Nothing will change at Manchester United unless they learn ‘phenomenal’ Arteta secret
Manchester United need to look at and learn from Arsenal under Mikel Arteta because nothing will change until and unless the culture is fixed properly.
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The curious relationship between Arteta, Rashford and Amorim
I watched the Newcastle v Barcelona game at a pub in the city center.
What started out as a tactical game in which the hosts stifled their more illustrious opponents, the game was decided two moments of real quality from Marcus Rashford especially the second goal which was so like Gabriel Batistuta’s thunderbastards at Fiorentina in the 90 and early 00’s.
Apart from his goals, his industry and nuisance to the Magpies defence was surprising to see.
He is not the only player who thrived in another club after leaving Manchester United. Scott McTominay, Antony, Elanga… help me out with other names because I know there are more.
So what is it that makes players become better once they leave the Theater of Dreams? I think it has a lot to do with the culture.
Management guru, Peter Drucker is credited with making this famous quote; culture eats strategy for breakfast. And that quote would suffice for this short discussion.
Since Alex Ferguson left, Manchester United has failed to continue their unbroken streak of success despite spending billions of pounds and hiring several managers.
No matter the personnel, the story has remained the same; a comatose giant unable to scare opponents.
Looking at the Red Devils former rivals, Arsenal brings this quote in sharp relief. That quote is an encapsulation of the idea that no matter how well crafted the strategy is, it will fail if there is an absence of an excellent culture at the organization.
When Mikel Arteta was hired in 2019, Arsenal were in a terrible shape. Quite similar to where Manchester United is now.
From a toxic and indifferent dressing room, to a divided and hostile fanbase to a beleaguered boardroom who were tentative in action, the club was in a mess.
Handed the reins of a big club as your first job must have been the best impression of being thrown into the deep end.
However the evidence of what an incredible job Arteta has been able to pull off at Arsenal is shown by the number of managers who have tried and spectacularly failed at Manchester United. Even the great Jose Mourinho couldn’t fix the club.
I am certain that apart from his tactical acumen and excellent talent ID, the singular most important thing that Arteta changed at Arsenal was the culture.
Although many have mocked his non-negotiables but those values where useful in stemming the rot and cleaning the Augean stables.
He has made Arsenal quite difficult to beat. All the players fight for him and majority of the fans are behind him. Even the board notorious for being parsimonious have loosened the purse strings to cater to his yearnings for a more robust and deep squad.
And he made it look so easy that many club boards have been deceived to think that to get their teams playing an expansive and attractive type of football, all they have to do is to hire a young manager and give him time.
Someone said that if Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko were at Manchester United and Arsenal respectively, the former would have scored a grand total of 0 goals while the latter would have scored 3 or more goals by now.
I am of the firm opinion that the culture and environment at Manchester United is inimical for players and coaches to flourish and until the culture is revamped, no amount of money spent on hiring playing personnel would reverse their fortunes. Just look at Marcus Rashford against Newcastle. He was barely recognizable.
As for Mikel Arteta, hats off to him.
He has done such a phenomenal job. Don’t let the likes of Stewie Griffin and his nit-picking ilk convince you otherwise.
I think the reason why the likes of Thierry Henry, Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher and Rio Ferdinand are harsh when it comes to evaluating Arsenal is because they are secretly jealous of Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal are really fortunate to have him.
As for Manchester United, until they fix their culture, their spell in the doldrums is not about to end any time soon.
William, Sunderland
Luck here
Luck.
For the avoidance of doubt –
Chance: (noun) 1. a possibility of something happening.
Luck: (noun) 1. success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one’s own actions.
The misunderstanding in the last few days is that I have said Liverpool have been lucky, or that Szoboszlai’s (sp?) free kick was somehow without merit which has led to consternation that you make your own luck – something I do very much believe in.
However in the very fabric of our game, we use the word chance, which is defined to luck rather than skill. Every single opportunity, we call a “chance” and (certainly in my lifetime that I can remember) we always have – because we never assume someone will score, least of all a 35 yard beauty dead-ball, because we know that Johnny GreatFootballer isn’t perfect. However, I am also aware that luck – is defined as being completely without one’s actions so willing to concede luck is really not the right word to convey my point without disparaging anyone’s ego or sense of self.
