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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has denied claims that he aims to establish his authority by being dictatorial.
Arteta was asked about the extent to which he sticks to his principles in the wake of the Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang situation. Aubameyang was stripped of the Gunners' captaincy earlier this month due to a disciplinary breach and has missed each of Arsenal's last four matches.
Speaking to the press, Arteta said (as quoted by the Evening Standard):
“I don’t establish my authority by being dictatorial or trying to be ruthless. I just ask for one thing, it’s respect and commitment. That’s all. And if you don’t ask for that at this level, I think I pack my bags and I go somewhere else because that’s the minimum you can ask for.”
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The Arsenal boss went on to add:
“I am sorry but I am going to expect that (respect and commitment) from everybody who works for the club. First of all myself. And the day I don’t do that, I walk through that door and go and do something else. It is as clear as that.”
Arteta's comments indicate that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's Arsenal exile could continue
Arteta also indicated that he expects his players to exhibit passion alongside respect and commitment while playing for a club of Arsenal's size. He said:
“To be successful you have to be passionate about something and you want to represent a club of this size with its history, that is the minimum standard you have to bring.”
The Gunners manager believes the players' behavior off the pitch is possibly more important to him than what they do on it.
“I am not going to ask anybody to put the ball into the top corner every time they hit it, but I will ask them to do the right things every single day for this club. That is for sure.”
Arteta's comments seemingly indicate that Aubameyang could face a prolonged exile from the team. It is worth noting that Arsenal have also won all of their games without their former captain.
The Gunners have picked up important victories over Southampton, West Ham United and Leeds United in the league. Those wins have taken Arteta's side to fourth in the Premier League table. Arsenal also thrashed Sunderland 5-1 in the EFL Cup quarterfinals to book their berth in the final four.
The likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Alexandre Lacazette have stepped up admirably in Aubameyang's absence. This could also be a reason for Arteta to keep the Gabon international on the fringes for a while longer.
