Facing the media for the final time this season, Mikel Arteta took the unusual step of opening his press conference with a statement.
Off the back of two damaging results at the end of a roller-coaster season, he seemed keen to accentuate the positives before welcoming supporters to Emirates Stadium for Sunday’s clash with Everton.
Here’s what he had to say:
“First of all, thank you. It’s probably the last time I’m going to see you after Sunday and then we all go on holiday.
“Just a quick reflection, it’s been a long journey and a very challenging one this season. We’ve come a long way as a club and as a team, we’ve transformed the energy, the vibe and the expectations of this football club. We’ve done it together, showing incredible unity between the staff, the players and everybody involved with the club and especially our people, which has been incredibly supportive throughout the season, especially in difficult moments.
“Now I can sense that I have the hope and expectations to move the club to the place that it deserves. We’ve done it the way we predicted with the project that we set a year ago, with a lot of young players and the senior players helping and the crowds again in our stadium and with a real sense of connection around the place.
“We are back in Europe, we don’t know where. Sunday it will be decided. Hopefully, it will be Champions League because on Sunday, I believe we’ll do what we have to do and we’re going to be cheering for Norwich to do what they can do, for sure.
“After that, we’re going to take the club to the next level. That’s the ambition. We have a very clear plan again, how we want to do it and execute it. It’s no secret, we need resources and we need to increase the quality and the depth of the squad while maintaining who we are as a club and the people that we have next to us. That’s going to be the challenge in the following season.
“Hopefully, on Sunday in front of our people, we can live another great day.”
mikel thinking norwich will record their 6th win of the season after 38 games has me thinking “what are they smoking at the emirates?” a damn sight more than when we bit for suarez!
Still COYG and “Lets be ‘Aving ya!”
The lasagne. The 5-1 v Newcastle.
They do have history of fucking it up on the last day
If they fuck this up on Sunday, it will be the biggest of the lot.
And I will laugh and laugh and laugh all summer.
Come On You Canaries!
Come On You Gunners!
I hear that Norwich hotels are known for their tasty lasagnes😋😉😆
“ ’Ave you got a light boy?”
“ No, just 2000 Spurs fans shitting themselves.”
Spurs supposedly have a stomach bug/food poisoning ripping through their training ground(they’ve denied it but they ain’t exactly gonna admit to it are they?). I don’t wanna get my hopes up but surely 7th May 2006 couldn’t happen again?
Is this for real?
https://twitter.com/GaryLineker/status/1527621298599477251?s=20&t=3abDIdqWYhOhGh5H4azaQA
😂👍
Makes sense, the sight of them makes me sick, so…
Chicken Lasagne gate 2.0
Who’s the dirty fucking spud on here downvoting this?
How does it feel to support a team who last won the league title before The Beatles had a record contract?
Ya mug. 😊
My mum was 4 months old last time they won’t the title so not even she’s technically seen them win the league 🤣
Here’s the rub; can you imagine the absolute dogs abuse we’d be getting from Neville, Carragher, Souness and all the other cunts if the last time we’d won the title was 1961? And the last time we’d won the FA Cup was 1991? And the last time we’d won a European trophy of any description was 1984? And the last we won ANYTHING AT ALL was 2008…..?!!
Tottenham – the media’s darlings.
Arsenal – the media’s nemesis.
What’s the next level?
There’s a number of deep-rooted, fundamental problems at the club that need addressing if we are to become truly great again. I’m not sure if Arteta, Edu and Stan can fix them.
The fact that the management of this club so spectacularly missed a golden chance to take us to that next level this season gives me no optimism for the future.
Chill bro, we’re heading in the right direction, improving, with the youngest squad in the PL.
The next window is absolutely crucial to get right. If Edu don’t, then let’s have a word about it.
I said the same thing with Walcott, Ramsey, Chamberlain and Chambers especlcially after the season Ramsey had in 2013. In that season Ramsey was Saka++. I could argue the perceived potential of that youth project was even stronger than this one.
Saka will be a worldclass player, Smith-Rowe could be worldclass or at least a very good player (like Cazorla), Martinelli will be a very good player (like Adebayor was). Odegaard will be a good player. He can also turn into a gifted player with little output like Hleb was.
Adebayor. Really?
Fats, I hate to break this to you, but it was the work of Edu, Arteta and the Kroenkes that recruited, coached and financed us to be within a point or two of this Golden Chance. Hell, it’s a long shot but we could still actually do it if results go our way. Come on dude. We have European football next year, a great crop of kids and plenty to play for next season. The kids will be chalking this season up as valuable experience, make no mistake. Give me our youngsters over Tottenham’s two trick pony pub side any… Read more »
You mean ‘Piers, old boy’, Q
Does this mean you’re with Arteta now?
Absolutely.
I have been since we beat Spurs 3-1 last Autumn.
Where have you been mate? 😂
You’re right in so many aspects.
