Mikel Arteta Needs To Resolve This Major Problem – What Will He Do Now?

Since taking over as manager of Arsenal Football Club more than two years ago, Mikel Arteta has guided the club to FA Cup success. His term has been marked by high acclaim as well as harsh criticism on all sides of the spectrum. There have been some question-marks hanging over the project from the outset.

Any new manager will be met with some mistrust. But Arteta’s hiring sparked a great deal of conversation within the team. The Manchester City players acknowledged Arteta for their tremendous growth and development into world-class players. Despite this, the Spaniard was entering one of the most important positions in international football without having ever managed a club. Questions were raised about how he would adjust and how long it would take for him to adjust.

We’ve seen Arteta evolve in front of our own eyes throughout his tenure at Arsenal. In the last season, he went from playing a realistic three at the back and defending with eleven men behind the ball against Manchester City to fearlessly going head to head with the former champions this season. His tactics have undoubtedly developed.

His ability to handle young players, as well as his capacity to manage upwards, has been remarkable throughout his career. Since getting into the Arsenal squad, Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka haven’t looked back. He originally held back Gabriel Martinelli while developing him into a critical starter this season;

Mikel Arteta’s main difficulty is that he is unable to get the best value from his squad players; in whom he does not have confidence

Arteta does have developed in several areas since he took charge. Concerningly, he has shown problems in one important area. His failure to get the greatest performance out of the players he has at his disposal.

🚨 Arsenal contributing to Aubameyang salary via instalments until summer before Barcelona fully take over on lower wage. Arteta (+ Lewis) approved deal from Dubai & has now communicated with 32yo
➕ Lots more #AFC w/ @gunnerblog @ArtdeRoche @TheAthleticUK https://t.co/dTTxT3oIhu

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— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) February 3, 2022

Mikel Arteta has said that a high level of specificity is required to adopt the 4-3-3 structure. Having a strong need for precision and having all of the precise elements; he requires has prevented the club from attaining its objectives. It is very uncommon for a manager to be able to sign every single player he desires. Others lose interest, some also relocate. Some of the others just underperform and forget their responsibilities. It is the manager’s responsibility to make it work in whatever manner he can.

Nicolas Pepe’s position is explained by the final point, which refers to players who simply do not perform at the level necessary. Nicolas Pepe has a lot of skill. Arsenal bought him for a large sum of money. But he has failed to deliver. Because he has played in a different league, with a different style of play and never completely settled, the Ivorian has not reached his full potential. Nonetheless, even if Pepe does not fit into the system, it is up to Arteta to find a way to make use of him.

It would have been a wise decision to rotate him for Saka instead. Another strategy that could have worked was to keep putting him on the left side of the field. He just needs enabling to play more minutes off the bench. The attacker can have an impact on games when the attack seems to be stale. He would have been beneficial in terms of maintaining his fitness levels and retaining his transfer worth.

Can Mikel Arteta find a solution to this problem?

The players who have been kicked out of the team serve as more proof that Arteta does not get maximum performance from what he has at his disposal. After being left out of the team, Mesut Ozil was left out of the squad until he was paid to leave. Aubameyang got a similar deal as well. All of which were regrettable. Even Pablo Mari, a signing of Arteta, did not play for the team. He eventually went on loan in January.

These kinds of exoduses have occurred only in a few instances at other teams. In those instances when they have occurred, the players have almost always gone for no reason. Roberto Mancini and Carlos Tevez were constantly at odds during the Italian’s first season as Manchester City manager. Mancini, on the other hand, brought championships and pulled all he could from the Argentine by resolving conflicts for the sake of the squad.

Mikel Arteta may rise to become one of the most successful managers in the world. He honestly believes in himself. He knows exactly how he wants his team to play. Arteta does a good job of communicating that vision to his players via his tactics. Nevertheless, if Arteta is to take the next step toward realising his full potential, he must learn how to get the most from every single member of the squad.