Unai Emery - Confirmed as the New Arsenal Manager - ORNSTEINNNN

[Globalgunner]

I've been seeing a lot of fans rewriting Arteta's playing career. Because they didn't want him as manager (understandable) they have been trashing him across the board, including his playing career. Things have veered wildly from reality now. Arteta was, in fact (and you can find the numbers), and excellent midfielder and a model professional. He could always be relied upon to step up in pressure situations. Wenger was the problem - again. Arteta was far more creative than Wenger allowed him to be. His role was tip tap merchant supreme, keeping possession, keeping the ball moving. The sort of stuff we've all come to hate about our style of play. And now we see Xhaka doing the same thing. And we all think he's a shit player too. Not true. He's been Wengerised as well.Maybe many fans didn't want Arteta here, but it's very unfair to kick him in the teeth for his years of dependable service. And he was far, far, far away from being our worst captain. Plenty of other candidates for that, including guys who showed no loyalty to the club whatsoever.Good bloke is Arteta. Served the club well. Things haven't worked out for him in terms of the manager's spot, but I don't see how that becomes an open invitation for fans to start crucifying him and talking shit about his career.

Sorry NQ you are the one rewriting history here. Arteta was an AM at both Rangers and Everton. Quite good esp at Everton. By the time he had got to us he was no longer athletic enough to do that role. Wenger as his wont was starting his in love affair with the Wilshere Ramsey combo and stuffed Arteta in the DM position, He was wholly unsuitable for the role. Unathletic and spectacularly non aggressive. He became slower and slower as the years went by and became a bloody liability. He would tug and foul his opposition and gave away numerous freekicks in dangerous positions every match. But Wenger was loyal and kept him on made him captain and he played most games even when we were in dire straits in the league. I would despair when he was ever put on. His career with us was one long dirge of inadequacy.

The only thing he was very good at was taking pens and missed a crucial one once when we could have drawn a game which we then lost, IIRC