Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta discusses competing in the FA Cup and the clubs history with the cup, his players being the solution to recent frustrations and Sunday's game being the No More Red campaign and the players being in the all white kit.
10/01/2025
Sobha Realty Training Center, London, UK
10/01/2025
Sobha Realty Training Center, London, UK
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00:00First things first, how important is the FA Cup in terms of the competition for you?
00:07Well, a massive part of our history. We've won it 14 times, it's a competition very attached to us
00:16and a beautiful game to play against a massive club with a very special occasion as well
00:21with the amount of supporters that they're going to bring as well, so a very good game.
00:25Reflecting back to the time that you won the FA Cup with Arsenal, is that one of your finest days in management so far?
00:32Yeah, obviously the memory of winning something, celebrating and sharing it with your people is the ultimate goal.
00:39Never forget the process and the people that you have won it, but overall great memories about the competition.
00:47Facing a Manchester United side who have faced difficulties under Ruben Amorim but got the draw with Liverpool last weekend,
00:53what have you made of the job that Amorim has done so far?
00:56Well, when you look especially at the big teams, how they perform and the result that they got, very impressive.
01:02I know him well, I followed him a lot while he was in Portugal and there's a big reason why he's where he is at the moment
01:09and he fully deserves to be there.
01:11You've spoken quite emotively about some of the issues he's experienced so far,
01:16does it go to show just how difficult it is to turn a club's fortunes around mid-season?
01:23Can you relate to some of the experiences you maybe experienced when you first started here at Arsenal?
01:28Well, I think every manager when he gets appointed is for a reason.
01:33The reasons can be different, sometimes it's just to improve a football team,
01:37to get more performance out of certain players, sometimes it's to transform a football club.
01:42That's a totally different dimension of a job.
01:46And if I have to relate to mine at that time, it was more towards that than the previous one that I mentioned.
01:53And lastly, you've had some success in the January transfer window before all the likes of Trostar and Virginia coming in,
02:00what sort of profile player do you look for when you go to recruit in the January transfer window?
02:06First of all, someone that can impact the team.
02:09Bringing in bodies doesn't help at all.
02:12It's just about somebody that can impact immediately performance
02:17and can bring something that we don't have actually and that's in this market very, very difficult to achieve.
02:27You were left a little bit frustrated on the other night by lack of cutting edge given the dominance you've had.
02:35You've had the same against Fulham, Everton, we've heard you talk about how much you control and dominate in the game.
02:42Where do you find that from? Is that solution, do you believe, in those players?
02:47Or are you at the point now where maybe there is somebody out there in January that can alter the chances?
02:54My players.
02:55Your players?
02:57Yeah, 100%.
02:58And how do you go about getting more out there?
03:00Because it has become a little bit of a familiar story in some of those games.
03:05Well, depending.
03:06Obviously, if you look at a sample of a game or two or three, that's a very short sample.
03:13We don't use any short samples because they don't correlate to team performance.
03:17When you look at a year or two, team performance, scores, the amount of players that are involved,
03:22then there is no discussion that we have to focus on our players.
03:26So right now you aren't having discussions with those above you about reinforcing in that area?
03:33We always have discussions with the ones above, discussing how we can improve the team, always.
03:39Whether the market is open or closed because we have to plan for what the necessities are right now.
03:43And what the necessities are mid and long term.
03:46So those discussions are always open.
03:48It's not a priority of yours?
03:50Sorry?
03:51If you could bring someone in, is that area not a priority of yours?
03:55Is it a priority of yours?
03:57No, the circumstances change because we have certain injuries of some big players.
04:02So there's always that possibility.
04:04But always if we believe that it's somebody that really is going to make us much better.
04:08And just finally, the all important question.
04:11How's the ball for the weekend?
04:14Because it's another new ball and it's a very special ball, isn't it?
04:17Why is that so important?
04:19Because it's a different brand but also it's a special one because Manchester United are the holders.
04:26Because of the colour?
04:28Why make a difference for you?
04:31A good difference.
04:33We adapt in Champions League, it's different.
04:36If you're relating to the question I got the other day about the ball,
04:39what I said is every ball is different.
04:42Champions League ball is different.
04:43Different grip, different fly, different feeling.
04:46That's it.
04:47It's not an excuse, it's a reality.
04:49Every pitch is different.
04:50Weather conditions changing in football, that's the beauty of it.
04:53That's it, we adapt to that.
04:55Never use it as an excuse.
04:59We'll go to Jonathan from the Club.
05:01It's going to be the fourth time we've worn the all-white kit to support the No More Red campaign.
