Arsenal’s season will end without silverware for the fifth year in a row.
Liverpool beat the Gunners to the Premier League title by some distance, while Newcastle and Manchester United knocked Mikel Arteta’s team out of the League Cup and FA Cup, respectively.
Meanwhile, PSG dumped Arsenal out of the Champions League last week, meaning Arteta’s only trophy as a manager remains his FA Cup triumph in 2020.
This lack of tangible success is inevitably sparking conversations about the Spaniard, and whether he’s capable of bringing silverware to N5.
Peter Schmeichel criticises ‘control freak’ Mikel Arteta
Jamie Carragher was critical of Arsenal players on Sunday, with this criticism deriving from remarks about Arteta and his management.
However, the former Liverpool player was nowhere near as scathing as Peter Schmeichel was in his assessment of the Gunners boss.
Speaking on the ViaPlay broadcast, the ex-Manchester United goalkeeper said: “I totally disagree. It’s all on Arteta, all. Why I’m saying this is that he was employed as head coach.
“He inherited a team, and that team is the only team he’s won a trophy with. Then it’s his own team now, and in the process, he has now changed his job description. He’s now the manager. So everything is on him.
“It’s not recruitment, it’s not the board. I would urge the viewers today, whenever they get the opportunity to watch him in the technical area, Arteta is a control freak. He wants his players to play the ball that he wants, he’s directing everything.
“We looked across today to Arne Slot, who is so calm. He has instructed his players in training, he’s instructed his players in the team talk.
“Arteta is still playing his game for the players. That would confuse the hell out of me as a football player, with a coach who wants to direct me for everything I do, confuse me, and it would make me a worse player.”
Mikel Arteta is a ‘control freak’ but Peter Schmeichel’s comments are wrong
Arteta is certainly something of a control freak regarding how closely he minds the fine details and how much he wants his team to control football matches.
However, this is simply his style of play and management, and it’s been overwhelmingly successful in terms of rebuilding Arsenal and making them perennial title challengers.
The idea that Arteta has sole control and responsibility over all aspects of the football club, including all recruitment decisions, just because his title is manager, is ludicrous.
There’s a sporting director in place for a reason; Andrea Berta and Arteta will both make decisions regarding which players to bring in and the general direction of the North London outfit.
Having played in a time that was significantly less tactical, Schmeichel’s ideas on how meticulous Arteta is in terms of directing his players on the pitch feel outdated.
The greatest tacticians are incredibly stringent with their messaging and what they want from their players, and that’s simply the reality of modern football.
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