It was a golden chance to get into UCL indeed with manure being shite and spuds stuttering half a season. Reminds me when AFC couldn’t catch Leicester in 2016.
I’m highly skeptical about “take the club to the next level” without throwing a shit ton of cash, since we need a striker (or two), a winger, a LB and a 4th cb. Success in football nowadays translates into money, like it or not.
Leicester, Wst Ham, Wolves were there and abouts but didn’t take advantage too. Not saying we should be on the same level but trying to show that we were good enough to capitalise on United being shit. We were not good enough to finish ahead of Spurs and Chelsea but let’s not kid ourselves we were close. One more thing, liverpool and city are in a league of their own but Spurs, Chelsea and United are just about where we are and I will add Leicester too. So this shouldn’t look like the only chance we had, the top two… Read more »
Thank you Mr. Positive.
Great season! An emotional rollercoaster none the less!! You never know what version of our boys turn up some times but it’s getting better….we have a settled first eleven that’s competitive when all fit..the loss to city at home was the best of Arteta ball!! What we need to catch Chelsea and surpass spurs for now is clear….two press resistant and dynamic midfielders,a contract for Eddie Nketiah plus a tall and prolific striker…in the absence of Eddie,buy 2attackers and bring back folarin, integrate William saliba, rehabilitate Maitland Niles/reiss Nelson or replace them… replace Pepe with a deputy for saka…back up… Read more »
Let’s go!!!!
NO contract for Eddie please!
I would be fine with giving a new contract to Eddie and using him for the domestic cups and Europa League group stage games.
But it seems he doesn’t want to stay unless he’s first choice #9.
He’s not at the level for 1st choice striker for Arsenal. He could be third but what about Balogun? It appears there are quite a few forwards coming through the academy in the next couple of years.
One area Arteta can improve is managing the squad better so value can be built in players we want to move on. The loan manager and Per have their work cut out for them over the couple of years.
I hear Harry Kane has Monkey pox and the rest have caught it off him.
Bale been visiting the training ground has he?
😂
We move. COYG!!!
Letting go a massive advantage of 4 points, 3 games to go from which one that allows you to deny points to competition isn’t the way you get to the next level.
no, but to have been there at all given we have the youngest team in the league was already an achievement. No one was expecting us to get top 4 until we were up there, and in the end we have probably fallen just a bit short. It’s frustrating and painful given how close it is, but really I would have expected that to be coming next year or the one after. We’re in a good position for next year now, and this will have been a valuable experience for our talented youngsters who are mostly under 23/24 years old.… Read more »
I’m not sure he was suggesting it was.
Yes I believe arteta.needs to know exactly what to tell players for the games that require to be played with much energy, charisma and absolute determination
Vieira kicking an opposition fan reminded me of what made us winning before. We need toughness especially in terms of mentality. Guendouzi retains his place in the french national team with the wealth of talents that they have. I am sure Deschamps likes his “go to war” attitude. If our current team was Ukraine, it would have been over the first day.
Yeah I was on guedinzi side after Brighton incident
The pearl clutching over a player that has been run off every team he’s played for is a bit much. The guy is not that good and a rotten PITA of a person. Time to let that one go mate.
Our back up players aren’t good enough. Manager could have set up team differently against Spurs rather than going for it but he didn’t. Thin margins, refs and injuries derailed us for top 4. Manager and players are going to make mistakes but when our top 11 are all available we could compete w any team, that’s enough for me to see we can continue progressing under Arteta.
I’m sorry Mikel, the prize was there to be taken. It couldn’t have been much easier. Play a smart, frustrating game at Spurs, keep it at 0-0 for 65 minutes and let their crowd get on the back of their own players. Maintain a 4 point gap with two games to go and tomorrow is in our hands. Why is he talking about CL…it’s not on the table, it’s gone and I’m surprised he would bring it up. The nature of the finish is far worse than the actual result, 5th is fine and if there is one team in… Read more »
Lots of people on here who believe than playing the likes of Nice or Gent on a Thursday night is an acceptable substitute for playing the likes of Bayern or PSG.
Some people really want to bend the facts as much as possible just to convince themselves that Arteta is doing a fantastic job…
Spuds will be playing Bayern.
Arsenal will be playing Sparta Prague…
And Arteta is going on holiday…
The Spuds will be getting smashed by Bayern.
Arsenal will be developing against Sparta Prague
Big difference.
At least watching Arsenal playing Nice or Gent on a rainy Thursday will be better than having to watch Nice VS Gent on a rainy Thursday like this season.
Exactly what I wanted to hear. I have faith that he understands what it takes to be elite, and that he will make the correct, often ruthless decisions.
The lack of “They’re celebrating like they won the league!” reaction to Everton barely avoiding relegation is further proof of a media bias against Arsenal. Popping bottles for finishing… at BEST… 15th? Pathetic.
