• Reaction

“Arteta was not ready yet to manage a club like Arsenal”

GettyImage-1319624904
Getty Images
Advertisement

After a disappointing season from Arsenal, a former Gunners player thinks that Mikel Arteta was not the perfect man for the job.

Mikel Arteta was staged as the replacement for Unai Emery at Arsenal back in December 2019. In fact, the Spaniard spent the previous three years at Manchester City as an assistant coach under Pep Guardiola.

Now, at the end of his first full campaign at Emirates Stadium, Gunners finished eighth in the Premier League. They also missed the spot for the European competition for the first time in 25 years, which has raised concerns amongst Arsenal supporters.

According to William Gallas, the club made the wrong choice to opt for Arteta. The former Gunners man believes that Mikel did not possess the experience required to carry the club forward after Emery.

“Mikel Arteta was not ready yet to manage a club like Arsenal,” the former Arsenal and France defender told The Sun. “OK, he was an assistant coach at Manchester City. But he had never managed a team. It is completely different.”

“The board made a mistake picking him. I’m sure he will be a great manager but you need to have the experience to manage a big club. To be honest, it is a great shame for the Arsenal fans after finishing eighth.”

“Arsenal is not the same Arsenal we knew 18, 20 years ago. We had players who were strong, with strong personalities.”

x