is to disconnect a little bit.
“It’s been a really demanding and challenging season and there’s a lot of people, our close ones, who need us. Our body as well is asking for something and when we have the opportunity that we didn’t have in the last year, we have to take it.”
Asked about the stresses and strains that football puts on family life, Arteta reflected: “I’m very lucky because I could not ask for anything else; starting with my wife, who understands every situation.
“All the time the support and the love is there and the energy they [the family] are able to create in the house when you come in after a win or a loss, which is always a different feeling, I always find the same environment.
“I have three boys and two dogs. The three boys, the energy, the love that they give me when they hug, you cannot describe that. They need from me that I give something back.
“In the summer, I cannot wait to have them next to me, jumping all over me. All the time, I give time to my wife. And then, I haven’t seen my mum, my dad, my sister, who I adore, for over a year now. I really need them. The same with my friends. I need to smile, laugh and enjoy and do those things.
“At the same time, you have to reflect on what you’ve done and be very critical of yourself and [weigh up] how you can be better next season.”
This time last year, Arteta suggested he could write a book about his first taste of football management. The way the last year has played out, you imagine he could write a few more. It has been a baptism of fire for a coach not yet into his forties. So what has he made of it all?
“There are parts which are like what management is like and some other things that I’ve been through that are unprecedented,” he said.
“I’ve faced them in the best possible way all the time, trying to be as fair, honest and analytical as possible.
“All the time with just one intention, which is to make the right decision for the football club and defend the football club as much as I possibly could and make the people who follow us and gives us their time, dedication and love as proud and happy as possible with the way we conduct ourselves and the way we play.”
Arteta also believes that the tough times will stand him in good stead for the future.
“I certainly have the same principles and way of trying to deal with situations but obviously you learn a lot,” he said.
“Experience makes you better, makes you challenge yourself, you have a few more scars on your body which are very necessary and you have a better overview of a lot of things that when you start you don’t think they are as important. I think that’s part of the evolution of a coach.”
Heartening words. We are all human at the end of the day.
However, I’m struggling to understand how Arsenal FC have got themselves in a situation where the whole club’s fortunes rest on the shoulders of one man once again. Not five years since the previous one left. Never mind his lack of experience which has repeatedly cost us this season.
It is the equivalent of getting released from gambling rehab and walking straight back into the casino and putting your clothes and the entire contents of your newly restored bank account all on red.
As to managerial turnover, it’s not even three years since Wenger left (June 2018) and we’re on our third manager in that time – and some want a fourth! Whatever the merits of keeping/changing a manager, that’s no recipe for stability.
We can argue he should have more time simply because we don’t want to change another manager vs. anything he’s done to earn more time. But there’s really no justification for having an inexperienced manager vs. a coach at this point. That’s the whole point of a modern set up – coaches move on more frequently so you don’t tear down the entire club every time they leave.
Indeed. When everyone knows – “Always bet on Black”
I do like Arteta. Just hope he can get off to a flyer next season or we may well see the back of him and someone else will get the benefit of the experience he is accruing.
He and we are going to be great next season.
There’s always been a lot of good will to him, a lot of “I really want it to work out”. He knows as well as anyone that’ll only go so far but still hoping he can turn it round.
Enjoy your holibobs Mikel.
We got off to a flyer this season!
Let’s just get some decent reinforcements in this time. No more Willian fuck ups.
No manager is ever perfect in the transfer market. Just think of the duds Wenger bought!
Fair enough – but when Wenger DID sign a dud, he didn’t give him THIRTY-SEVEN games in his first season…
In fairness, Willian started less than half of our PL matches this season. It was a bad signing, a horrible fit, and though it took Arteta too long to realize that, he finally did. All parties seem convinced that he should move on elsewhere; hopefully it happens without too much cost being passed back to Arsenal.
Yes, the number 37 is all his appearances in ALL competitions – whether it was as a starter or a substitute. My point is, if you buy a PL-ready player, you play him for a few games. If it doesn’t work out, maybe you try him as a sub for a few more. But after 10 matches with the player STILL stinking out the place, a good manager would realise they had made a mistake and would STOP PLAYING HIM. Arteta kept playing him over and over and over to the HUGE detriment of the team, throughout the whole season.… Read more »
I think what compounded the problem with Arteta overplaying Willian was that the entire team were stinking out the place, nothing was going our way, and most managers would do what he did — go with experience, players who have been there before and who have the mental strength (supposedly) to handle the disappointments, as opposed to young players who, if it doesn’t change, could have a harder time getting themselves back up to the level. It didn’t work, Arteta finally realized it too late, and he turned to youth and hasn’t really looked back. I think you are overstating… Read more »
Uhm…off the top of my head, Denilson, Mustafi, Francis Jeffers…and there were many more like them…
I will not any “negative” comments this time. I wish Arteta some very good time with his loved ones.
Exactly. F*ck all the negativity.
He’s earned the break.
Rest up, and let’s hit the ground running for next season. That’s when he can be better judged.
I always think I need family time when I’ve been working away. But you spend a couple of days with the screaming fuckers and you’re so glad when the boss asks you to come into the office.
Boy was I happy when my niece and nephews resumed school after the lockdown.
🤗
You spend 3 days with kids and the house feels smaller because they’re bouncing off the walls.
Fair play to you, Mikel. 👍
https://youtu.be/eeNHV2C5m3w
Shouldn’t be talking of holidays when you have two matches to go to the end of the season. Should be talking of finishing well by winning the remaining games. You go into those games in a holiday mood and lose them, then the tongues would wag even the more.
Literally nobody cares about these 2 games, season died with Villarreal. Rest is necessary, let him enjoy it and then come back refreshed and ready to bang
I still find myself getting angry about the Villerreal game.
Could you imagine the sense of anticipation and excitement leading into next week?
(I obviously don’t have a whole lot else
going on in my life)
Isn’t he heading off to bang?
I mean, it would’ve been quite weird if he completely ignored the reporter that asked him the question, so probably did the right thing in responding with a completely uncontroversial statement that almost no one would criticise
Go on holiday but don’t forget we need to sell some and buy some. Go sit with a guru or two about brave and attractive football.
He hasn’t even mentioned how much the fans will benefit from this break as well 🙂
Whatever we think of Arteta, and I detect a little more sympathy/understanding/even support (possibly) for him as opposed to the almost uniformly virulent posts that have dominated this site, he deserves a good break to regroup and recharge with his family.
He’ll need to make the most of it as the coming summer and the 2021-22 season will be the most pressured he’ll have had (by a mile) in his very short managerial career. Let’s all hope he returns refreshed and ready for that challenge.
I like Arteta alot I liked him from the start. Many cried that he should’ve been the first option instead of Emery.
His young and wants to do well. Inexperienced but this will stand him in good stead.
I compare Arteta to Martinelli… Once he starts hitting the ground running many big teams will come calling for him. Man city will be the first as soon as Pep leaves.
In a few months he’ll be spending all the time with his family after he’s spent whatever pittance of a warchest the Kroenkes drum up and still languishing in midtable playing abject football.
of course he can look forward to family time. The board are too spineless to sack him!
Saddest part of the season was when Klopp lost his mother and he was not only not able to visit her for the last time, but he had to turn up for a press conference the next day and journalists were questioning him like nothing had happened!
In Arteta we trust
“All the time, I give time to my wife.” Hey now.