Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on Ramsdale's return and the tactics he may know
04/10/2024
Sobha Realty Training Centre
04/10/2024
Sobha Realty Training Centre
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00:00What's training yesterday? There was no Tim Buff or White's.
00:06How about today, will they make the game in New York?
00:09Yeah, we had to modify training for a lot of players,
00:12we've done the same today because of the load that they had,
00:15so it's a decision to make this afternoon,
00:18whether to involve them, yes or no.
00:20Are they close to being involved?
00:23Yeah, they are close.
00:24And Tommy Yasuo as well is quite close to being involved, so good news.
00:28In terms of maybe a longer term,
00:31Zinchenko and Odi Gard, where are they at?
00:35Because I know things have changed quite quickly.
00:37Yeah, Alex probably after the international break,
00:41if everything goes well, he's progressing really well,
00:43and Martin very difficult because I expect it still with the boot and a lot of things,
00:49and he's working so hard and he's feeling good and he's pushing it,
00:53so difficult to give a timeline.
00:56Last week before the Leicester game you told us that you'd written lots of...
01:00Well, you've got the players to write lots of words ahead of the Leicester game
01:03to make sure they were focused and there were no slip-ups.
01:07I wonder how much you've had to reinforce that,
01:10because it's another game after another big week
01:13where you simply can't afford to drop any points, can you?
01:17Yeah, we know the significance of the match, the difficulty of the match,
01:20obviously last week it was proven, the tough schedule that we have,
01:27and that any opponent can cause you problems,
01:29and even when you think that the game is under control,
01:31the game can get out of your hands immediately,
01:33so it was a good thing probably to happen the way it ended up,
01:37and we know the quality of Southampton, in my opinion,
01:40a team that is extremely well coached, that they have a very clear philosophy,
01:44they've been very unlikely, very unlucky, sorry,
01:48not to have many more points, because there were moments in the game
01:51that they were far better than the opponent,
01:54and in some moments they got the results away from them,
01:57and it will be very tough.
01:59In terms of their manager, he's clearly got a very strong vision,
02:04and he doesn't want to come away from that vision.
02:07When you arrived, you knew what you wanted your team to look like,
02:11and you stuck by it through really tough times,
02:13and I guess it's paid off for you,
02:17and sometimes it will pay off in the end.
02:20It's a hard balancing act, isn't it?
02:23I love that kind of behaviour, at the end you have to do what you feel,
02:27and he's proven that his philosophy is extremely successful,
02:31what he did with Swansea, what he did with Southampton,
02:33I think last year there were 25 games unbeaten,
02:36it was a joy to watch that team play, the same with Swansea, and that's it.
02:42And from what I've seen, they deserve much more than what they have already,
02:46but this is the Premier League, and the small details are so important to get results.
02:51Just wanted to know if Aaron Ramsdale is back,
02:55I wondered if you'd spoken to him at all since his move?
02:57Yeah, obviously I called him straight away after I got the news at the end,
03:01and he was really happy, he's a player that we loved a lot,
03:07very charismatic, he really put his fingerprints here at the club in the way that he was,
03:17and yeah, it will be very good to see him.
03:21Violet from the Premier League.
03:22Good afternoon, I wanted to ask about the undefeated run this season in all competitions,
03:26and of course in the Premier, because you are just one of two teams that are in the first division,
03:30you remain undefeated, I know you have some really good work to say about your side,
03:34but I know that you are the opposite of the rest of the PSG as well.
03:37How important is that undefeated run in terms of the momentum and confidence of this side,
03:42do you feel that the team are becoming this fearless side that can take on any team and take on any challenge?
03:48That's what we are trying to do, obviously we had a really difficult fixture list after the international break,
03:54on top of that a lot of unpredictable things happened in terms of injuries and players not being available,
04:00but we adapted, we looked forward and we competed really well in all games,
04:06for sure there are aspects that we have to still improve,
04:09but we are showing a lot of consistency, a lot of adaptability in the way that we can play and win games,
04:15and I think these are all very positive signs, but it's very early in the season still.
04:19You also asked on the PSG game, praise Kai Havertz for obvious reasons,
04:24tomorrow if he plays, which we seem to will, he will make his 200th appearance in the Short Bowl,
04:31he's obviously scored six goals in his last six home games,
04:34so why do you think there's been that consistency from him and that sort of understanding of his role on the pitch?
