Opinion: Why is Mikel Arteta so damn divisive amongst Arsenal fans?

Mikel Arteta. The divisive Manger of Arsenal Football Club by Ben Dungate

Let us first take an objective look at the club in general. Things appear harmonious at least on the surface, with players of a certain mindset being chosen specifically by the manager. These players seem to be largely agreeable lads that tow the line; those who do not find themselves cast aside (see Ainsley Maitland-Niles), or those who fail to meet certain binary standards that the manager has selected as being his preferred characteristics (see Mesut Ozil).

Rightly or wrongly this has returned Arsenal to the higher echelons of the Premier League once more and returned a level of optimism to the supporter base. The team also seems to inhabit some of the finer styles of those successful sides that came before it. Last season we played with the creativity and freedom seen under Arsene Wenger, and this season we have demonstrated a defensive solidity that would have George Graham glowing with pride.

So why is Mikel Arteta so damn divisive…

From an entirely subjective standpoint I can freely admit that I never rated Arteta much as a player and that opinion very much skewed my view on him as a manager. I have never understood this apparent synonymous nature he has with the club. When I think of Arteta I think of him as a decent midfielder for Everton who we brought in on a budget to fill the gap left by Fabregas. Not an enviable task for any player admittedly.

Personal opinions aside, I will readily accept that Mikel Arteta appears to be a real student of the game; his intensity is there for all to see and the way he has tried to combine an attractive, free-flowing, possession-based style of attack, with defensive solidity is commendable. Whether he is simply copying Pep or not is irrelevant in my opinion, I think he is a fine coach and is at least trying to have the team play in a way that is successful and entertaining.

So why is Mikel Arteta so damn divisive…

How can a manager that has sought to combine the defensive stability seen under George Graham with the offensive flair seen under Wenger, and done so reasonably successfully, irk so many of us supporters? For me, it comes down to his reluctance to rotate his players and effectively use his squad. Not only with the players he selects but the positions he chooses for them and his overall inflexibility and stubbornness.

It is this same stubbornness that irritated so many supporters during Arsene’s reign. He had his principles with how the game should be played, and seemed completely unwilling to modify or adapt. Or perhaps he was just unable to. Arteta has demonstrated that he is able to adapt, because of the difference in style of play between this season and last, where we have moved from a more open and attacking style, to one that is a bit slower and more pragmatic.

Mikel’s persistent inflexibility in his team selection will lead to us losing good players and those players that are constantly selected burning out. It cannot be just coincidence that has seen us stumble at the same point in the season for 3 years in a row. And there’s no need for it! He bought a lot of these players, so he should trust them. At very least give them enough game time so that when they are called upon they aren’t so rusty they don’t offer anything to the team.

And there are some good players available to him. We may not have the attacking options that Liverpool have, or the defensive and midfield depth pf Man City, but he has good players at his disposal that he just doesn’t use. There is no reason, that we can see at least, that should prevent Smith Rowe, Partey, Vieira, Nketiah, etc., getting more minutes than they do. He just has to trust them and use them effectively. But he doesn’t, and shows no signs of doing so.

And that, for me, is why Mikel Arteta is so damn divisive.

Ben Dungate