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Mikel Arteta says that he and his players have to “put their face and body on the line” and take the crooks heading their way after a dire start to the Premier League season.
Arsenal face Southampton at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday and desperately need to stem the stream of negativity that threatens to engulf them after four straight losses at home. It’s a quick turnaround for Arteta, who was praised in August after winning the FA Cup in his first half of the season, but he’s determined that no one will hide from his responsibility to turn things around.
“I prefer [the] Pressure to try to win the next trophy but this is reality and we have to face it, being brave and fighting and without anyone giving up ”, he said. “This is no time to hide, it is time to put your face and body on the line.
“At the moment we have to take the bullets. We are not winning games and you have to put your chest there, and you have the right to hit me because I am not winning. So what else can I do but hang my head, work harder, and do my best to improve? This is how we have to approach this. “
Arteta was endorsed comprehensively by Edu, Arsenal’s technical director, on Tuesday and it is understood that there is no severe risk to his work even if the results do not change quickly. There have been requests for his head among some sections of the fan base; He said that he feels comfortable with that opinion expressed and that he is more hurt than anyone by the difficult situation of the team.
“It’s natural for criticism to come to me,” he said. “I accept it and it’s part of the job. When it does not get results, it is the manager who has the maximum responsibility to lead. So you can say what you want to explain, but in the end you have to win games and this club is too big to accept so many defeats. My chest is here, so hit me. “
A new climb from his current 15th spot would surely bring a relegation fight, but Arteta preferred to call the Arsenal situation a “passing problem.” He said any response to Granit Xhaka’s red card against Burnley on Sunday, which cost them a match that seemed likely to win, had been “resolved internally.” He publicly defended Xhaka, for whom it was not a first instance of red fog, praising his professionalism and commitment.
“What I can’t do is throw away everything he’s done because he made a mistake. We all make mistakes and I’m here to protect the players when they deserve it. “
