Jamie Carragher thinks Mikel Arteta is actually making life ‘difficult’ for £34m Arsenal star

Add as preferred source on Google

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is one of the best managers in the world, but there are things he can improve on too.

The Gunners raised a few eyebrows when they decided to hand Arteta the job in 2019. He had no experience as a first-team boss at that point, but he was still tasked to replace Unai Emery.

Arteta will be the first one to admit that he has made mistakes along the way, but he has learnt from most of them and has turned Arsenal into one of the best teams in the world.

However, there is still one thing that he needs to get better at, and Jamie Carragher has highlighted that in the latest episode of the Stick to Football podcast.

Jamie Carragher highlights Mikel Arteta’s mistake that’s affecting Fabio Vieira

Arsenal signed Fabio Vieira in a £34 million deal from Porto in the summer of 2022.

The versatile Portuguese midfielder was viewed as an incredible talent, one who could provide cover for Martin Odegaard at the Emirates.

Vieira, who Arteta is a huge fan of, has shown flashes of his brilliance in the famous red and white, but he is yet to justify the transfer fee Arsenal paid for him.

That has led to some criticism over the last few months, but an argument can be made that it’s not all Vieira’s fault.

In two full seasons at Arsenal, Vieira has started just 17 games in all competitions. Only five of those have come in the Premier League.

Lack of opportunities has played a part in Vieira’s inability to prove himself, and Carragher believes Arteta is to blame for this.

After claiming that the Arsenal boss does not use his bench enough, Carragher said: “Who’s the lad you brought in midfield, is it Vieira?

“You might say when you watch him play he’s not good, but he very rarely plays, he very rarely has a run of games. It must be difficult for any player if he very rarely comes in.”

READ MORE: Cedric Soares says Fabio Vieira is very similar to one Man City star

The one change we want to see in Arteta

We love Arteta and are incredibly grateful to him for everything he has done for Arsenal. The Gunners wouldn’t be where they are today without him.

The Spaniard has got a lot of things right at the Emirates over the last few years, but there is one change we want to see in him in the 2024/25 season – start trusting his bench more.

Arteta rarely ever makes changes. We understand how important it is to have a consistent lineup, but there have been plenty of games where he has risked the likes of Bukayo Saka for the full 90 minutes when he could’ve easily given him a break after an hour.

Giving regular opportunities – either from the start or off the bench – will definitely improve the level of the squad, and players like Vieira could thrive as a result.