SUPERMAC ART ATTACK
Arsenal MUST rein in ‘hysterical’ Mikel... his touchline antics and rants dishonour the club and make Gunners target for refs
MALCOLM MACDONALD has accused Mikel Arteta of “rewriting the Arsenal handbook of standards” following his touchline histrionics and attack on VAR.
Arsenal legend Macdonald believes that, instead of issuing their statement of support for the manager, the Gunners hierarchy should rein the Spaniard in and order him to calm down.
Supermac watched Arsenal against another of his former clubs, Newcastle United, at St James’ Park last weekend and was appalled by Arteta’s outburst following the Toon’s winning goal, which came after three VAR checks.
Macdonald (below) said: “I couldn’t believe it when instead of trying to calm him down at games, the Arsenal hierarchy actually backed him with that statement, supporting him on the VAR issue.
“I was surprised, because that is NOT the Arsenal I and many others have known over the years.
“Standards always came first, before anything else, at Arsenal – even if it meant it was to the detriment of the club, that they might lose out on something. You had to maintain standards at all times.
“Arteta appears to be rewriting the Arsenal handbook – and getting away with it.
“When Denis Hill-wood and his son who followed him, Peter Hill-wood, were chairmen, it was old-school. Honour came before a win or a loss.
“Sooner or later the authorities will take action over Arteta, I am sure of that. They can’t allow officials to be bullied by a particular manager or by a particular club, the sort of things we are seeing now from Arsenal.” Arteta has since doubled down on his VAR blast. Macdonald was not impressed. “Nobody else is as hysterical,” he added. “I always thought, having been a manager myself, that if you go so overboard, as Arteta is doing, you make enemies of referees.
“They meet up together regularly and after his actions it’s human nature to have the whole of the refereeing world against you.
“When there is an imminent decision to be made and Arteta is going mad and the officials are looking at him, they will go against him. I believe his behaviour has been, and will continue to be, costly to Arsenal.
“Managers should be there to make sure that things DON’T get out of hand. The last thing you need is a manager getting out of hand.” Macdonald believes that Arteta should have a conversation with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, the pair having worked together so closely at the Etihad.
Supermac added: “He got an awful lot of things from Pep, but there is only Arteta who is acting up so regularly on the touchline.
“With him the bad habits seem to have just grown and grown over time.
“I would urge him to just have a talk with Guardiola. I know Pep has his moments as well – but they don’t turn into full-blown issues, unlike his one-time protege.”
That is NOT the Arsenal I knew... standards always came first