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Arsene Wenger Would Support Mikel Arteta at Arsenal Despite Lack of Experience
December 18, 2019
Arsene Wenger has given his backing to Mikel Arteta but warned about his lack of experience amid strong rumours the Manchester City assistant coach is set to be appointed Arsenal manager.
Wenger's successor, Unai Emery, was sacked as Gunners boss in November after 18 months in charge following a poor start to the 2019-20 season:
Interim manager Freddie Ljungberg has subsequently overseen a draw at Norwich City, a win at West Ham United and home losses to Brighton & Hove Albion and City to leave Arsenal sitting 10th in the Premier League table:
Arteta, who has been Pep Guardiola's assistant as City manager since hanging up his boots at Arsenal in 2016, has been widely touted as Emery's permanent replacement, and the deal looks all but done:
Per Sky Sports (h/t James Dutton of MailOnline), Wenger, 70, said he will support Arteta as Gunners manager if he is appointed:
"Look I am an Arsenal supporter—I said that in my last speech. At the moment I support the manager in charge, and the manager in charge is [Freddie] Ljungberg. When Arteta will be in charge, I will support Arteta.
"For the rest, of course Arsenal is going through a very difficult period, so it's better I don't comment too much on that, and I just suffer like every supporter. He will have to deal with the fact he has no experience at that level."
It will certainly be a gamble if Arsenal do opt to appoint Arteta, 37, given he only has three full seasons of coaching under his belt, and none of them as a head coach.
In that time, though, he has helped Guardiola mastermind record-breaking back-to-back title wins, as well as a domestic treble triumph last term.
He also knows Arsenal well having spent the last years of his playing career at the Emirates Stadium between 2011 and 2016.
The Gunners are in dire need of some stability. They have had no new-manager bounce from the promotion of Ljungberg, unlike Everton have under Duncan Ferguson.
And they have crucial Premier League fixtures coming up between now and New Year's Day against Everton, Bournemouth, Chelsea and Manchester United.