05:06How important is the role of the Club in raising awareness about such a serious issue?
05:12Great, because we have so many people putting so much effort, putting their lives to try to improve.
05:19So many people's lives, quality, creating safe spaces, safe environments.
05:24When we get an opportunity to raise that on such a big occasion, I think we have to do it.
05:30Well done to the Club, well done to everybody that is participating in that,
05:33because they put so much into it and the impact is huge.
05:37Speaking of big occasions, there's going to be 8,000 Manchester United supporters in the stadium,
05:42so there's going to be a huge cup tie atmosphere on Sunday.
05:45It means we really need our supporters to get behind the team and make some noise.
05:49Yeah, we have to be more noisy, more on the front foot, certainly, than them.
05:55Again, it's a special occasion to create that atmosphere.
05:58I think it's a beautiful, beautiful football atmosphere.
06:01Let's make it our own.
06:03Tom, Football London.
06:04Just sticking with the No More Red campaign obviously means playing in a different kit.
06:08I'm just curious, how does playing in a different kit to what you're usually used to,
06:12does it change anything in any way?
06:15It does change, obviously.
06:17It's not something that we are used to, but I think it's for the right reason,
06:22for the right motive, and let's use it in the right way.
06:27Usually in FA Cups, an opportunity for maybe some rotation,
06:30in particular we've seen teams change their goalkeeper.
06:32Neto has waited a very long time for an opportunity to play,
06:35not saying it will be tomorrow or Sunday,
06:38but what has it been like with him being behind the scenes with the group
06:41but not being able to get on the field?
06:42What contribution has he made?
06:44That's always where the players are not playing many minutes,
06:47in his case as well, because he was cup tied for the Carabao Cup,
06:50because David is doing so well.
06:52I would decide it was the best option,
06:56because the history has changed a lot in the cup competition.
06:59When you look at last week,
07:01the line-ups where it used to be years ago are completely different,
07:05so everybody has to be available and ready to play.
07:09Just in response to what you said to Gael there,
07:12you said a small sample size of two or three games
07:15in terms of the struggles in front of goal.
07:17I think this season, 13 of your 30 games you've scored one or less.
07:21You may have won a couple of those games,
07:23so it feels like it's a problem that's bigger than just a small sample size.
07:27It's about 43 per cent of the season, the struggles in front of goal.
07:31Does it not feel like it's a little bit more of a concern?
07:34We were the team that scored more goals in the calendar year
07:37than we did in the Premier League.
07:39I don't think that can be a problem.
07:41One of those players, Martin, has been so consistent in front of goal.
07:45He didn't score once this season,
07:47and that wasn't from open players or penalties.
07:49How big a concern is that?
07:51Why do you think the goals we've come to expect from him
07:54have dried up a little bit?
07:56Because there are moments sometimes,
07:58and probably sustaining,
08:00and that's again when you go to probability and when you go to samples,
08:04sustaining and attacking midfielders scoring 15 goals like he did two years ago,
08:08it doesn't happen.
08:10Because it hasn't happened in 50 years.
08:12So we were very aware of that as well on the other side of the coin.
08:15So he's trying, he's trying very hard, he has some big chances,
08:19we missed some opportunities,
08:21just help him and make sure that he's confident enough
08:23to take the shots when he needs to do that,
08:25because he's so good at it.
08:28We were just talking about Martin,
08:30when he came back from injury he really hit the ground running,
08:34that coincided with Kyle going out injured.
08:37Is it a case that they become so used to playing with each other
08:40and every single thing they do,
08:42that without the other one it takes more of that time to adjust?
08:45It can be an element of that,
08:47obviously he's come from an injury and the first week or two
08:51you have that extra energy and then you play every three days.
08:54He was ill as well for over a week,
08:57so that plays a part.
08:59There are a lot of circumstances,
09:01but obviously it's inevitable to think when you have
09:04such a chemistry with a player
09:06and you are not together next to each other,
09:08that you're going to notice something that is different.
09:10Just looking at the market,
09:12a lot of the signings in the last couple of years
09:15have been versatile, can play two or three positions.
09:18Are you at the stage now where if you're looking at forwards,
09:21do you want a specialist or are you still looking for players
09:23who can play across all three positions?
09:26In the front position,
09:29comparing to what other clubs have done
09:31and the expenditure that we had there,
09:33we are very far from it over the years.
09:35For different reasons, first of all,
09:37because we have already very good players
09:39and because we had many necessities in the squad
09:41to achieve in that period.
