Pain in the Arsenal
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Arsenal: 3 non-football ways Mikel Arteta has been sensational

By Andrew Dowdeswell

Arsenal's Spanish head coach Mikel Arteta (C) gives instructions to Arsenal's English striker Eddie Nketiah (L) and Arsenal's Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2L) on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Everton at the Emirates Stadium in London on February 23, 2020. (Photo by Tolga AKMEN / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal's Spanish head coach Mikel Arteta (C) gives instructions to Arsenal's English striker Eddie Nketiah (L) and Arsenal's Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2L) on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Everton at the Emirates Stadium in London on February 23, 2020. (Photo by Tolga AKMEN / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Arsenal, Granit Xhaka, Mikel Arteta
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 23: Mikel Arteta the manager / head coach of Arsenal and Granit Xhaka at full time during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Everton FC at Emirates Stadium on February 23, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images) /

2. He is empathetic

Footballers are not robots. While the sweeping introduction of analytics and statistical focus and deliberation has improved football no end, players are not numbers that you can plug into an equation and get an answer out at the other end. They are thinking, feeling beings, and they must be managed as such.

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Arteta, as a former player who was well-respected, named club captain at Arsenal for several years and has extensive experience of English, Scottish and Spanish football, understands this, and he has an empathetic streak within his management as a result. Consider how he spoke about general society with Arsenal.com after he recovered from contacting the coronavirus earlier this year:

"“We have to be emotionally more open. We have to tell each other what we are feeling, because straightaway you know. It’s one virus that is putting the world aside and it’s transforming everything that we prioritise in life. So we have to take that lesson. We cannot just in two or three months’ time – if we are able to get over this quickly – forget about this, because it’s so important.”"

Arteta speaks with a self-awareness, a humility, and an empathy that many modern-day managers lack. Jurgen Klopp speaks in a very similar manner. Arsene Wenger did, too. So does Pep Guardiola. The hard-nosed, tough-love, Graeme Sounness-esque managers rarely have success in the modern game. Arteta is built in the modern, empathetic mould, and it brings players into him.

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