I look forward to watching Mikel Arteta’s press conferences.
Not just because he’s the Arsenal manager and my interest in Arsenal and our games, although obviously that’s the primary reason I even bother tuning in (I’m not sat at home watching every Pep Guardiola Man City press scrum). Not just for Arteta’s salacious transfer tittle-tattle or earth-shattering injury updates (lol re both). It’s also because I find Arteta to be an interesting and decent bloke, and I find myself looking out for the occasional metaphor between football and life and odd pearl of wisdom that I resonate with and can take into my life.
“I think every day you need to have moments. I have moments during my day that I do certain things to bring everything down. Your brain goes all the way 100 miles an hour. You cannot think. You cannot see the pictures with clarity, you need to bring it down sometimes. There are ways to do it. There is your family. You can do sometimes meditation. Sometimes sport is a great way to put those things away. Talking to people. A lot of things that you need. You need holidays. You need days off. You need to stay away from your phone at times! There [are] a lot of things that are needed and are very very healthy, but the temptation is always to do more … I will [meditate] in the afternoon, yes. Reading, a lot [too].
Mikel Arteta on 29 January 2024 speaking in the embargoed section of the pre-match press conference against Nottingham Forest.
Imagine walking into an office or group of mates at the pub 10 or 20 plus years ago and telling your manager, colleague or chums that you spent your one hour lunch break meditating. I can’t help but feel there was (and probably still is) a real possibility you might have been unfairly derided or negatively judged. Someone like Mikel Arteta speaks about it and even the staunchest sceptic mayprivately think twice.
Is Arteta perfect? No, of course not. The way the situation with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was handled didn’t quite feel right. Particularly when you hear the player’s side of things in his recent discussion with David Ornstein of The Athletic. Of course, none of us civilians were in the building during that protracted period of time in which Arteta built his infamous dossier on the player. And Arsene Wenger received criticism for being too lenient with his players. But Arteta’s intensity can occasionally be a little much.
It’s not easy finding that balance between giving players, especially the mavericks, some slack with slight indiscretions (eg reported lateness) and divergences. Every human being is different and has personal circumstances that need to be respected, which Arsene Wenger perhaps more closely honoured. Yet, there is also a team culture, discipline and fine details that need to be respected too, which Mikel Arteta perhaps more closely honours. A fine line and very much not an easy one. But both Wenger and Arteta have spoken on such situations with class – no public denigration or comment on sensitive or personal situations, and both refer often to how they themselves are always learning and reflecting on what they would do differently without being overly self-critical.
It’s worth reminding ourselves that Mikel Arteta is in his first managerial job at a top club. During the peak of the Aubameyang situation, Arteta was steering the club through a pandemic whilst simultaneously learning the rookie ropes on how to manage a football game and a football club. It wouldn’t have been easy for him without a pandemic let alone where he found himself. I wonder if, in time, he may reflect on how he would handle that situation differently in the future.
Humility is a trait I want the manager of Arsenal to hold and display when speaking (I also absolutely want them to wildly celebrate a goal when the time is right too and generally not be a pushover).
“I doubt myself. I question myself. And this is part of a journey where, if you want to get better, you have to be self-critical and you have to have other people around you to tell you the truth. And you always have to have, I think,the humbleness to always be willing to get better and improve and explore other opinions and other ways to do your job.”
Mikel Arteta on in a pre-taped Sky Sports interview before Arsenal faced Brentford on 18 September 2022.
Arteta infamously rarely speaks about players of other clubs, especially in the context of a transfer-related question. He speaks with class on matters outside of football, like the recent natural disaster in Valencia. And he never allows himself or his players to use legitimate events and grievances as an excuse, even when entirely justifiable.
Very few people are inspired by boring people either. Humans generally have a natural affinity to wit and towards funny and warm people. While there is no danger of Mikel Arteta becoming a travelling comedian, he does have his moments.
Reporter: “Leandro Trossard has more assists since he arrived at your club than 10 Premier League teams. In your wildest dreams, could you have imagined him making such an impact?”
Arteta: “I have very wild dreams!”
Mikel Arteta on 1 April 2023 speaking in the post-match press conference against Leeds.
Class, integrity, good wit and humour, drive, intelligence, skill, warmth, opportunity, wisdom. These are just some of the values that I want the manager of Arsenal to hold. I want the manager of Arsenal to have the potential to one day far down the road be theambassadorial figurehead of the club. Growing up with Arsene Wenger as your manager will do that to a person I guess.
Essentially, I’m describing the model presidential figure. A presidential figure with strong paternal vibes. Just a seriously decent upstanding person who directly and indirectly influences people in a good way. If there’s anything the world today shows us is how humans of all shapes, sizes, ages and, seemingly, intellect have a varying capacity to be influenced, positively and negatively, by others.
I would much rather have a society in which its inhabitants are being influenced by the ilk of a classy Arsenal manager than some actual current world leaders (and some de facto world leaders who align themselves closely together).
“It’s who I am as a person. This is my character. The love that I have for my profession, for my club, for my players, how I defend them. And that’s it. And as well with a lot of times that we have shown incredible respect for everybody whether it’s opponents, whether it’s referees, other clubs, an institution. We are there to defend and support them as well.”
Mikel Arteta on 15 December 2023 speaking in the embargoed section of the pre-match press conference against Brighton.
The idea for this piece came from a thought about why I, perhaps unusually, look forward to and enjoy Mikel Arteta’s press conferences. The positive messages, behaviours and life metaphors that can be gleaned (as well as all the ‘football stuff’, obviously). The irony of figures of speech and presidential personification in today’s world eh.
It’s integral that Arsenal never loses sight of these values, especially in its choice of club manager. These values are a guide and reminder for us all, no matter how old we are. And the world needs high-profile people who embody them, arguably now more than ever. We’re still talking about Arsenal press conferences right? How very meta.
Arsenal fan since the 90s. Sharing the odd thought and musing.
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