Mikel Arteta says he sees no reason to apologise for his touchline behaviour despite broadcaster Richard Keys waging a one-person war on the Spaniard from his hairy-handed lair in Doha.
For no apparent reason whatsoever, the disgraced former Sky Sports presenter has become utterly fixated with the way the Spaniard acts during matches, claiming he “is dragging the reputation of a magnificent club through the dirt”.
Keys’ comments, which followed Arsenal’s frustrating 0-0 draw with Newcastle – a match that saw the Gunners denied two penalties, much to Arteta’s annoyance – have inspired a series of articles in the sports pages where others have chimed in with similarly one-dimensional and predictably boring criticism.
When former Gunner Martin Keown defended Arteta’s reputation on talkSPORT – in the process taking a moment to skewer Keys (“He’s just trying to create a headline because he’s the other side of the world and no one is really listening”), it provoked another furious response from the beach-ball headed BeIN Sports host.
Ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Oxford United on Monday, Arteta said he’d not paid any attention to the debate and explained it’s important to bear in mind the context of his actions.
“I’m not part of that debate. I think publicly they can have their opinions. I try to do my best for this football club, to defend it, to promote it, to play with the passion I believe the game has to be played with,” he said.
“Every game is special and every manager behaves very differently regarding the circumstances. And you can’t take the context out of a situation. That is not fair. That’s me! Here and on the pitch, for the good and the bad.
He added: “I will always try to be better. Whatever I do, if it is tomorrow or the next day, is to make the club stronger, my players better, play better and win. So if I have to do something, I will do it. If I have to change something, believe me, I will look in the mirror at myself and I will change it very quickly.”
If you wanted to rile Keys up some more, you might want to vote for Mikel Arteta to be crowned Premier League Manager of the Month for November/December.
Richard fucking Keys.
The sooner that strategically shaven ape develops permanent laryngitis, the better.
Gary Neville has got truly got some serious competition in the Anti Arsenal Cuntiest Cunt of All Time stakes.
Jamie O’Hara, Graeme Souness, Roy Keane and Richard Whipsnade Zoo Keys.
Sad fuckwits, the lot of them.
You do kind of forget just how much Arsenal are hated until we start winning.
And with good reason obviously. I mean, we have a rich tradition of behaving with class, blooding youngsters, playing exciting and attacking football, having revolutionary and progressive managers, doing community work…
Plus, our bones are, like, so brittle. It barely takes a studs up challenge on our standing leg for them to snap effortlessly.
What a bunch of cunts we are.
I can distinctly remember one of those two cunts back in their Sky Sports days in and around 2009 questioning Arsene Wengers reserved character on the touchline after a defeat, and accusing him of not caring enough.
So yeah…
I once got on a crowded train at Clapham Junction and Richard Keys and Andy Gray were grumpily sitting on the floor in the doorway with faces like thunder because they couldn’t get a seat. People were literally having to climb over them to get in and out. They were like petulant teenagers. It was a truly pathetic display.
I don’t think it would be a good idea to vote for Arteta as Manager of the Month, as I think it’s a poisoned chalice!
Arteta’s behaviour is acceptable taking into consideration Odegard was given a yellow card for minor shirt pulling in the same game with Newcastle. So where is the fairness and equity from the referee. I think the FA should charge Trippier for always speaking into the ears of the referee which can be intimidating and causes bias.
Lol Keown on Keys. Brutal and bang on Martin.
Also Keys responded that he works for the biggest sports network in the world. No you don’t Richard. Bein sports doesn’t even make the top 10 in terms of revenue. Yes they broadcast in alot of countries, but they are mostly countries who don’t give a fuck about football. The only time you’ll see his beachball face in the uk and incoherent rants is when you are trying to access an illegal stream lol.
Not at all trying to defend keys, but which are these countries that don’t give a fuck about football?
The Republic of Hockey.
Rugbania.
Qatar.
Qataris are certainly very passionate about football, as are many many people in that region. I get that there are countries where football is not the primary or even secondary sport but there is certainly a brit-centric core to this argument that I’m not comfortable with. I think it’s more accurate to say that Keys is far from the center of the discourse, which really is UK-centric, rather than say football doesn’t matter out in those regions.
I think the world cup with its half empty stadiums revealed just how passionate your average Qatari is about the game.
I’m not British.