04:40First of all because he's so good, because he wants it so much and because he's surrounded by great players around him.
04:48And the fact that he's obviously gone through some difficult moments,
04:54I think he's just made him a better player and a better person, I think.
04:58Tomorrow if you win Arsenal will become the second club after Manchester United to secure a 400-hole win in the Premier League,
05:08I just wondered from your point of view what does the Emirates stadium mean to you and managing in that sort of arena?
05:15It's a huge privilege, every time I'm sitting there and I'm surrounded by the players, our supporters,
05:21and being part of that incredible atmosphere, it makes me proud that we have built something really special here
05:29that our people feel proud of, that the players enjoy what they do and hopefully we can continue to win a lot of football matches.
05:37Jürgen, how are you?
05:39I'm good, thank you.
05:40We saw last week that it might not always be the top team where Arsenal need to be careful and play their best to win games,
05:49sometimes it is the team that you would underestimate, like Leicester, like Southampton,
05:55so how much more important is your team talk before you go out tomorrow than if you were to go out against someone like Man City or Man United where it's probably done for you?
06:04Well, I don't think it's very needed at this level because we know the quality and the position that we face every week in the Premier League,
06:10and they have seen in the last two days what they do and what we have to do against them to earn the right to play,
06:18and they are very aware that it's going to be a really tough match.
06:21You mentioned Russell Martin's philosophy, can it be also the downfall of a manager not to be able to adapt?
06:28I mean, you've certainly adapted, I think Arsenal don't play just one style of football, one philosophy of football.
06:36Every manager has a choice to do that, what I can tell you is that the results that he's proven are there,
06:43it's clear, very clear identity, very clear way of playing and very successful.
06:48It's up to the manager, what I can say, watching it, analysing it, that they are really good and that he's really good.
06:55Last one from me, you are unbeaten since you are unbeaten, Liverpool are at the top,
06:59is it already too early or is it alright to say this is just a three-race tie?
07:04It's super early, I think for me we just started it, you can feel already the tension in every match,
07:10the importance of every match, but we are just in early October, so imagine.
07:17Just to go back to Aaron Ramsdale, he had such a bond with the supporters,
07:21he was very impressive for you that season you signed him.
07:25Just as a manager, how hard is it to let someone go when you decide it's time to move on?
07:31Yeah, it is, because I was very grateful for what he did, when we signed him obviously there was a lot of noise around him.
07:39We helped him to create the environment that he needed because we believed in his potential,
07:44he showed it, he won the respect and admiration of all of us.
07:48And then the circumstances changed, because this is a little sport and it can happen,
07:52and then it was difficult to deal with that situation in a natural way,
07:57and we decided to part ways, and hopefully he is grateful as well.
08:02Just in terms of Odegaard and the injury, I'm just wondering how you think the team has evolved without him,
08:08because Trostar seems to have re-evolved lately,
08:10so can you just give us a little appraisal of how the team has done without the captain?
08:15We had to be different, I think the impact that Martin has in everything that we do,
08:23it was too big to try to replicate it with one player.
08:26And we tried to do it in a different way, adapting a few things and playing in players' qualities,
08:32players that can play in spaces, positions and with the right chemistry around them.
08:37And maybe it took a game or two and then everything started to flow a bit better,
08:42but I think we'll find a way.
08:44But we still miss him a lot because he's one of the most important players for us.
08:49And just on this unbeaten run you're on, 15 games now,
08:53just what have you made of Saliba and Gabriel and their partnership,
08:57because it just keeps getting stronger and stronger it seems, doesn't it?
09:00Yeah, obviously they are incredibly important for us,
09:02but I think the team has built that consistency and that capacity to win matches,
09:09because the 11 players are so committed in every phase of play
09:12and they have this hunger and desire to compete for every ball.
09:18Hi.
09:19Everyone's talking about this unbeaten run, that unbeaten run of form that you're on,
09:23but Leicester showed last weekend that these games aren't always straightforward,
09:26does that say how big of a test it is against Atalanta?
09:29Yeah, every three days we have an unbelievable test.
09:31Three days ago it was Paris, before that it was Leicester,
09:35so we have two completely different games, opponents, expectations, ways of playing,
09:40and add to that we try to be ourselves
09:43and certainly with the same ambition and determination to win the game.
