Arsenal's board will replace Mikel Arteta if results don’t improve at the Emirates - Paul Parker
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Updated 17/12/2020 at 15:45 GMT
Eurosport’s resident football expert Paul Parker thinks Arsenal’s problems are deep rooted and are down to a lack of ambition, and believes the board will sack manager Mikel Arteta to “take pressure off themselves” if results don’t improve soon. The Gunners sit 15th in the Premier League after 13 matches.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta
Image credit: Getty Images
Is Arteta the problem?
I believe Arsenal are no different in their situation to what Manchester United are going through. Just like at Old Trafford with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, they have a manager who won’t go around and berate the club publicly - they like the club too much.
As a former captain, Mikel Arteta is happy to have the job, and his employers don’t have to worry about him criticising the club or being negative about what’s going on at boardroom level.
Arsenal will be hoping that he can coach players and make them better, get more out of the young players, and go and find new signings in lower divisions to improve them. But it’s not materialising because many of his squad aren’t playing at the same level as they were a few years ago, and I think Arteta is finding that out.
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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta takes training
Image credit: Getty Images
People say he’s a novice and he only got the job because he worked under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and I think that’s probably right. He’s played for the club, he was a good player for the club, but it just hasn’t worked out the way he wants, so far.
A lack of ambition at the top
If Arsenal’s hierarchy really had any ambitions and wanted to push on and win titles like they used to, then Arteta wouldn’t have been their first choice manager.
I believe they would have spent the money on someone who’s been there and done it, won trophies, and then they’d bring experienced players into the club.
But they didn’t want that kind of manager because that would have cost them too much money before, during and after.
Do the senior players care enough?
Arsenal made a massive investment in keeping captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but I don’t think he’s showing any great interest or desire.
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Aubameyang in action against Southampton
Image credit: Getty Images
The team is definitely lacking consistency, like many are in the Premier League. The problem is, this is Arsenal, and the scrutiny is higher.
It’s one thing being in the position they are in the table, but the bigger worry is that their performances deserve it.
When Arteta came in last year, there was a new manager bounce, but things have got back to normal. I don’t think losing games hurts players anymore, they haven’t got a lot to lose as individuals. When you’ve got players on big contracts, it’s hard to move them on and I don’t believe managers can honestly look at many of their squad now and guarantee they’ll get a solid 7 or 8 out of 10 from them.
Managers have got the most to lose because they’re the ones who are always being questioned and they can be chopped and changed, whether it’s right or not. That won’t happen with the players, because they’re on high wages and long-term deals.
What happens next?
It’s going to be hard for things to change while fans aren’t allowed into the Emirates. The games they’re expected to win they can’t buy a victory. You just knew that the visit of Southampton, who are in-form, was going to be tough.
If this carries on much longer, there’s going to be a change of manager.
The easiest way for the board to take pressure off themselves is going to be do that, because they can’t go and sack 11, 12 or 13 players - which might be where the real problem is.
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