ARSENAL ‘might have to to get rid’ of Mikel Arteta if they lose to Chelsea on Boxing Day, claimed Gabriel Agbonlahor.
The Gunners are slumped at 15th in the table following this weekend’s 2-1 defeat to Everton.
Mikel Arteta’s side have picked up 14 points from 14 gamesCredit: Getty – Pool
Arteta is under increasing pressure as Arsenal have won just one of their last 10 league games.
Agbonlahor has predicted that a defeat to the Blues on Saturday could bring an end to his reign.
The former Aston Villa star told talkSPORT: “I just don’t know where Arsenal go from here because Chelsea must be odds-on to beat Arsenal in their next game and then Arsenal will be a couple of points above the relegation zone.
“When does it start to become embarrassing to keep Arteta?
“It might come to the stage where they might have to get rid of him.
“If these players don’t start showing a bit of fight then you have to sack a manager, that’s how managers get the chop.
“It’s one thing if you get your tactics wrong but if you can’t get the players working and running for you then your time’s done.”
Agbonlahor has insisted the Arsenal boss has ‘lost the changing room’ this season.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal record
- Played: 51
- Won: 27
- Draw: 10
- Loss: 14
- Goals for: 80
- Goals against: 50
He added: “Arteta had a decent career but he he wasn’t like a Zinedine Zidane and he’s new to management.
“You’ve got some big characters in that dressing room – Ozil, Aubameyang, David Luiz.
“I can imagine David Luiz has a lot to say in that changing room – the stuff he’s won in the game, the career he’s had.
“I do think he’s lost the changing room.
“I can tell by Nicolas Pepe’s body language when he came off that he’s not having the manager.
“Alexandre Lacazette when he’s coming on for 15 minutes, you can tell he’s not having the manager.”
He also claimed that Arsenal’s squad would be prepared to throw Arteta ‘under the bus’.
Gabriel Agbonlahor claimed Mikel Arteta may have to be sacked if Arsenal lose to Chelsea Credit: Getty Images – Getty
Agbonlahor continued: “When I look at it I feel sorry for Arteta because he’s come in, done well with the team, he’s won a trophy and now with these results the players aren’t running for him.
“You see him animated on the side, he’s trying to motivate them. He’s trying his best.
“But these players, they’ve done it to previous managers and they’ll do the same to him, they’ll throw him under the bus and wait for the next manager to come along.”
Arsenal will be up against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday before their meeting with Chelsea.
But Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will not be fit to face Pep Guardiola’s side as he has picked up a calf injury.
Fellow pundit Graeme Souness has claimed Arsenal only have a few players who are good enough to win major honours.
He said: “They’ve not got enough good players. It doesn’t matter what manager they’ve got in there.
“You have to look beyond the manager and look at the people who are making the signings.
“The amount of signings and the quality of signings. Unless you’ve got the equipment to work with he ain’t going to do well in our league.”
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Graeme Souness has ripped into Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal squadCredit: Willie Vass – The Sun
Arsenal could be relegated this season says Shearer who claims Gunners have no creativity and don’t work hard enough
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
