"I find it quite startling that Mikel Arteta isn't under pressure at Arsenal. Every season I've written this column, I always say at some time in the season: when will the criticism of Mikel Arteta happen? And the only reason I can think why he doesn't criticise is because he has this uncanny ability to go into his next press conference with a big, beaming smile, as if he's just put out a team that's beaten Real Madrid 6-0."
"Every press conference, he looks confident. And I think to myself, that's quite bold for a manager that's only won one major trophy. The reality is if he was a golfer, and we kept on talking about him as an elite golfer, but in the last five years he hadn't won a major, would be saying, well, he's not an elite golfer. And I think you could say the same about him as an elite manager."
"It feels like there is a force-fed mythology that he had to turn around Arsenal that were finishing out at the top 10 all the time. They weren't bottom half of the table, they were firmly 6th, 7th, 8th. And all they needed was somebody to come in and buy two or three players. It wasn't major surgery that was needed where they were finished 16th or 17th, like a Man United or a Spurs"
Mikel Arteta receives minimal criticism at Arsenal despite winning only one major trophy and questions about his elite managerial status. He presents with confident, beaming demeanour at press conferences that deflects scrutiny. Arsenal historically finished around sixth to eighth and required selective additions rather than wholesale rebuilding. The team displayed a lukewarm, belief-lacking performance against Liverpool that raised performance concerns. The absence of prominent manager-linked speculation to replace Arteta is notable early in the season. Transfer sagas involving Alexander Isak and Yoane Wissa complicate Arsenal’s recruitment outlook and remain important talking points.
Read at www.caughtoffside.com
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