In the second half of his pre-Nottingham Forest press conference, Mikel Arteta talked about his ongoing ambition to drive Arsenal forward, the importance of nurturing a disciplined club culture, the stresses and strains of management (and what he does to relax), as well as the importance of getting Thomas Partey back to full fitness for the last part of the season.
On having a young squad and targeting a generation of success being a driver…
That’s one of the main reasons, yes. And then the people that we work with, that’s another one. I think the way that our fans, our supporters have invested in the team, the way they have dedicated their energy, their passion to transform the environment, that’s a big reason as well. And the other one, because I think in general, it’s still a lot to squeeze. In every department, in every aspect, we can become much bigger and much better than we are actually. I have a strong belief of that. And I think we are on the right path, but we have to be on our toes and we have to take every opportunity because the competitors are ruthless and we have to be on top of everything if we want to achieve that.
On the importance of having instilled a new culture at the club…
It is today, you know, but the beautiful thing about the culture is that you have to look after it every single day because it takes very little, it takes a bad decision, a bad word, not understanding or following certain values that you have demanded one day and everything starts to fall apart. So you have to be really disciplined, you have to keep your eye open and you have to continue to have good people with the right values that want to achieve the same as you want. And that’s something that demands daily dedication, my opinion.
On the intensity of being a Premier League manager…
It is a lot. It’s a daily challenge, that’s how we put it. It’s every day there is a roller coaster of things that you have to go through, emotions, you have to try to inspire people, to impact people, sometimes to calm down people, sometimes you have to motivate people, you have to deal with a lot of things that you cannot control. And on top of that are opponents, are results, and other things that are difficult to manage on a daily basis. But I think overall that it’s something that is how much we love the game, the passion that we have to what we do. And actually when you have an emotional relationship with a club, then that’s where the energy comes from. You wake up every day and you want to face that challenge and you want to become better and be more competitive. But it’s a lot every single day. It is a lot. That’s why you need a lot of good people around you as well to support you.
On whether and how he disconnects during the day…
Yes, I do. I think it’s very necessary. I think every day you need to have moments. I have moments during my day that I do certain things to bring everything down. You know, your brain goes all the way, 100 miles an hour, you cannot think, you cannot see the pictures with clarity. You need to bring it down sometimes. And there are ways to do it. It’s your family, you can do sometimes meditation, sometimes sport is a great way to put those things away, talking to people, there’s a lot of things that you need. You need holidays, you need days off, you need to stay away from your phone at times. There is a lot of things that are needed and are very, very healthy. But the temptation is always to do more. That’s true.
On whether he might meditate on a day like today…
I would do that in the afternoon, yes. And reading, I love reading and sit there and read about a topic that can inspire to prepare a game or to develop a thought that you have on the day is something really good.
On his vision for the club and how long it may take to become a reality…
How long? I don’t know and I don’t think there ever there is [not] going to be unfinished business. You’re always going to be better. I have an idea of what this training ground is going to look like in three years, in five years, in ten years or the Emirates. It has to be different. The team has to have other qualities. The team has to evolve in its personality and what it transmits. And those experiences are necessary. That’s going to happen when we go through Champions League phases and now we become a different team, when we won titles like we did, but other major titles. When our players are internationals and achieve something different, then that group continues to grow. There are a lot of things that we can do and and that’s the aim of everybody at the club.
On whether Thomas Partey looks stronger than before…
He always looks strong and very good. That’s not the issue, it’s that we need him. We need him to have a big impact for us in the last few months and he’s a player that can really impact the team in a really powerful way. And we need him fit and available because he makes us better. We are better when Thomas is in the team.
On what he’s doing to get fit…
He’s trying everything. He’s been very, very professional. He’s changed and evolved and adapted things that he was doing in different ways to try. I think injuries are part of football, you cannot control them. Sometimes the harder you try, the worse you make it, you know, but hopefully he’s gonna be in a position to make an impact for the team.
On what Arsenal need to improve to become champions…
What we have merited, actually achieve it. That’s called results. And that’s the efficiency that we need in both boxes to achieve that because the rest is there and we have to make a step in order to achieve that. And in order to achieve that, for sure, our availability and the capacity that we have to change the team, to impact the game where we need to, is going to be crucial. So we need everybody fit and available.
On whether last year’s experience will help…
Hopefully, it’s going to help us, but there are things that we cannot control in relation to which player we have available. And last season it was one of the crucial points when it was, everything is there to be taken and and hopefully we can make decisions that can allow us, but we don’t know.
I admire him loads. Bright, committed, sensitive eff st . Hope he is here for many years to come along with the success he deserves.
Eff st??? Should be etc…
I was trying to figure that out. I thought it was a code like Odegaard’s socks.
Arteta is the project.
If this is what he’s like when he meditates, thank god he does! Imagine an even less self-regulated Mikel Arteta on the sidelines.
In all seriousness I often wonder how these guys do it. I can barely manage my own life, imagine needing to manage a whole club, and then also with the pressure of the hopes and expectations of millions.