Arsenal: Mikel Arteta appointment must bring change

Arsenal are in desperate need of a revolution. It will, then, be up to new head coach Mikel Arteta to bring change to a stagnating squad and rotting club.

He’s back. Mikel Arteta is the new Arsenal head coach, and hopefully, under his guidance, the club can look forward to a bright future. However, if any such future is to be attained, Arteta must bring sweeping and significant chance.

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Pep Guardiola, Arsene Wenger and Mauricio Pochettino are just a few who have talked up his managerial credentials. But talk means little. Now we get to see him in action.

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He has a reputation as a ruthless coach, which was echoed in his introductory press conference. In an interview a few years ago, he stated himself that ‘my philosophy will be that everyone gives 120%, if they don’t give 120% they don’t play for me.’

Given the current state of the team and the attitude of many of the players, if Arteta sticks to this philosophy, there will be several wondering if they will play in the Arsenal red again. And this change to the squad is no bad thing.

It has been noted by several reports that some members of the first team are looking to leave. Per Miguel Delaney of the Independent, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is ‘desperate to leave’, while ‘half the squad’ are at the very least considering their future.

If this is the case, Arteta needs to let them go as soon as possible. The last thing he needs at the start of his reign are players who are not fully committed. And given the way he has spoke on Friday, speaking of passion and commitment, demanding that he does not want people hiding, he will be quite happy to ship them out.

The personnel changes are important, make no mistake, but other, more subtle changes must be made also. Arteta must deliver on his statements, he must challenge players, call them out, he must be loyal and supportive but with a distance definition that ensures everyone knows who they are playing for. Off the pitch, he needs to be the boss.

And on it, there is one major issue that he must solve: the defence. Arsenal will play exciting, expansive, attacking football under Arteta, and that is positive, but it must be allied with efficient play at the back. Arsenal have already conceded 27 goals this season. They conceded 51 in each of the past two seasons. You do not finish in the top four by conceding an average of almost 1.5 goals per game.

Arsenal fans have been promised change in the past and little has come about. But perhaps now, the club will start to back up their words with their actions. It begins with Arteta, but it ends with the change he will hopefully enact.