By Tai Emeka Obasi.
Mikel Arteta, Arsenal’s chief coach, is a man, who appears gifted enough and divinely favoured to be a great football manager.
It is not an easy feat to start a career as a manager with a team very clearly in disarray and steady that ship within so short a time.
When you factor in that he came to the club mid-season without the luxury of a pre-season nor the opportunity to bring onboard any player of his choice, it becomes far more advisable to appreciate this 38-year old Spaniard for his heroics.
His coming was a huge gamble but whatever convinced the Arsenal board to take such a dicey route, that decision did the widely followed club a huge favour.
Nobody gave the Gunners a chance to go all the way in the FA Cup, especially with very unfavourable draws. Besides Leeds United, Arsenal played next five matches outside their Emirates base. And only twice did they engage opponents below them in the League table.
The semi-final stage saw three other teams well above them on current form that there wasn’t much option of a favourable draw. But it couldn’t have been more difficult when Manchester City rolled out of the dice.
Despite Arsenal struggles in 2919/20, Guardiola’s team was the only side that had done a double against the London-based outfit and quite clinically, scoring six goals in total while conceding none.
Besides, since Guardiola’s coming, City have taken over possession-oriented style from Arsenal, with ruthless finishing a clear step up. Most importantly, the new Gunners coach was just coming from all his coaching tutelage under same Guardiola. Arteta and his team were very clearly the underdogs.
But Arteta’s announcement of his arrival as a manager of repute had never been more emphatic in the manner he dispatched his former boss at Wembley.
The rest, they say, is history.
Part of that history is a certain Matteo Guendouzi, the 21-year old midfielder, who reportedly has as much trouble in temperament as he has in terms of footballing potential.
However, most of us see just the potential, especially when watching from screens thousands of kilometres away.
I like the French U-21 captain. He is a tireless workaholic who defies his age whenever he steps out in Arsenal colours. While the Gunners were stuttering, Guendouzi stood out as one of the few that still had fight left in him. Ever wanting the ball, carrying it forward and never afraid to get stuck in, the 21-year old won many admirers. But this lad reportedly has disciplinary issues, which indeed is a pity.
I love people with firm principles and Arteta strikes me as one. He doesn’t come across as one who could tolerate indiscipline from any player. I hate any form of stubbornness too but my little experience with players tells me no footballer is truly a gentleman.
If Patrick Vieira wasn’t stubborn, he certainly wouldn’t have stood up to Roy Keane and his Manchester United army. And we all enjoyed it.
Is there any way that Arteta could sit Guendouzi down, talk to him like a father and bring him up like a son? I believe the boy must have learnt his lessons by now, unless he’s truly possessed.
Guendouzi is in a mould of a captain, who would lead from the front. Such fighters are needed in teams. I believe this young prodigy, if he was allowed to stay, would be a very vital player in Arsenal in no distant future.
If reports are to be believed, Arsenal are trying to ship this boy out on the cheap. Reportedly, all Arsenal swap bids include the Frenchman. At his age and evident potentials, the boy should fetch something in the neighbourhood of £40 million if Arteta forgives and harnesses him for one more season before selling, if he must. I noticed that every player, from Emiliano Martinez to Pierre-Emerick Aubamayang, significantly improved under Arteta and our enfant terrible wouldn’t really be an exception.
He’s still regarded as U-21 and can be registered without tipping squad regulations. With four trophies to play for, Guendouzi will immensely add depth to the squad, especially in midfield where only Granit Xhaka presently has the appropriate steel to withstand physical side of the game. If Thomas Partey arrives (I’mhoping daily that he does), Guendouzi would learn a lot from the Ghanaian. Guendouzi, with Joe Willock, should really take charge of the defensive midfield steel in the early Europa and other cups outings.
Can somebody please talk to Arteta?
KEEP GUENDUZI
Tai,
nice piece, I agree it would be worth something to get out of this situation. And I believe that he can become a great player.
However, we are in no way part of any negotiation and I would NOT ever believe what is being said, like that he is part and parcel of any offer Arsenal make.
For one, we all know that the so-called press does not get 1 % of transfer stories right. For two, this is poker, so I do not believe that Arsenal are just a sacrificial lamb unable to navigate transfers and contracts. So they most probably play the bluff game as well as any other team and throww up smoke screens to throw off competition and make people look somewhere else. And frankly, if that were true, he’d not be worth anything on the market anymore, so I have my doubt that someone at Arsenal is getting the green light to loose millions.
At worst maybe he’ll be sent out on loan ?
@Chris,
Thanks.
I for one don’t believe what the press say about Arsenal and transfers.
But I know that all is not well with relationship concerning Guendouzi And only prayer that Arteta acts the father to a very young man for the sake of Arsenal and humanity.
It was good to read on reddit that during his game vs Georgia their players were trying to wind him up but he remained calm which to me is showing progress. He is now back in training for Arsenal so I am positive he will stay and give it his all for the club.
I will not talk to Arteta on behalf of Guendouzi. Even as I will have the chance to do it by talking to him through making a comment on the net for him to read.
Which he could decide to listen to me on what L have to say to him and accept it or disregard it to reject it.
But in truth, not until Mateo Guendouzi do a turnaround to have a sober reflection and repents from his outright disregard to constituted authorities at Arsenal. And his show of high handedness arrogant behaviour showing disrespect to senior club’s officials that included his head coach Mikel Arteta, and his team mates by tendering unreserved apology verbally or in writing to them. Will I then on the net make a plea to Arteta to forgive him.
Otherwise, but should Guendouzi failed to apologies, I think Arsenal should continue with their making him an example at the club to serve as a deterrent to other Gunners. By continue to discipline him banishing him out of the team training to be training alone. And excludes him from Arsenal match day sheets banning him to play for the club until he has repented from his grossly act of insubordination offence at the club.
Which by so doing by him, i,e, if Guendouzi repents to come down from his unbecoming arrogant attitude at Arsenal to embrace mutual respect with his fellow Gunners and staff members at the club. And show high regard and respect to his head coach and senior club’s officials.
Then should a peace truce be declared to reign between Arteta and Guendouzi. And as well between him and all his team mates and club members generally.
But nevertheless, and now that Guendouzi has been giving a big chance of grace at the club as Arsenal head coach, Mikel Arteta has decided to wipe off all the sins that have in the past been committed by any Gunners against Arsenal. By his extending the Olive branch to any Gunners who have committed any sins against the club to collect the Olive branch and embrace peace making at the club and in the team.
And have a fresh start in the team on a clean slate irrespective of the sins they have committed against the club. But which have now all been blotted out by Arteta. Who decided to make a sacrifice of his honour, respect and ego on the alter of Arsenal team squad rebuilding and enhancement this summer that is specifically carried out by him and other chieftains at the club to see Arsenal specifically win the Premier League title and the Europa League Cup this season.
But has Guendouzi collected this Olive branch from Arteta’s hand to start making peace at the club to let bygone be bygone at Arsenal?
There must be more to why Arteta is prepared to sell Guendouzi- it could be nothing more than he is regarded by some as a saleable asset and he does not possess the additional attributes Arteta feels Arsenal really need in midfield to progress further- which are probably physical. Good player though Guendouzi could become- I can’t say I disagree with Arteta if that is the case.
I expect money or rather the lack of remains at the heart of this issue.
Isee a player with greatness, despite his latitudinal issues,he should be given another chance and should not be sold,he will be a key player With time in arsenal
Guendouzi is a brilliant player with an incredible future that only he can realise. Arteta has approached the issues in his own manner and we on the outside cannot judge correctly.
There are several issues that need to be addressed not just the media bullshit. There is only one discipline and only one correct line to follow. A player that belongs to a team must learn to obey the coach and tow the line otherwise the team has no cohesion.
Arteta has a complex system that can be broken down into simple parts. He has learned from Wenger and learned from Pep but he has his own method of implementation. His team building is critical to his squad and any dissent hurts the game on the field. He also has to satisfy his paymaster and does that with success on the pitch. He is disciplined with the officials despite their ‘mistakes’. He has more chance of success than most because of his controlled emotion (a rare trait in a latin).
I must move on to a more important issue and that is ‘why did I advise silence?’. I, like most of you have been waiting for the Auba signature. It is now imminent if it hasn’t happened already.
It’s a shame that Arsenal posted a loss of 35 million pounds.i believe it never happened under Arsene Wenger.I believe Kroenkes knew that Wenger was running the club well single handedly .Alas the idiot fanbase had some common sense to know that proper clubs should be rum on a self sustaining model and not in thr way like City & Chlsea operate.
I think Kroenkes won’t inject a single pound in the club and Arsenal will have to use its own resources to carry on with the transfers whatever they are in the pipeline. Btw I think there won’t be any more purchasing as Ceballos is back and Ozil is ready to show his magic again. The idiot fan base at the blogosphere can keep on wasting there time on transfer rumours.
I do hope that their differences is not so diverse , or divisive that it cannot be be overcome , and that both benefit from moving forward from this unpleaseantness.
I remember watching him play for us the first time and being immediately impressed with his skill , stamina and commitment . It would be a great loss to us , if we were to let him go.