Mikel Arteta had some tough periods early on in his career at Arsenal.
The Spaniard took charge of the Gunners when they were in a terrible place. They had sacked Unai Emery, their squad was nowhere near good enough, and there was a clear disconnect between the club and the fans.
Arteta had a mountain to climb from day one, and there were several disappointing moments along the way.
Arsenal legend Robert Pires was following Arsenal closely at the time, and he has now revealed that the board actually wanted to sack Arteta after just three months.
Finish the sentence: Edu Gaspar’s time at Arsenal was a _____________________
Robert Pires says Edu Gaspar saved Mikel Arteta’s job at Arsenal
Arsenal appointed Arteta as their head coach in December 2019.
The Gunners were 10th in the Premier League table at the time, and a bottom-half finish for the first time in over 25 years was on the cards.
To make things worse for Arteta, the world stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic just a few months after he got the job.
Pires, who has always been very close to Arsenal, has now revealed that the Arsenal board wanted to get rid of the Spaniard at the time, just three months after he was appointed.
However, Edu Gaspar intervened and put his faith in Arteta, and that saved his job.
Pires told La Provence while defending new Marseille boss Habib Beye: “We have to trust him and give him time.
“The best example to follow is Mikel Arteta.
“After three months, Arsenal wanted to fire him. But the sporting director, Edu, trusted him, and Arteta got the results everyone knows.”
Discuss Mikel Arteta’s future if Arsenal do NOT win the Premier League
Edu saving Mikel Arteta’s job may change Arsenal’s history
Edu came under a lot of criticism from Arsenal fans, and some of it was definitely warranted.
The Brazilian made many mistakes in the transfer market, one of which was choosing to sign Marquinhos over Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
However, Edu definitely deserves praise for keeping faith in Arteta when things were not going to plan. The Spaniard has since transformed the Gunners and has made them one of the best teams in the world.
Arsenal have the chance to win the quadruple. Achieving that feat would make Arteta a legend of the club, which wouldn’t have happened if Edu hadn’t saved his job in 2020.
For that, the former Arsenal sporting director deserves praise.
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