Mike Arteta has hailed the experienced players in the Arsenal squad, urging them to continue to lead the way for the younger generation of players.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal reign might not have started as well as the fans might have anticipated. The former Arsenal captain was expected to bring in a refreshing brand of football in the image of Pep Guardiola, under whom he worked before becoming the Gunners’ manager. However, the Spaniard has only shown progress at a slower pace.
The Arsenal boss used the summer transfer window well to bring in players of his preference. These signings were all in the early phases of their respective careers, giving away a sense of direction the club might have for the future. After failing to revitalise the squad with ageing, experienced yet costly stars, Arteta chose to build a team to his liking.
For some games, Arsenal have fielded the youngest lineups based on the average age criteria. And after losing the first three games of their new campaign, Arteta’s team has come to life, going unbeaten in the next six league fixtures.
Since the season began, massive improvements have been seen in the performances of Emile Smith Rowe, Nuno Tavares, Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Albert Sambi Lokonga. While these players represent the club’s future, Arteta remains heavily reliant on his experienced performers in the present, and has now urged them to lead the way for the next generation.
? “Do you see the way he runs, the purpose when he’s going to press the ball? I have never seen Auba transmit what he is doing now.”@m8arteta is loving @Auba’s work-rate ?
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 25, 2021
Speaking to the club’s official website, Arteta hailed experienced players such as Thomas Partey, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette, iterating that they have been brilliant so far. Transfer Market Web posted a few comments that the Arsenal manager made regarding those players, where he called them great leaders.
Arteta said, “The group age [of the squad] is a little bit younger than Auba, Laca, and Partey, so they are experiencing most of the same things, and they talk a lot about it. Then we have the senior players that they have to lead, and they have to take that role, and they are doing that differently.”
“Leading is not telling someone what he needs to do; for me, it is being able to transform that person and not just with words, but with facts as well. There are players now that on that pitch that they are able to transmit something and change certain behaviours and attitudes in other players. That is contagious, and for me, that is leadership”.
Arsenal are in action during midweek as they host Leeds United in the EFL Cup Round of 16 at the Emirates. Arteta is expected to field some fringe stars while resting those who have been playing regularly in recent weeks. However, one thing that appears to be certain is that Aubameyang, Lacazette and Partey seem to be pulling their weight while also proving to be solid leaders at the same time.