09:49Just to come back to Martin,
09:51obviously there was a bit of concern about creativity when he was out,
09:54but Kroos and Havertz playing more of a front two,
09:57is that something that you have considered switching to be consistent like that
10:02or is that just being enforced?
10:04Yeah, especially because I think we have to put players in positions and qualities
10:09that they can feel it, that they are in their strengths,
10:13and try to hide our weaknesses as much as possible.
10:15So without Martin we have other things that we cannot do,
10:18but as well we are a bigger threat in other areas
10:22and we have to make the most out of that.
10:24So does it mean you won't play right?
10:26Sorry?
10:27Does it mean you won't play right?
10:29In certain games, yes, but I don't think it was because of Martin,
10:32it was more because of the behaviour of the opposition.
10:34Just on Ty, you've always spoken about
10:37he might not have a 30-plus goal striker in the squad,
10:40it's about sharing the load.
10:42He's got six in his last six at home,
10:44you can see the confidence in him now,
10:45do you think he could potentially be that player that does get 20 or goals a season?
10:50He certainly has all the qualities and he certainly has the ambition to do that.
10:56At the end scoring goals sometimes are very small details
11:00and a lot of things have to go for you,
11:02but he's got it and his mindset has changed a lot in regards to that
11:06and he certainly has the ability to do it, in my opinion.
11:10OK, last couple in the live, Kaya.
11:11Last international break you lost Martin to some important players,
11:16I was wondering if you were prepared to face off against that group?
11:22Yeah, I prefer not to watch the game, not listen to nothing
11:26and just pray that everybody is going to be fine
11:29because the last one was a really difficult one to handle in many ways.
11:33Do you think it's a bad idea to have these international breaks
11:37in this first part of the season?
11:38It feels like every time we get going until we get to the momentum going
11:40the international break just comes and stops that,
11:42what are your thoughts on that?
11:43It's been like this for years, we're not going to change that.
11:46It's part of the duties that they have, all the European teams,
11:51South Americans as well, it's the same thing,
11:52but we have to adapt to that and hopefully be healthy.
11:57Sir, Alex used to have a thing where maybe if players were on the verge of injury
12:01he encouraged them to not go off just because he's trying to achieve big things
12:05at club level, I wonder if you ever had a similar conversation
12:08with any of your players to put that goal off?
12:10Well, first of all, the player has to be healthy to go to international teams,
12:14but when they are, all of them, when I spoke to them,
12:17they all want to be part of that, that is normal,
12:18it's a huge privilege to represent your country,
12:21they all want to be involved, they all have their role,
12:23they don't want to lose it and you have to understand that as well.
12:28That's what I was going to ask about,
12:30Thomas, he's started every single game this season,
12:33including two for Ghana during the past spring,
12:34he finished last season and started five in a row,
12:37after such a difficult time for an injury like his last season,
12:39the majority of it, how pleasing is it to see him fit, healthy and available
12:44all the time right now, to be real quick?
12:46Yeah, very important, he's a massive player for us,
12:49he's shown that week in, week out,
12:51he's started the season really well, really fit,
12:53the way he came back already, post-holiday he was probably in the best condition
12:58that he's been, so that was really helpful as well,
13:01and now he needs to continue to that,
13:03we have managed certain minutes of him in the right way
13:06and the team is doing that, and then he's doing everything he can as well
13:09to be in the best physical condition.
13:11I thought Tuesday was arguably his best performance of the season on the ball,
13:14but off it as well, he's just very, very fit, very strong,
13:17do you think we're now seeing him back towards his best,
13:21because I think it was a little thought that maybe we wouldn't see him
13:23back to that sort of level again because of the injury issues?
13:26It's about consistency, and obviously when you change certain habits
13:32and you want more consistency, things that doesn't happen overnight,
13:36and if in two or three weeks it doesn't happen, you throw the towel,
13:39you're going to waste the next two or three years of your career,
13:42and he's doing everything he can to be in that,
13:45I think his work ethic has been better than ever,
13:47and defensively he's been really solid, and with the ball he had moments,
13:51and the other day probably was his most complete performance,
13:54because he gave us everything that we want from him and he can deliver that.
13:58Just lastly on that, it's his final European contract obviously,
14:00now you've added Mikel to the squad, so there's extra competition there,
14:04now is there a case of you always playing for his future now at the club
14:08over the next 12 months or so?
14:10We're playing to find our best version,
14:13and to be the most competitive team that we can be,
14:16and try to win every single game.