PETR CECH has told the Arsenal board to give under-fire Mikel Arteta more time.
The Spaniard, 38, is under immense pressure after six defeats in 11 matches and a Carabao Cup quarter-final exit — with a possible Premier League relegation dogfight.
Petr Cech has pleaded with Arsenal to give Mikel Arteta more timeCredit: Getty Images – Getty
The pair were team-mates at the Gunners as playersCredit: PA:Press Association
Cech, who played in goal for both Chelsea and Arsenal, reckons changing the philosophy of the club following the disastrous Unai Emery won’t happen overnight.
The 38-year-old, now Chelsea’s technical director, told talkSPORT: “It’s hard for any manager when the results aren’t going your way.
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“And you’re trying to change the team, club and the philosophy of football.
“When you start to change it a little bit, it needs time. But you need results as well.
“As soon as you’re on the pitch knowing that you’ve won three on the bounce, you worry less about what’s going to happen, you just think about your game and suddenly everything seems easier.
“So much is about the confidence of the team.
“It’s easier when things are happening because you don’t need to do much.
“But the moment you hit the wall that’s when you really need everyone to pull in the same direction and help you out.
When you start to change it a little bit, it needs time. But you need results as well.
Petr Cech on Mikel Arteta
“This is the hardest part in football, because it’s easy to say ‘this is not working, let’s do something else’. But you can’t do that all the time.
If you believe in something it takes a bit of time.
“Of course in modern football the results are what count at the end of the day, and you have to find a balance between the way you want to do it and success.”
Ben Chilwell and Reece James are injury doubts for the Arsenal Boxing Day clash and then the home tie against Aston Villa on Monday December 28.
And playmaker Hakim Ziyech won’t be fit as he recovers from a muscle injury.
Frank Lampard is confident German Timo Werner will return to scoring ways this Festive period despite no goals in nine club matches.
The Chelsea boss said: “I talk to him all the time, I don’t sense frustration.
“As a striker, you want to score regularly as you get judged and he has done it in his career.
“But at the same time every striker has moments and patches where the ball doesn’t drop for you for whatever reason.
“The positive thing is that he is getting chances in games, using his attributes to get into the box, to show his speed. So they will come.”
Mikel Arteta reflects on painful Arsenal defeat to Man City in the Carabao Cup
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
