ARSENAL aim to confirm Mikel Arteta as their new manager tomorrow and hope he will watch Saturday’s game at Everton from the stands before taking charge of his first game at Bournemouth on Boxing Day.
The Spanish coach faces a huge job to halt a Gunners decline which has seen them winning just one of their last 12 games in all competitions and left them tenth in the Premier League table.
Arsenal prepare to confirm Mikel Arteta as their new manager, with the current Manchester City assistant finalising a deal to return to the Emirates Stadium.Credit: Getty Images – Getty
Here are the first five assignments which will be on his Arsenal agenda.
1 – FIX THE MIDFIELD
First of all he needs to plug the gaping hole in midfield which has left the team wide open to the counter-attack for years.
Arteta would not have been surprised by the ease with which Manchester City poured in on Arsenal’s goal during last Sunday’s 3-0 win at the Emirates.
The lack of discipline in the middle of the park was an issue five years ago when Areteta was trying to hold things together for the Gunners and one which still undermines the team on a regular basis.
Pep Guardiola’s City successes have been based around a no-nonsense screening midfielder such as Yaya Toure, Fernandinho or Rodri.
Arteta will try to get Xhaka, Torreira or Guendouzi to do a similar job.
If they’re not up to the task, he will not hesitate to replace them.
Arsenal were completely outclassed by Manchester City as Kevin de Bruyne’s double helped give the champions an easy winCredit: Rex Features
2 – CREATE AN IDENTITY
Arsenal have chopped and changed tactics from week to week but still no-one knows their best team or most effective way of playing.
Unai Emery paid far too much attention to the threat posed by the opposition and not enough to the strengths of his own team.
Arteta must bring an end to the defensive uncertainty by sticking with a back four and teaching his players how to play out from the back without constantly giving the ball away in their own area.
Gunners bosses are said to be wanting to offload Mesut OzilCredit: Rex Features
3- GET TO GRIPS WITH OZIL
The new boss will not have been impressed by Ozil’s hissy fit last Sunday when he petulantly kicked his gloves away after being subbed off by Freddie Ljungberg.
Arteta played with Ozil for the last two years of his career and knows what the German is and isn’t capable of.
But if the club’s highest-paid player isn’t prepared to track back and work his socks off, he won’t play any part in the new-look Arsenal.
4 – SORT OUT AUBAMEYANG’S FUTURE
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s future at the club needs fixing.
The captain’s brother Willy clearly isn’t impressed with Arteta’s appointment and has already publicly questioned the manager’s lack of experience in the top job.
If Arsenal’s top scorer shares those views, it might be best for all concerned if he moves on in January rather than allowing speculation about his future to infect the dressing-room.
But Arteta really needs the £56million striker on board and firing on all cylinders to save Arsenal’s car-crash of a season.
Arteta really needs his £56million striker Aubameyang on boardCredit: Getty – Contributor
5 – WIN OVER THE FANS
Arsenal have the angriest fans in the world and the toxic atmosphere at the Emirates has sucked the life from the team and drained the players of confidence in recent months.
Arteta was never a real crowd favourite as a player and many season ticket holders remain to be convinced that he is the man to sort out this mess.
There can be no quick fixes for a team which has been on the slide for years but getting the fans back on board will be the first step on the road to recovery.
Arsenal agree three-and-a-half-year deal with Mikel Arteta with new boss set to be announced
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
