Arsenal's reconstruction: how Arteta retrieves the gunman's lost soul

The Gunners have a new direction under their young manager

When Arteta returned to Arsenal in December 2019, he was shocked by his discovery.

It has only been three years since he ended his playing career and left North London to take up a position in Manchester City's Guardiola coaching staff, but a lot has changed in that short time.

The Arsenal club he left in 2016 felt different.

Stadiums, training grounds, even some players have not changed. However, most of the souls of this place have been sucked away.

It doesn't feel like Arsenal anymore.

Asked at the official press conference if he thought the club had lost its way, he replied: "It's something I've never felt. I want to take some steps to start understanding why.

"There's going to be a reason behind this, there's going to be history, and I have to try to get a quick picture of why that's the case."

"We have to create the right atmosphere, the right energy, and everyone in the organisation has to feel so privileged to play here. There is no other way. "

It's been almost two years since Arteta made those remarks and he's spent a lot of time trying to bring a sense of identity back into the interior of the club.

During his time as a player in North London, from 2011 to 2016, Arteta was well aware of what it meant to be at Arsenal.

It took Wenger 20 years to build a sense of identity, and the club became famous all over the world.

But in the final stages of French rule, this sense of identity became fragmented.

There has been behind-the-scenes infighting over how to handle Wenger's departure, and most fans are increasingly disillusioned with where the club is headed.

Unity is a thing of the past, and during Emery's short tenure, the cracks that began to appear widened.

This Spaniard was a very hard-working man, but it came at a cost.

He shut himself in an office near the entrance to London's Kearney main building, where players and staff would often go for hours without seeing or hearing from him.

He often doesn't have time to follow the youth team or attend any of the games held at the training ground.

So a disconnect arises. There is a lack of unity at the club, a feeling that everyone is working in the same direction and trying to turn things around.

Arteta said: "I found an environment, a culture that I didn't feel identified with. It's about having the feeling of being privileged to represent this club every time you walk through that door.

"If that's lost, you have to leave, get back in your car, drive home because without the goal we're not going to push this club the way we want to."

The Gunners head coach added: "If I have to define who we are, it's one word: unity. Without unity, we cannot achieve what we want to achieve.

"Solidarity means everyone working in an organization. It's the way we play, the way we deliver values, the way we connect with the fans, the ownership we take.

"Everyone is united, thinks the same way, has the same purpose, doesn't have any personal agenda, doesn't have any ego.

"That's what we want, and I'm going to push these things very, very fast."

One of Arteta's biggest strengths is his ability to get players to accept his way of thinking. But he was also ruthless, as many have already seen.

His first two years at Arsenal have struggled to reinvent a fractured squad with a bloated squad that includes some players he doesn't think are right for him.

Although it took some time, slowly, the players were purged and now, for the first time since he became Arsenal manager, he has a team that feels like his own.

The summer transfer window was an important moment for the rebuild, with six new members adding a fresh and energetic feel to the dressing room.

These changes are now beginning to bear fruit.

However, things have improved not just on the pitch. Arteta's work behind the scenes has been equally productive.

He has pushed the pitch with dramatic changes, renovating the pitch to celebrate its former glory and reminding the current players of the standards they need to try and follow.

Arteta thought the corridors around London's Kearney base were too deserted, so the walls were already plastered with pictures, murals and inspiring quotes, and there would be more soon.

Every day before training, the team had to go through a huge mural to celebrate a record 49 unbeaten games, and a huge Arsene Wenger photo greeted them as the players entered the building every morning.

Wenger's words are written on the wall under the photo: "Here you have the opportunity to show the greatness of each of you." "

Asked why the presence of Wenger on the training ground is so important to him, Arteta told Enough Football: "For me, it's something we've lost and we have to recover.

"I wish I had that picture and a very inspiring sentence at the entrance because that's a big part of what he's done at Kearney and why everything started at Emirates Stadium.

"You just have to look him in the eye and you'll feel as if he's standing there. He has this ability, and when he looks at you, his gaze can penetrate you. The players really benefited and Wenger had to be there. "

Arteta is now pushing Wenger to return to the club in person, though not in any official role.

What the Spaniard wants is that his former manager feels welcome enough to visit the London Kearney base at any time and to be able to pass on his experience to the coaching staff and players in an informal way.

Arteta explains: "I think he would be happy if he could come and see everything he's created with his own hands. It will take time and I think he has to decide for himself when to come back.

'From my point of view, what I want to say on behalf of everyone is that we are happy to bring him closer to the club.

As part of a makeover at the London Kearney base, Arteta has moved out of Wenger and Emery's office at the main entrance to an office adjacent to the office of the coach and other members of the management.

He worked very closely with technical director Edu and academy director Mertesack, and now the group meeting is taking place in an open space in the new coaching district, trying to ensure that the whole building has a sense of openness and unity.

Arteta is now often found wandering around there, watching youth matches and training sessions, and, together with Mertesack, is keen to get the legend back to work with the club's youngsters.

David Seaman has returned in recent months to help the Academy goalkeeper in an informal way, while Jack Wilshire has had the opportunity to adapt himself to the coach's job ahead of the January transfer window.

Arsenal's rebuilding still has a lot to do, and the "process" that Arteta talked about after his return is far from complete.

But what is certain is that thanks to the work of the past two years, the club is now in the best behind-the-scenes position in a long time.

Arteta said he found an environment he could not identify with when he arrived in 2019. Now, two years later, Arsenal's environment is starting to feel somewhat familiar.