Mikel Arteta is closing in on six years as the Arsenal boss.
The Spaniard joined the Gunners in December 2019, initially as their head coach, replacing Unai Emery. In September of the following year, his title was changed to manager.
Arteta has well and truly transformed Arsenal and has turned the North Londoners into one of the best teams in the world today.
However, things were very different when he first arrived, and he had to make a point when he met the Arsenal first-team squad for the very first time.
Where do you think Arsenal would have finished in the last three seasons if Unai Emery was still the manager?
Mikel Arteta threw everything on the floor to show that Arsenal were in a mess
Mikel Arteta has used several innovative tactics to try and get the best out of his teams.
From playing the Liverpool anthem in training ahead of a game at Anfield to hiring pickpockets to teach his players to stay alert, he has always thought outside the box.
The fact that Arsenal are among the best teams in the world now and are challenging for trophies is evidence that Arteta’s methods have worked.
The Gunners boss has always been like this. In fact, he threw things on the floor when he met the Arsenal players and staff for the very first time at the Sobha Realty Training Centre to tell everyone what sort of mess the club was in.
Speaking about the message he sent, he told Sky Sports: “It was to the players and the staff, and it was in one of the rooms upstairs.
“What I did was, I put the room in a really awkward place. So, a lot of things on the floor. It looked like a big mess.
“And I said: ‘This is the impression and this is how a lot of people have described the moment that we are in. So, if you want me to come and help you get to the standards and the level and the enjoyment that deserve to be a part of this football club, get everything together and start working!'”
When Roman Kemp was surprised and asked if he really did that, Arteta replied: “Yeah, everybody went in, and everything was on the floor – the tables, seats, computers and the cables.”
Will Mikel Arteta become Arsenal’s greatest-ever manager?
Arsenal were in a terrible situation when Mikel Arteta took charge
Emery is a great manager, but his second season at Arsenal was a complete disaster.
The Gunners went on a seven-game winless run, their worst since 1992. That convinced the board that Emery was not the man, and he was sacked.
Club legend Freddie Ljungberg took interim charge at that point, and in the six games he managed, the Gunners won just one.
When Arteta was given the job, Arsenal were 10th in the Premier League. There was a big disconnect between the club and the fans, and there was very little hope that things could be fixed by anyone, let alone someone who had never managed a club before.
However, Arteta changed everything at Arsenal, and he is now on the verge of winning the biggest trophies at the Emirates.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
