In an interview with Sky Sports, Arsenal boss Artetta talked about the relationship between fans and players, the impact of Aubameyang's departure on the club, and the signings in this summer window.
The atmosphere of the Emirates Stadium
Arteta: "If you ask me what I want to do here, I would say I want the Emirates Stadium to be the toughest home of the Premier League and create a truly unique atmosphere. In that atmosphere, our fans will feel like 'I can't wait for the weekend to go and support my team, I'm ready, I'm going to support our players because they're very engaged in the game and it's worth us doing this' If we can do that, it will be a huge win. ”
The affiliation of the players to the club
Arteta: "I think we have some players and you can see how they feel about the club. Obviously it's very important to have a youth player in the team because you know there are some other things besides how I love to play football and the wealth that football can bring. I think these players are inextricably linked to the DNA and values of the club, they grew up here and are grateful to be with the team for so long. And for some other players, as long as they put 100% effort into the team, in this case they will naturally get the support of the fans. ”
After Aubameyang left, the team's performance has improved significantly
Arteta: "I think there are a lot of reasons for that, first of all we have a clearer understanding of what we want, we have a healthy team and there's not a lot of distraction for a long time. This allows us to play more regularly, and the team has better cohesion and the qualities of the players make each other better. Then it became clear that when you got the results, confidence was built, and after that everything came naturally. ”
Did Aubameyang's departure give others a chance to shine
Arteta: "We always make decisions based on the interests of the club and the best performance of the team, we made the decision to leave Aubameyang on three fronts, one for the club, one for Aubameyang himself and one for Barcelona. All three of us believe that this is the right thing to do. ”
Aubameyang's departure without bringing in a replacement angered some fans
Arteta: "It's possible, but I think when you have a clear direction and process on how to make a decision, you have to learn to be ruthless. In these decisions, you must have a certain courage and consistency in making decisions. So even if you're tempted to do something that could get you in trouble in the coming months or years, you shouldn't do it. I think we were brave not to do that. ”
"We did what we should have done and took responsibility as someone who manages the club. But whether this decision is good or not, it will not be known until the end of the season to see if we have won enough games. ”
Lacazette
Arteta: "Lacazette has an important quality, and that is that he can make the people around him better. He knows the game very well, is a very smart player and works very efficiently. I think it's a bit unlucky that he didn't score another 4-6 goals in this time and we want to give him confidence that he will do it. ”
Compared to when you first started coaching, only 6 players in the current squad continue to stay
Arteta: "It's unheard of. I think it's hard to explain to the outside world what's going on, but it's our responsibility to look to the future, and if we're going to get there, we have to start doing that now. It's hard to explain, but I think the board, the technical director, and all the people between us who make the final decision, we've been very united. Because normally, when that kind of reform happens, there's one hundred percent of them going to be in internal conflict because you can't agree on the future of 36 players in two years, it's impossible. ”
Did he have a quarrel with Edu
Arteta: "We don't have serious disagreements. The good thing is that there are people in the club who speak their minds and come up with their reasons and then leave to work, which can make someone else think carefully. What really matters is how we end up making the decision, going out the door is ours, not yours or mine, and we'll stick with it, even though it might be wrong. ”
Will this summer window be more important than before?
Arteta: "More importantly I think it's time for the team to have to reach a different level. Compared to now, our team is more balanced and the situation is more stable, so it is time to improve the quality of the team. ”
What kind of striker the team needs in the summer window
Arteta: "First of all to be able to score is for sure. There also needs to be enough of a threat to the opposing goal, and any successful team needs a sufficient goal threat. The other thing is that whether on and off the field, he needs to make up for our shortcomings, so the right image is needed. ”
"We need someone who can use his abilities and at the same time he can adapt well to Arsenal's system so that we don't have to change the way we play in order to adapt to that particular player. He has to have a certain age and experience to be able to adapt to playing under the pressure of Arsenal. ”
Will there be a special focus on age
Arteta: "We can now recruit players more flexibly because we are the youngest team in the Premier League, so we need to balance it carefully. But sometimes it's not just about age, there are 23- and 24-year-olds who seem to be very experienced because they started their careers very early. And some players may not have the leadership skills even at the age of 34. ”
How Saka reached new heights
Arteta: "I think his biggest improvement is the stability of his play, it's certainly good to have a moment of shine, a lot of players can do that, but it's very difficult to keep at that level all the time. Opponents know Saka and expectations are high, but he is still as humble, determined and eager as when I first met him. Now I think he has a better understanding of the game and I think as a player he also has varying degrees of aggression, which is very important. ”
"I'm delighted to see Saka taking on more responsibility, especially for the attacking players at big clubs, who did it in a very natural way. You don't have to ask a lot of questions just because he's from academy, he's improving. If we spend £70 million bringing in a player, it will definitely put him on the pitch, so why not do that to a player from academy? ”
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