The former Gunners midfielder believes his fellow Spaniard will succeed at Emirates Stadium as he learned from one of the very best
Cesc Fabregas is backing Mikel Arteta to succeed in a “difficult job” at Arsenal, with his fellow Spaniard having earned a coaching “masters” alongside Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
Questions continue to be asked of whether the Gunners have the right man at their helm, with a relatively inexperienced manager being thrown in at the Premier League deep end.
Arteta has delivered FA Cup and Community Shield glory during his time in the Emirates Stadium dugout and Fabregas believes progress will be made by the 39-year-old, who is about to enter his second full season.
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What has been said?
Former Arsenal captain Fabregas told talkSPORT of Arteta and the challenges he faces: “He’s a guy that loves football. He knows what he’s doing. He’s got a clear idea of where he wants to go.
“Even now, if you speak to some of the players, they will tell you that they really enjoy playing under him, that the trainings are well, that they feel prepared and they know what they’re doing.”
The World Cup winner added: “He was very lucky in terms of being next to Pep for I don’t know how many years exactly but it was like super preparation for a young coach.
“I mean if I could have the chance to do something like that, I think I could grab it without any question because it’s like doing a masters when you are only finishing high school.
“It’s a difficult job, it really is [because of] where he got the club and where the aim is that Arsenal should be, but I think Edu and the board believe a lot in him and hopefully he can be the man to bring this team forward.”
The bigger picture
Arteta’s contract at Arsenal is due to run until the summer of 2023. He could only deliver an eighth-place finish in 2020-21 as the Gunners missed out on European qualification.
Efforts are being made to get fresh faces on board, as Ben White and Ruben Neves are targeted.
A lack of continental competition could end up working in Arsenal’s favour, as their focus is narrowed on domestic action, with the 2021-22 Premier League season set to be opened with a short trip to newly-promoted Brentford on August 13.
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