With the recent declining form of Arsenal, Mikel Arteta received a warning to make necessary changes to the team.
Mikel Arteta has been urged to pull up his socks at Arsenal by Paul Merson. It has probably been one of the worst starts for the north London side with eight defeats in 14 Premier League games. And with Arteta struggling to lift the spirits up at the club, Arsenal is just four points above the relegation zone.
Looking ahead, the path looks difficult for the Gunners as they meet their London rivals, Chelsea, on Boxing Day. And Merson is quizzed to see how Arteta’s side is going to tackle the incoming battle. The former Gunners winger believes that Arsenal has made mistakes on and off the pitch. And that there needs to be a change in tactics than that of the style of play.
A change is needed.
Merson told Sky Sports: “You’d be shocked if Arsenal won, and that’s where this has got to. That can’t be right. I can’t even make a case for Arsenal winning. I watched them against Southampton and I was thinking how many Arsenal players would get into the Saints team. Burnley went to the Emirates and fancied it, Wolves went there and experimented! They played four at the back which they never did before.
“Of course, confidence isn’t great at Arsenal and that can play a major part. Man United looks like a different team with confidence. But Arteta needs to go back to what brought Arsenal success – the tactics against Man City in the FA Cup semi-final, the game against Chelsea in the final. They need to go back to that way of playing. But he’s in a position now as a young manager new in the game, he feels he needs to keep impressing.
“He has to go back to being hard to beat, using pace on the counter-attack. At the moment, it feels like Arteta is shying away from using what are seen as negative tactics. And is focused more on trying to entertain – it’s no good. Leeds are like the old Arsenal of the past eight or nine years. Arsenal didn’t win anything but everybody loved them because you knew you would watch a good game.
“Arteta needs to go back to what brought him success at the first time of asking. They beat a very good Man City team at the time. And Arteta needs to show the players that video and get back to that.”
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