09:43I'm just going to ask about that,
09:45because as you say your spending tends to be focused
09:47on the back line or the midfield or goalkeepers.
09:50Is that something you're aware of
09:52and is that something that now will change in your squad building?
09:55Yes, because we have certain limitations
09:57and we have a lot of gaps and a lot of things to cover
10:00to become the team that we want.
10:02And then the availability of those players,
10:04can you afford them as well, even if you want to?
10:06Sometimes it's been not possible.
10:11When you won the FA Cup in 2020,
10:14as an experience when there were no fans there,
10:18what was it like that day?
10:22I was so happy, so proud,
10:24because it was a really tough period.
10:27Emotionally as well, an experience,
10:31because obviously to take the first managerial job
10:33here in the middle of the season,
10:35then go home for two and a half months,
10:37then start competing again in those circumstances,
10:40it was tricky.
10:42But I was so happy, it was a long time ago
10:44that we didn't win a trophy as well
10:46and just want to replicate the same,
10:48but sharing it with our people.
10:50I was going to say, just having that experience
10:52where it was empty, sort of motivating more
10:54to be back there when we were 80,000.
10:58That's what we want,
11:00and some taste is not the same
11:03when we won the Community Shield a few times,
11:06but we won the big ones,
11:08and we won the big ones in front of our crowd.
11:12You mentioned earlier that you had a transformative job
11:15when you came in here.
11:17How many results have you got into United
11:19in the same time of the year as you came in?
11:21There's games every three days,
11:23there's time to train.
11:25How hard did you find that during that first period
11:28to implement what you wanted to do
11:30when you had no training blocks?
11:35Ruben has much more experience
11:37than I had at the time as well,
11:39so he's in a better place,
11:41and there's no COVID,
11:43so I think he's got better options in that case.
11:47It is tough because you need time
11:49to implement your ideas,
11:51your way of playing and explaining that,
11:53and when you have that many games,
11:55it's tricky.
11:57I understand that.
11:58It's the first time he's had a clean week
12:00to work with his group before the Liverpool game.
12:02In the video analysis you've done,
12:04did you notice different things in United
12:07because of that week?
12:09Yeah, it's true.
12:10They play a little bit different as well with the personnel.
12:12They use the location of certain players.
12:14The characteristic of the players at the end
12:16dictates as well what they do,
12:18where they are,
12:19have more threats on both sides,
12:21two feet in behind,
12:23because that's what determines
12:25the behaviours of a team.
12:27It is different the last few weeks
12:29to when we played them here at home,
12:32so I'm expecting a few different things.
12:38You were right after the Newcastle game
12:40that you need help from the board
12:42because if it carries on like this
12:43it's going to be difficult to score.
12:45Do you agree with that
12:46or just your response to that?
12:50I have so much support from the board.
12:53I continue to have it
12:54and we are all seeking and willing to do the same,
12:57which is to win the maximum amount of full-on matches
13:01in the way that we want to play
13:03to achieve ultimately the goals that we want to achieve,
13:06which is to win trophies.
13:07And that support continues to be there,
13:09but we have our limitations.
13:12There always seems to be so much external noise
13:14from ex-players or social media.
13:16How do you personally deal with that?
13:18Because there always seems to be someone
13:19telling you what you need to do.
13:22Sorry?
13:23There always seems to be someone
13:24telling you what you need to do
13:25in terms of ex-players or social media or fans.
13:28How do you personally deal with that?
13:30That's their job as well,
13:31to have their opinion and to put them and present them
13:34and give the right reasons to do that.
13:37So for me it's not a problem at all.
13:39OK, Mel in Spanish.
14:10And for the younger players who have come
14:12and it's going to be the first time
14:14that they're going to be there for this campaign,
14:16how do you help them to be prepared
14:18for that Sunday?
14:20And being there with their club,
14:22with all the love they have for the club,
14:24and being so attentive to that cause
14:27which is a pleasure for the whole community?
14:29I think there's a very good communication
14:32within the club to explain to the players
14:34everything we do with our community,
14:36all the help we try to provide,
14:38the impact they have on them,
14:40because in the end the players have to be involved
14:42because they're the ones who have the power
14:44to reach a lot of people who need help.
14:48And I think they're happy that we can do it
14:51and I hope that Sunday will be a nice day.
14:53What is your vision for 2025,
14:57to win this cup?
14:58What do you have to do?
14:59Prepare very well and win on Sunday.
15:01There's no other.
15:02It's going game by game,
15:03trying to be better than the rival
15:06and focus on the present.
15:08And what comes next will be a merit
15:10of what we've done on that path.