So I apologise for being noisy, and confusing matters, but I also do think that there needs to be a distinction on a win reliant on a moment of genius or madness – so I put it to the commentariat, what can we call that word? I would like to motion the word “Serendipitous”. It’s a lovely word, a bit of a mouthful, but far less inflammatory than luck.
It was serendipitous for Liverpool to win 5 games after the 80th minute in a row, no? And it was serendipitous that despite both teams really not looking like ever scoring, our man Dominik (sp?) stepped up and did the business, yeah?
Harold Ezekiel Hooler
P.S: I am really sorry, Sarah, and I remain grateful for the time you’ve afforded me in the mailbox this week (and always) as I try to explain my flubbed logic. I will now shut up, I promise – I’ll be a good boy
“This isn’t sustainable! Liverpool cannot keep scoring in the final minutes!”
You can hear them foaming at their mouths. But they are right, Liverpool cannot keep scoring in the last minute. So, in the next game, we will score in the 15th minute, the 26th, the 37th and the 55th instead.
If anything, Liverpool are the UNLUCKIEST team in the world. To attack and play positive football, only to be hindered by rustiness, misplaced final pass, post, bar, miskicks, lowblocks by billion pound teams, ball out of play for more minutes than in-play, the list goes on.
Every team we played so far has tried to negate us instead of playing football. Newcastle was long-balling from minute 1, Arsenal played 4 CBs and 3 DMs, Burnley put 10 men in their box AT HOME, and Athletico is a Simeone team. Bournemouth is the only team that played some football, and despite these ‘tactics’, we won all our games. Every team has a right to play the kind of football they want, but it is unfortunate the first 5 Liverpool games are of this ilk and of course, it is not as fluid and beautiful as a normal football game can be. The next few games, Everton and Palace will continue the low blocks and bastardery.
So sure, our football is a little disjointed and clunky but let’s blame the other team as well, playing every anti-football tactic in the book. I look forward to the Chelsea away game, where Chelsea cannot play a defensive game at home, right? Right? Keep laughing, keep throwing shade, keep calling us a waste of money, we’ll quietly collect the points over here while you fiddle.
VP21
How good is the new format
Wrote in a few times last year to state how absolutely shit the new Champions League format is.
Watched a couple of games this week on the Champions League broadcaster of choice channel, where they’ve been clear that the new format is both not shit but actually amazing.
No guys, it’s still shit. The fact Barcelona are playing PSG next does not make the new format great, it proves how shit it is because the result of that match literally does not matter. At all.
So just to be clear, I want to put on record that the new Champions League format is absolutely shit.
Simon, London
Angeball, a retort
WAFF TOWN MAN, har de har lots of banteroonies all round but more accurately;
You can take the Ange out of Spurs
But you cant take the Ange out of the Ange.
TGWolf(Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that)THFC
Favourite left-footed goals
Samuel Umtiti’s at White Hart Lane always has me making Gary Neville noises.
Richard (oooooof…) Pike
On the subject of left footed goals here’s a couple which warrant merit.
Zidane Vs Leverkusen champs league final – not only is it a perfect volley into the top corner to win the biggest trophy in club football it was on his left foot, Zidane is right footed.
John Arne rise Vs man United – it wasn’t a goal but the shot was so powerful it broke Alan smiths leg.
Gareth bale Vs Liverpool – another champs league final goal with bales bicycle kick
Robbie Fowler Vs Aston villa – receives the ball back to goal with Staunton basically going in for a bit of anal, Robbie uses his first touch to play it through both of their legs quickly spin round and sprint past before lazily firing a 25 yard left foot into the far side of the goal.
Just a couple off top my head. You can also throw in basically any free kick scored by sinisa mihaijlovic
Lee
Howard (it’s better than Roberto Carlos’s) asked if Burgess’ goal for Swansea was the best left-footed goal there’s ever been. John Arne Riise wants a word…
John Arne Riise’s free-kick for Liverpool against Manchester United
And I suspect Messi might have had a couple!
Chris Mac, LFC
The e-mail from Howard (It’s better than Roberto Carlos’s) Jones on left-footed goals made me think of my favorite goal category: weaker-foot strikes. Here are two favorites.
Second, José Holebas:
Peter G, Pennsylvania, USA
Riise Rocket
Aidan, Lfc (suspect you’ll get alot of these)
