Appointing Mikel Arteta - The Background
It has always been hard for a new manager to take over a club, especially after the incumbant manager has been there for so long. Take, for instance, Alex Ferguson at United. After sooo many years leading Manchester to victory after victory, what chance did David Moyes et al have in filling his shoes? Pretty much none. It was a hiding to nothing.
And so it was at Arsenal F.C. From 1996-2018, Arsene Wenger was Arsenal. However, despite cup success, titles had become hard to come by, and fans became increasingly frustrated by Arsenal's attractive, yet soft style of football. The reign of Wenger was altogether different to that of Ferguson, who had achieved regular and resounding success during his tenure.
However, the endings were similar yet different. Ferguson left with United a global powerhouse, a seemingly unstoppable juggernaut of success. Wenger, on the other hand, whilst being an amazing intelect, and onetime revolutionary of football style and discipline, had to be 'encouraged' to leave what had become a relationship that was so intertwined, that separation seemed impossible.
Despite this, the relationship did eventually come to an end. On 23 May 2018, Unai Emery, formerly in charge of PSG and Sevilla, was appointed to take the reins.
Despite losing his first two games, Arsenal went on to enjoy a lengthy unbeaten run that bode well for the future.
However, the very next year, and despite a respectable 55.1% win ratio, and the aforementioned unbeaten run, Emery was disposed of amid an extremely toxic atmosphere developing.
Perceived run ins with Mesut Ozil, and the near departure of Granit Xhaka following a huge outburst, contributed to the demise of Emery, who, despite his experience and previous successes, found it impossible to stop the toxic environment from growing exponentially.
Rumours soon surfaced that former Arsenal player Mikel Arteta was soon to be appointed, and press resports of secretive night time meetings proved correct when the former assistant to Pep Guardiola was appointed to take the reins on 20 December 2019
The First Season
Appointing a former Arsenal player was a popular decision. With rumours that Patrick Vieira swirling, and, with no management experience of his own, some were taken by surprise with the appointment. However, being a player at the club between 2011-16 meant that it was a choice that Arsenal fans embraced wholeheartedly.
His managerial careet began on 26 December 2019 with a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth. However, with the unsettled atmosphere at the Emirates starting to abate, and with a greater steel slowly on the way for Arsenal's leaky defence, partly due to Areta's mission statement of:
"I want people to take responsibility for their jobs and I want people who deliver passion and energy in the football club. Anyone who doesn’t buy into this, or that has a negative effect or whatever, is not good enough for this environment or this culture." Wikipedia
Arsenal managed to turn the corner, becoming a successful team once again, especially after the FA Cup victory on 1 August 2020.
Removing Toxicity
Arteta's mission statement to the effect that he would remove anyone who had a negative effect proved a major theme of his subsequent time in charge.
Unai Emery had suffered in his dealings with Ozil, and Arteta, despite giving Ozil an extended run, found himself in a similar position when he omitted the club's highest paid player from all squads for the current season. Ozil had outlasted Wenger, had survived a difficult time with Emery, to outlast him as well, and now was determined to stay at the club until the end of his contract, possibly proving a thorn in the side of his 3rd manager at the club.
With another potentially toxic atmosphere seeding at the club, due to persistent demands for the reinstatement of Ozil, Arteta smothered any potential fires by overseeing Ozil's departure from the club six months before the contract was due to end. This removal of the problem also freed up funds due to the reported earnings of Ozil, in the region of 350k per week, now being off the wage bill.
Arteta's mission statement was, of course, not just aimed at Ozil. Other players were not likely to make match day squads, and, being unhappy, needed to be trimmed from the club. Hence, Arteta oversaw the departures of Kolasinac(generally no trouble at all), Mustafi, and Guendouzi..whose perceived inability to apologise for demeaning behaviour to other players had led to a stand off with the club.
It is true that Arteta's squad selections have not always been popular, as seen when promising centre back William Saliba firstly failed to make any squads, then was loaned out only to be a revelation at his loan club. These decisions, whilst not popular with the fans, were offset by the shrews signings of Partey, Odegaard, and Ryan. So, in balance, squad changes have largely been viewed positively, and offset any serious questions over the manager...at least for the present time.
The Record That Isn't Setting Records
Arteta undoubtedly put some credit in the bank by winning the FA Cup. However, his win ratio of 52.31% (at time of writing) is the lowest of any manager since 1996 (there have been 3, excluding Freddie Ljungberg).
So, what is it that keeps the least successful manager of recent times in his job? Well, there is truth that Arteta has been statistically the least successful manager of recent times..at least in terms of percentages. However, it is not true that he has been unsuccessful in terms of revitalising the squad, signing World class players, or, when it comes to creating a strong spine for the team..something that hasn't been at the club since the days of Vieira.
When it comes to raring Arteta's start at Arsenal, one thing is clear: a firm foundation of strength and success is being built. Whether Mikel Arteta remains long enough to see it bear fruit is something that only time can tell. However, even if Arteta doesn't survive the long haul, he will undoubtedly be credited with being the foundation on which the future success of the club was built.
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