4 reasons why Arsenal should let Mikel Arteta go

Mikel Arteta is under fire lately - the Arsenal job is seemingly too big for him

#3 Arteta's poor game-management ability

A manager cannot control what his players do on the pitch. If a striker misses a sitter, that's not the manager's fault. If a goalkeeper makes a mistake in handling a cross, it's not the manager's fault fault. If a defender commits a professional foul to concede a penalty, the manager cannot be blamed directly for that.

However, the manager is responsible for selecting the right personnel and formations for games. He also needs to make the right substitutions and do so at the right moments to win or save games. He must have an active reading of the game at all times in order to maximise the players at his disposal.

But there have been many occasions where Arteta's inexperience and tactical naivety have cost games for Arsenal, especially their 2020-21 Europa League semi-final against Villareal.

In the first leg, he played Emile Smith Rowe as a false nine, which was a costly gamble in a crucial semi-final. That was not a position that Arsenal were accustomed to, so they had little chance of success and lost the game 2-1.

The second leg, a must-win game for Arsenal, saw Arteta play a 4-1-4-1 formation designed to exploit the team's offensive potential, as a goal was needed to progress. However, that meant Thomas Partey as the sole anchor man was exposed and pressed in midfield, and Villareal were able to control the game in the middle third and slow down Arsenal's tempo.

Arsenal usually employ a 4-2-3-1 formation. At the risk of moving to 'if-and-buts' territory, had Mohamed Elneny and Partey formed a double pivot in this game, the result may have been a positive one for Arsenal.

It can be said that a more seasoned manager would not have taken such extraordinary risks in critical games. Even in earlier rounds of the competition, against Slavia Prague, Arteta introduced Nicolas Pepe late. Yes, Pepe did score Arsenal's goal in the 1-1 first-leg draw, but the player was introduced too late in the game.

What compounds these baffling choices is that in the win at Stamford Bridge, Arsenal's first since 2011, Arteta employed a formation that in part nullified Chelsea. It was essentially a 'park the bus' tactic that did the job for Arsenal on the night.

#4 Arsenal handed Arteta the wrong job at the wrong time

Tim Cook was well-placed to lead Apple after Steve Jobs's death. He knew the firm's culture, goals and strategies. Arsenal appointing Arteta was a mistake, though, due to his inexperience at the managerial level.

Managing a big club like Arsenal is pressure enough. But when said club is far from its peak, it becomes more difficult.

It's akin to one managing Microsoft or Oracle in a slump. Both are huge, global players in the software industry, so hiring a rookie as CEO for either would be foolhardy. It would take somebody with a seasoned approach to manage the two companies, even when they are on top, let alone struggling.

Successful business management is often about managing and mitigating risk. Any appointment at any level is a risk. But that hould be minimised as much as possible. When Steve Jobs expired, Tim Cook replaced him, and had several years at Apple in senior positions under Jobs. He knew the culture, knew the firm, and thus Apple have sustained themsevels as a leader in the smartphone market.

However, when Unai Emery was dismissed, a managerial greenhorn like Arteta was appointed at the helm. That turned out to be too big a risk.

Arteta would have been aware about the challenges of his taks at hand. Was he a tad arrogant to take the job? Maybe. But it's understandable in a way, considering Arsenal is a lucrative job for many managers.

However, more than Arteta, it puts Arsenal's management, Stan Kroenke's KSE, in poor light. Arteta speaks well, has an eye for being tactically flexible, and did win a trophy in his first season as manager. He could improve in the future if he gets a better team to work with.

Nevertheless, Arsenal took a gamble on Mikel Arteta - but bar an FA Cup triumph last year - that appointment has not reaped the desired dividends. Arteta appears out of depth at the moment, so it would be better if Arsenal appoint a more experienced head at the helm.

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Edited by Bhargav