Mikel Arteta has vowed to axe the Arsenal players who act like they’re on holiday after Emmanuel Petit’s scathing review of his former club.
Premier League and FA Cup winner Petit ripped into Arsenal’s recent recruitment and said too many top players at the club treat it like a ‘holiday retreat’.
Arteta has taken Petit’s assessment on board and vowed to change the Frenchman’s mind about Arsenal.
And the Gunners boss explained he’ll do this by removing the individuals who are not playing for the badge.
“He [Petit] knows the club well,” said Arteta. “He was here in their most successful years and has that opinion. I’m here to change that opinion.
(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
“I am here to give my evaluation of what I see every day and where we are and I know where we are and where we want to go. We have to respect that.
“Showing passion goes with the character. People who are much more extroverted than introverted show more emotion with their body language than others.
“But it doesn’t mean it does not hurt as much. For sure, players who don’t have that passion, that emotion and that commitment, won’t be in this football club.”
The Arsenal team Petit played in regularly competed for the Premier League title.
But the Gunners are down in 10th this season, with the Europa League their only chance of winning silverware.
Slamming Arsenal’s recent decline, Petit told Ladbrokes: “I still believe they have some quality players available to them – do I think they have many quality players?
“No. They have a good group of young players, though that are still learning.
(Image: Philip Coburn)
“I think some of those youngsters can become very good in years from now – but to do that, they need to see an example being set by the senior players. It shouldn’t be at a club like Arsenal that the younger players are the only ones showing passion, fight and aggression.
“It needs to come from the older players who should lead by example. When I look at the older players in the team, it’s like they think it’s a retreat football club, somewhere you just go for a vacation.”
“If you took away the name ‘Arsenal’ and looked at that group of players… average.
“At the end of the season, if I’m Arsenal, if I’m Arteta, if I’m on the board, to be honest with you, I think my main concern is getting half of the dressing room out.”
