Arsenal: 5 reasons Mikel Arteta and Edu deserve praise

Arteta and Edu Are Building Arsenal’s Future

It didn’t require a rocket scientist to pinpoint where the future of Arsenal lay. After a dire season the only shining lights were impossible to miss.

This also shouldn’t be shouted from the top of any rooftops and labelled as genius. At the end of the day this is Edu’s job. But having spent years of seeing Aaron Ramsey, Alexis Sanchez, Robin van Persie et al all depart for free or pittance, the value of the club’s future is being protected. At last.

Everything positive will be tempered by the mistakes made elsewhere, like the obvious one, Willian, but this is the most important business Arsenal will do. More so than signing a central defender on a club-record fee.

Credit where it’s due. Nobody is pulling up trees here, but there right steps are being taken. We hope not, but Gabriel Martinelli may leave in two years’ time. If he does, at least Arsenal will get full value for him.

As for Arteta, upon signing new contracts the players have praised the man at the helm. Not just the usual routine stuff, picked him out and listed him, and Edu, as key components of the reason to extend.

It’s not bad going for a manager who just oversaw an atrocious season – one with plenty of mitigation – to be seen as the right person for these exceptionally talented players to develop under.

As a pair, Arteta and Edu have got a lot wrong. As a pair and individually, there is every chance they will get more wrong. This doesn’t excuse them of other fallacies. While getting your best young players tied down and convincing them of the path ahead may not be a masterstroke, in among all the uncertainty and lack of trust, it warrants being mentioned for praise.