What would you do if you were Mikel Arteta?

Q: What are Arsenal fans saying about Mikel Arteta's future?

Many Arsenal fans believe Mikel Arteta should be sacked if he does not win the Premier League this season.

Q: How many times has Mikel Arteta finished runner-up?

If Mikel Arteta finishes runner-up this season, it will be for the fourth consecutive year.

Q: What would Mikel Arteta's reaction be to finishing second again?

The article speculates on how Mikel Arteta might feel if he were to finish as runner-up for the fourth time.

What would you do if you were Mikel Arteta?

There is a debate among Gooners that Mikel Arteta should be sacked if he fails to get Arsenal over the line this season, or even if he does lift the Premier League.

Yet how would the man himself feel if he finished runner-up for the fourth year in a row?

The Manager’s Perspective

I do believe the Spaniard’s love for the Gunners is genuine.

I view the 44-year-old as a decent person.

I think, in his heart, he feels he is in charge of a talented young squad that is so close to doing something special. The issue is that it is like the boy who cried wolf. How many seasons do you give the same person to prove he can win when the lights are shining brightly?

If he starts to hear whispers in North London that his ability is being questioned, he will be very aware that his reputation remains strong elsewhere.

Pressure, Reputation and Loyalty

He would not struggle to find a job, for example, back in Spain.

When Pep Guardiola decides to leave the Etihad, you would assume City would listen to his opinion for his replacement. Why would he not mention his apprentice and friend?

Arteta’s mentor in Manchester is someone whose attention to detail borders on obsessive.

It takes a great deal of mental energy to work in conditions where you are under pressure to win every few days. It is even more exhausting if, after seven years of effort, you only have an FA Cup to show for that work.

He was Mr Wenger’s captain, so he would have watched the Frenchman turn down jobs where silverware would have been more likely out of loyalty. Loyalty, not every supporter gave it in return.

If you are aware that other clubs admire you, ones with a winning culture that do not falter every April and May, then the smart thing to do is to read the room.

If a divide in the fanbase is growing now, what will it be like in 12 months?

Logically, the anxiety will only increase among his players, Gooners will be more impatient, and a manager might begin to wonder, “Is the effort worth the reward”?

Dan Smith

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