Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side lost to Liverpool last weekend. (Photo: Alex Pantling/Getty Images, Jon Hobley/Mi News/Nurphoto via Getty Images)
Arsenal started the season with two wins of two, but Liverpool, defeated by rivals last weekend, was a major blow to Mikel Arteta’s side. And that means they’re already catching up to the Premier League champions.
This season is considered a huge one for Arsenal, especially for Mikel Arteta, who has only won one FA Cup as manager. According to one commentator, this simply isn’t enough.
Colliemore believes Mikel Arteta should be under great pressure
Speaking in his exclusive catch-offside column, Stan Colliemore gave his thoughts on Arteta’s position as Arsenal’s manager.
“It’s very surprising that Mikel Arteta is not under pressure at Arsenal. Every season I write this column. I always say this season: When will Mikel Arteta criticism occur?
“That’s amazing. The press conferences are all confident. And I think to myself it’s very bold for a manager who won one major trophy. The reality is that if he’s a golfer, we kept talking about him as an elite golfer, but he wasn’t a major, but I don’t think he’s an elite golfer.
“I feel like there’s a myth that was raised with the power that he had to turn Arsenal around, which was always finished in the top 10. They weren’t the bottom half of the table, they were firmly on the 6th, 7th, 8th.
“From my point of view, taking into account his performance against Liverpool, he was warm at best and lacking any conviction, so I’m really surprised that I’ve never seen him be promoted to take his position in this early stage of the season. No. 4, 2, 3, 4th, and that’s fine.
“When I look at Pep Guardiola last season, people have reached the point where Pep’s end legally ask if this is the end. He won’t deliver at the end of this season, it’s time to go.”