Pain in the Arsenal
Fansided

3 improvements Mikel Arteta must make next season

By Krish Ajmani

Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on May 12, 2022. - - 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 Glyn KIRK / 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. / 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 GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on May 12, 2022. - - 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 Glyn KIRK / 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. / 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 GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images) /
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1. Managing the Entire Squad

Arsenal, MA
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 23: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal gives their team instructions during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United at Emirates Stadium on April 23, 2022, in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /

From the moment Arteta stepped into the club, the clarity of his vision and ambition grabbed hold of fans and executives alike. He had been handed a mess of epic proportions by those who preceded him. Overpaid players, big egos and a lack of quality were ubiquitous.

Arteta has changed that. With Edu’s help, he has shipped off players, paying them to leave if needed. The squad was not one needing delicate trimming around the edges. It needed wholesale reconstruction. The result of this extensive and ongoing operation has been a smaller, more tightknit group of players. However, Arteta may be going too far in the other direction.

While the starting XI and a few key substitutes are fully committed and on-board, the Spaniard does not do enough to fully engage the rest of the squad. Nicolas Pepe is the prime example of a player relegated to the fringes of the first-team squad. As players are brought in and the team grows, rotating in players and making them feel valued is crucial not just to their value but to ensure that they are ready and willing to contribute when called upon.

Mikel Arteta is the most exciting manager in the Premier League. The way he speaks illustrates an astute understanding of the game and what is required to win at the top level. He will undoubtedly continue to make mistakes but learning from them and making improvements is more important than short-term errors.

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