How many qataris do you know? I know many. I’m from that region. And I promise you, it’s football mad. The population of this tiny country is about 3 million people. To say half empty stadiums = they don’t care about football is idiocy, sorry.
I’m not from that region so I don’t know anyone there. The fact remains that after their rulers managed to bribe their way to the highest competition of the game the stadiums remained empty. Maybe that’s because all the alleged football mad people of Qatar decided to boycott it for moral reasons. Or maybe there just aren’t enough football mad people in Qatar.
Any plans to abolish public flogging in the offing?
Just asking.
What empty stadiums? I was there, I went to ten matches in the group stage, and every stadium I was at was packed to the rafters.
Stadiums seemed more well attended further into the knock out stages. Was that when you went there?
What empty stadiums? I was there, I went to ten matches in the group stage, and every stadium I was at was packed to the rafters.
Dammit, replied to the wrong comment.
Aaarrgghh!
You beat me to it!!
😂 👍
Yeah f*** Richard Keys but also every Brit who thinks football and it’s following starts, rotates and ends with being on that Island. A strong reason why I support Arsenal and every team playing against united but also every national team playing against England.
Sorry, I’m not having that.
Excuse me pal – which country invented the fucking game?
If you hate the Brits and England so much, why do you bother supporting a British and English football club?
I daresay you now think that entitles you to accuse me of racism, in spite of your clearly admitted Anglophobia.
Do you have a link to the keown on keys article? The only link keys is, is a missing one!!!!
I once turned on the TV and Richard Keys and Andy Gray were grumpily talking about football managers with their faces like thunder because they couldn’t get attention any other way. People were literally dropping dead with boredom at the pair of self important petulant pensioners. It was a truly pathetic display.
(Cheers Matty T. You may have started #Itwasatrulypatheticdisplay moment 😉
Surely Dickie Keys and Ondy Grrrray have some ladies working behind the scenes to ogle & verbally allegedly abuse ? Either that or “Dick that’s your name right?” could better utilise his time by shaving his toes and the backs of his hands rather than abusing our perfectly coiffeured Spanish boss ? Just a thought ! Oh great to see “The Toon'”
being made to play more than 60 minutes of actual football before getting kicked out the FA cup !!!
Arteta was right to be angry about the way the Newcastle game was officiated. The referee and VAR were a complete joke.
BTW: did you see the Liverpool v Wolves game yesterday? Wolves robbed by another outrageous refereeing decision: their “offside” goal was perfectly good and VAR should have made sure that it stood.
The way that the game is refereed in this country is a complete joke.
I believe it was the same awful ref during the LFC v Wolves game, couldn’t believe Wolves weren’t awarded a couple of obvious freekicks towards the end.
+ Richard Keys is a monumental bellend
Some of the refs in my sunday league are better than the prem refs nowadays. I thought the ref in the newcastle game was terrible and then he was just as terrible in the wolves game. Richard Keys is also a twat as well as Andy Gray. Im glad that an article like this is the only way i hear about them now.
Any relation to Alicia Keys? That’s what I want to know.
Keys was forced to resign from Sky Sports regarding misogynistic remarks he made about referee assistant Sian Massey. Andy Gray was sacked for the same incident. They are working for Bein Sports in Qatar which is fitting because we all know what THEY think about women’s rights. Keys and Gray fit in quite nicely in that medieval shit hole. As for Arteta’s behaviour he can do cartwheels and juggle bowling pins as long as he remains in the technical area – if he leaves that area he is asking for trouble. Personally, I feel that passion and emotion are vital… Read more »
“hairy-handed lair”, oh my word. Lovely stuff. Yeah, he’s determined to stir up some conflict where there isn’t any, simply because there’s so little to write about the club that’s negative at the moment.
It’s a bit of a shame that commentators can’t get sent off for unprofessional conduct.
Commentators go one better than that, they get sacked. Like Keys did for saying daft shit about one of the PL’s more competent linesmen.
While I certainly wouldn’t go anywhere as far as Keys comments about “dragging the club through the dirt” – plainly headline seeking nonsense – I do think Arteta needs to be a little more careful with his touchline behaviour. Yes, all managers quite rightly get passionate about what’s going on, particularly if decisions go against their team, but he does get close to being OTT. Whether that’s the pressure telling (he still isn’t that experienced after all) I don’t know, but he’s beginning to put himself at risk of being sent off – and therefore even further from influencing the… Read more »
You could have just said the last paragraph and saved me the time reading the rest
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz