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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta thanked the club’s hierarchy for their public display of support and said recent results have “dull the shine” on the progress made during his first year in office.
The Spaniard will celebrate his first anniversary as Arsenal manager on Sunday, the day after the Gunners visit Everton, aiming to end a six-game Premier League winless streak dating back to November 1. .
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Arteta has faced intense criticism with Arsenal languishing in 15th place, already 10 points behind Champions League spots, but CEO Vinai Venkatesham and manager Edu have endorsed the 38-year-old in recent years. days, highlighting August’s FA Cup victory and steps taken behind the scenes to create a winning culture at a club without a league title since 2004.
“Well I said it from the beginning, that I felt really supported by the owners, by the board of directors, by the technical director and then by everyone who is at the club,” said Arteta. “Because at the end of the day it’s a feeling that I feel with the staff, with the coaches, with the players, who are the most important.
“What chemistry do you have with them? What understanding do you have? Do they follow you? Do they believe in what you’re trying to do?
“And I always have to thank, because I have not seen anything that goes against what we are trying to do. But, it’s like everything, in this industry you need the results. But after a big reorganization, we need to find stability and to achieve this we need time.
“We all knew, at least the people who made the decision with me to start this new project, that this was not a quick fix and that it was going to take time. And when you’re changing things, things can take a while.”
Arteta’s year at the helm has seen a plethora of changes off the field, including the departure of soccer boss Raul Sanllehi, contract negotiator Huss Fahmy, 55 non-player personnel laid off due to the financial effects of COVID-19 alongside with a considerable reduction of the club’s overseas exploration network.
“I think it has been one of the most challenging years in the club’s history for many, many different reasons,” Arteta said. “I think we have made a lot of progress and implemented a lot of positive things that have worked very, very well.
“We have gone through structural changes throughout the club, which have obviously shaken up the club a lot. I would say that the highlight of this year is the two trophies that we have won together.
“And the most disappointing thing is that we haven’t had our fans with us to get through this difficult time. I think it could have been a very, very positive year, but recent form in the Premier League is improving. The brilliance of what we have done is done in a calendar year.
“But we have to accept that the form of the Premier League, in recent weeks, has not been good enough for this football club.”
Arteta took his first job as a manager at Emirates Stadium after three years as Pep Guardiola’s coach at Manchester City. He previously spent six years as a player at Everton between 2005 and 2011 and said he had discussions about moving to a backroom job in Merseyside.
“It was part of some conversations but I decided to take my route,” he added.
