The touchline behaviour of Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has become the subject of debate once again.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta picked up his fourth yellow card of the season as Arsenal beat Brighton and Hove Albion last time out. No Arsenal player has picked up more yellow cards in the Premier League so far this season than the Spanish coach.
When the Gunners took on Aston Villa recently, the manager was forced to watch on from the stands at Villa Park as he served a suspension for picking up three bookings.
Whilst many Arsenal fans defended Arteta after he was carded by referee Tim Robinson on Sunday, and the manager himself tried to explain away his actions on the sidelines with a frankly hilarious attempt at an excuse, the truth is that this is becoming a problem for the club.
It certainly isn’t helpful for Arsenal if Arteta is suspended, and the additional attention that his behaviour attracts is not welcome either.
Arteta has been criticised for his touchline antics in the past, and he is naturally an energetic and expressive figure in the dugout. He gesticulates wildly throughout matches and barks instructions to his players continually. He must find away of conducting himself that remains within the rules and does not draw the ire of officials, whilst still expressing himself effectively.
Micah Richards comes to the defence of Mikel Arteta
Pundits Gary Lineker and Micah Richards have now voiced their opinions on Arteta’s behaviour. Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker said, “he does get carried away on the touchline doesn’t he? I don’t mind that personally.”
To that, the former Manchester City defender responded, “I just love it. I think there is a fine line and I think he is teetering on that line a little bit but he knows he has got to be at his absolute best to win this Premier League.”
“I understand it from the manager’s point of view when he knows what he is up against. Liverpool look like they were somewhat back to their best apart from this weekend, you know Man City are going to be there, Spurs are going to be there. I understand why he gets a little animated on the side.”
Will Arteta make a change?
One problem Arteta must keep in mind is that he is a marked man. He has a reputation amongst referees, which naturally means they keep a closer eye on him, which generally means he is more susceptible to being punished.
A player in this situation would be encouraged to keep his head down and focus on producing a clean performance. It stands to reason that the same should hold true for a manager.
From a fan perspective, though, Arteta’s antics add to the matchday spectacle. His animated passion is invigorating and can fire up the Emirates Stadium crowd, which in turn can help the players on the pitch. A balance, then, is what is required. Arteta certainly won’t retreat into his shell and become a muted presence on the side of the pitch, as that simply isn’t in his nature.
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