Since his appointment as Arsenal manager in December 2019, Mikel Arteta has proven himself to be an innovator.
Mikel Arteta has had a colossal impact at Arsenal. He has turned the club into genuine Premier League title contenders again, and has healed the relationship with the fans.
On top of that, he has managed to achieve all this in his own style. At times, this has seen him come under fire. For instance, Arteta has been criticised for his touchline antics in the past.
However, no one can deny that he has taken the North London club up several levels since his arrival. Arteta has transformed Arsenal on the pitch and off it.
In order to manage this, the Spanish coach has employed some novel techniques.
Mikel Arteta uses strange method to teach Arsenal players a lesson
Over the course of the summer, Arteta encouraged his Arsenal squad to bond by constantly changing the seating arrangements at every meal time, forcing his players to all get to know one another, in an effort to avoid any cliques forming within the group.
However, that was by no means the strangest thing he has done to deliver a message to his players.
As reported by The Athletic, Arteta also “secretly hired a team of professional pickpockets.” These trained thieves were employed to covertly filch the Arsenal players’ possessions during one meal.
At the end of the dinner, Arteta asked his squad to check their pockets. At this stage, his players became aware of their missing “valuable items,” such as phones and wallets.
According to the aforementioned report: “The idea was to teach his squad the importance of being ready, alert and prepared — at all times.”
It is easy to see why this method of conveying such a message would have carried a great deal of impact.
Arteta has to make final leap
Arteta has now established himself as a talented coach, and has earned a great deal of respect in the game. However, other than the FA Cup he claimed at the end of his first half-season in charge in North London, he is yet to lay his hands on any major silverware.
Arteta has promised Arsenal fans that trophies are on the way, and the Gunners need to deliver on that vow this season. Having finished as runners up in the Premier League twice in a row, now is the time for them to take the next step and actually win the title.
Arteta may have garnered a reputation as a brilliant manager, but he won’t be recognised as a true great until he clears this vital last hurdle.
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