The Gunners' Boss Acknowledges Long-Term Tenure Hinges on Lifting Trophies.
Ahead of marking his sixth anniversary in charge, Mikel Arteta has stated plainly that his longevity in North London is inextricably linked to winning major honors.
Reflecting on: From Appointment to Present
The Spanish coach took over on December 20th, 2019 and managed to steer the team to an FA Cup victory within months. But, that early success remains his only major honor after taking over from Unai Emery.
“I can,” Arteta responded in response to a query about remaining in charge after his current deal. “But it’s about today. And numerous factors have to happen in the next few months as well to warrant that continuation.”
Saturday night brings the anniversary with a match versus Everton, the exact opponent Arsenal met the day after his appointment was announced.
The Current Landscape
With trailing Manchester City taking on West Ham on Saturday afternoon, Arsenal could be displaced top spot in the Premier League prior to their fixture. This comes despite Arteta managing a squad that has been plagued by more than a century of fitness issues from the beginning of last season.
The manager is under a contract with 18 months to run on the extension he agreed to in 2024, yet understands fully that success is required promptly.
The Manager's Mandate
The manager expanded, stressing the daily requirement to validate his position. “In my view a manager has to earn the right to be here tomorrow. And that depends on how you react, how you talk here, how you step into the dressing room, the signal you send.”
He stated further, commending the strong backing from the hierarchy, while singling out the squad's dedication as most crucial. “At the end, the most important ones are those players... Over this half-decade, I’ve seen just players with a level of attention, desire to learn and dedicate themselves to the team.”
Latest Fitness Blow
The squad heads into the weekend fixture dealing with an additional absence. Defender Ben White has been declared unavailable with a hamstring injury that is expected to sideline him for a few weeks.
Evolved Priorities
Despite the availability issues and the intense pressure, Arteta is confident the club's “priorities and messaging” are completely changed from when he first arrived.
The manager referenced the record-breaking achievements as evidence of progress. “Examine the performances, all the historical marks we surpassed... We still have yet to do that [win trophies]. But that shows the standard we operate at.”
Arteta concluded, “This is a standard that the Premier League has not seen before in the past. And our ambition is to achieve more lofty ambitions. And if we do that, I think we are on the proper course to winning.”