5th place (likely) is disappointing given the opportunity of just a couple weeks ago but I still consider it to be a successful season, albeit frustrating at times. Already looking forward to the Europa League draw to see what opportunities for squad rotation and away-day experience await. COYG!
One rule for us; another rule for everyone else.
Fuck ‘em all.
I hope our fans are going to show their support for Viera to the Everton ( I was going to use insulting word or words there but people can add their own)
i want to hear the viera chant on sunday!
Patrick, loved him as a player for us, shame about the 5 points he took off of us this season…
Loud and proud.
😊👍
I’ve made my peace with the EL, it’s where we’re at right now and it’ll be good for us. I had a quick look around the major leagues of Europe and there are no big boys who made a mess of things and failed to qualify for the EL for next season. Of course you never know who would drop down from the CL later in the competition but the only teams to mildly worry about from the start would be Emery’s Villarreal, Man Utd, maybe Roma. We’re a young squad, let’s blood the youngsters through the group phase and… Read more »
this is my sentiment.
Also if not qualifying for the champions league puts us behind a year on our plans for improvement AND this season we were expected to be further ahead on the plan that we had planned for then surely they balance out?
we *Are* expected
Totally agree. If nothing else these last few weeks have shown us that this squad (not the first XI) are a million miles away from being ready for the CL. Having to play 2 tough games a week, primarily involving the first team, would be too much and lead to us suffering in the league. As we aren’t likely to win the CL that would mean we wouldn’t be able to sustain our position. By being in the EL we can build and play a bigger squad, especially in the group stages, and give our younger players (and manager) some… Read more »
When we get there, I want us to stay there and not be run out 10-2. This team has growth to go, but I believe there is a steady run ahead, with the right summer recruitment.
Villarreal, if I am not mistaken, will not be in the EL next year. They are currently 7th with no chance of reaching 6th place anymore. 7th placed team in Spain will participate in the Europa Conference League. On the last matchday, they even have to defend their 7th place against Bilbao, so they could still end up without European football at all. Otherwise I share your thoughts. I could imagine that the way into the CL next year could even be easier through winning the EL than being in the top4. (Obviously it wouldn’t have hurt to be in… Read more »
Yep it will be Betis and Sociedad.
I’ve also made peace with being in the EL next season.
I think the Emirates will still be almost full and rocking for the group stage games after a year without European football.
The IRL fans are really behind Arteta which is great to see.
And it’s still fun when you get to the knock-out stages.
The aim next season has to be to win the Europa League and finish top 4.
Great stuff from the manager. A Norwich win and us stuffing Fat Frank would be incredible, but, no matter what happens on Sunday, we are now definitely a club with a vision, a plan and a path. The NLD blues have all but gone, the Newcastle blues are on their way back up the M1 and I’ve already moved on to the close season and continuing the rebuilding process. If Lineker’s tweet has any kind of authenticity to it, I hope the bastards are all crawling to and from their beds to the loo on their fucking hands and knees.… Read more »
Yep, you never know…..
If we don’t make it, it could be for the best anyway. More chance to blood some of our young talent, could even bring Balogun back if Eddie departs
Spot on.
When you consider what we’re doing – laying the foundations for an all-conquering side – then life in the Europa next season might be just what the Doctor ordered.
Not that any of us would turn down victories for ourselves and Norwich on Sunday. After all – laughter is the best form of healing there is….!! 😉
Arsenal went on holiday before the Spuds game…
Mate, these kids have excelled themselves and some this season.
Most people – myself included – didn’t expect them to get any higher than 8th again. Which makes 5th genuine progress. Make the same leap again with some additional summer signings and this time next year – well, you do the maths.
Welcome to the brilliant, sun-soaked future when we’ve reached the dizzying heights of the Europa League.
Be very excited.
Europa League football that we didn’t have this year.
No matter how much you dis it, it’s progress.
It was a good season, soured by a poor ending. The team could’ve shown much more fight against the toilet bowl jockeys and Newcastle. Injuries-yes, youth-yes, but we were at the door step and couldn’t quite get there. A lot of promise for next year. But much more quality is needed this summer. A replacement each for Auba, Laca, Pepe and Nketiah. Another player in Odegaard’s position (hopefully equally as talented), a left back, and another six to compete with Lokonga behind Partey. I’m not going to watch tomorrow’s match. It’s on to the summer window and next season.
We’ll be able to afford Gabriel Jesus and a couple of others.
Not the shipping order you’ve listed.
I would also advise that you take said shipping order into account when criticising the kids for not quite getting over the line when they’ve already over-achieved.
Nothing is impossible so why not think positive especially as a fan what type of encouragement and example are we setting as an adult 😉 to the youth that we have we just have stop giving away our good Players and then regret it afterwards gooners
Back in europe. Europa leauge thats it. Does anyone really care about that one? I dont. not much more that that leauge cup or whatever its called now.