‘Appointing Arteta is a gamble Arsenal can’t get wrong’

Joe Williams

Arsenal legend Ray Parlour says the Gunners cannot afford to get their Mikel Arteta “gamble” wrong.

The BBC reported last night that Manchester City assistant Arteta is ‘expected to be named as Arsenal’s new manager on Friday’.

The Gunners had fuelled speculation of an imminent announcement of Unai Emery’s permanent successor by postponing Thursday afternoon’s scheduled press conference.

Spaniard Arteta, who played for the Gunners from 2011 to 2016, reportedly said his farewells to staff at City on Thursday morning.

“Of course it’s a gamble,” Parlour told talkSPORT.

“He was a great player, but he has no experience as a manager.

“But then any manager is gamble at this stage, they can’t get this wrong!

“I’m sure he can [improve Arsenal’s defence] you want Manchester City’s structure when they lose the ball, they work hard off the ball and they have certain players in certain positions who do their job. Fernandinho is the one who dictates winning the ball back and Arsenal don’t have that at the moment.

“I’m sure Arteta will be looking at that straight away and say ‘the first thing we will do is defend better as a side, not just as a back-four, but as a unit, as a team’.

“That’s what he has to work on if Arsenal are going to get back to winning ways and try and close the gap on the top-four.”

When asked what Arteta needs to do at Arsenal, Parlour added: “Certainly reconnect with the fans, but going forward his biggest job and hardest job is being a man-manager.

“Being a number two, you’re everybody’s mate. You haven’t got to pick the side, you’re in the dressing room chatting with the lads like you’re still a player but you’re still next to the manager and feed back to him.

“But now you’re the manager you have to make big decisions and you might have to upset certain players. That’s the hardest job, to get the right balance between upsetting player and leaving them out and trying to still keep them on your side.

“It’s very difficult to do. Arsene Wenger was a master at that.

“I’ve never crossed paths with Arteta, but Wenger has said good things about him, he made him his skipper.

“I’m sure if he’s learned a little bit off Wenger and Guardiola and how he deals with players on a daily basis, then he’s got to bring that to Arsenal now.”