Arsenal: Mikel Arteta will bring style, but what about substance?

Mikel Arteta has been appointed as Arsenal’s new head coach. The Spaniard will bring style to the team, without question, but will he bring substance?

Well, it is finally official: Mikel Arteta is the new Arsenal head coach. The worst-kept secret has now been confirmed and the former club captain will take his place on the sidelines in the dugout. It is a hugely risky and uncertain move. This will be Arteta’s first managerial job after spending his post-playing years as Pep Guardiola’s assistant in Manchester, but there is reason for optimism.

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Guardiola rates Arteta extremely highly. He says that his assistant is ready for first-team management and predicts that he will enjoy a fabulous career as a head coach. Arsene Wenger is also a believer in Arteta’s coaching qualities, as is Mauricio Pochettino. Not exactly bad people to endorse your skills.

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It is not just managers. Raheem Sterling, Fabian Delph and many of the City players attest their individual improvements to the coaching they have received from Arteta. The Spaniard is seen as a detailed coach who works on body positioning, tactical awareness, and drills down to fine-tune players’ games.

But perhaps the most exciting element of Arteta’s arrival is the style of football that he will implement. He stems from the Wenger-Guardiola coaching tree. Drawing his influence from two of the most attacking, free-flowing philosophically-minded coaches in modern football, Arteta will look to re-instil the attacking football that supporters at the Emirates demand. In fact, that is precisely what he said when he was unveiled as the new head coach on Friday:

"“My first task will be to get to know the players better and get them playing the kind of fast flowing, attacking football that Arsenal supporters around the world want to see.”"

It is exciting to hear, make no mistake about it. But what differentiates Guardiola is that he wins by playing attacking football. Not only does the tika-taka godfather demand the most wonderful style from his players and team; he wins titles and trophies unlike anyone else in world football. He provides style, yes, but he also brings substance.

This will be the quest for Arteta. Can he do what so many managers have failed to do in the past: implement an offensive philosophy and style but also deliver victories? Even the great Wenger fell victim to his ideals in his latter years, unwilling to accept that his now inferior players could not execute the style of football that he wanted at a high enough standard to win football matches.

This is where Arteta must buck the trend. It is very difficult to deliver on style and substance. Guardiola is an alien regarding his remarkable managerial record and approach. Can Arteta replicate a managerial philosophy that so many have failed to before him?

It is a fair question to ask. In the end, this will determine just how successful Arteta will be in north London. Can he translate style to substance? While that is yet to be known for several years, what is quite certain is that it will be a fascinating watch.