DON’T EXPECT ARTETA TO LEAD ARSENAL OUT OF THIS ABYSS
AT least Mikel Arteta made it out of this managerial graveyard in one piece. That is more than you can say for David Moyes, sacked after losing at Goodison Park as Manchester United manager six years ago, or Carlo Ancelotti, fired by Chelsea two hours after a 1-0 defeat here in 2011.
Arteta did not utter expletives or storm out of the room on Saturday night when it was put to him that he, too, would be dismissed if there were many more results like this. He’s good like that. But there was some pretty desperate logic in his assessment of an Arsenal side who head into Christmas in the bottom six, after their worst start to a season since 1974.
They’re better than their league position suggests, Arteta claimed, because teams languishing that low in the Premier League tend to get ‘battered’, which Arsenal have not. Is that the kind of consolation this once great club are grasping for?
This performance was a poor one, but more concerning than the football was the general impression that there is no one to lead.
David Luiz spent much of the first half letting players know he wasn’t happy with them.
Outstretched arms, gestures to where a ball should have been sent, general gesticulating. The low point came midway through the first half, when Luiz remonstrated with Mohamed Elneny for having the temerity to pass to him.
Willian offered even less. A highly remunerated ghost, his invisibility is shocking considering all the gifts he brought to Chelsea. These players’ presence, on salaries way beyond their contribution, creates a sense that Arsenal are signing marquee names for no other reason than wanting to look significant — just as Manchester United have done since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
That is not Arteta’s fault. The architects of Arsenal’s collapse sit way above him in the club’s hierarchy. There are many symmetries with United’s decline. Both teams have suffered from an owner’s indifference, a chief executive leaving within months of a long-standing manager and a lack of football experience in the boardroom.
At Arsenal, Arteta is a rookie manager. Vinai Venkatesham is a first-time chief executive and
Edu, the technical director, has no prior experience outside of Brazil. These men are 38, 39 and 42 respectively.
United’s struggles revealed just how difficult it is to replace a legendary boss. But it seems like too much to expect Arteta to lead Arsenal out of this abyss.
A challenge this complex requires an individual with experience of leading, succeeding and perhaps failing at one or more top clubs. Brendan Rodgers always seemed a better bet. Among those now available, so does Mauricio Pochettino.
The guiding hand of Ancelotti would also be more suited to the task. The Italian has not brought a fashionable football philosophy to Everton, just the capacity, lost under Marco Silva, to allow players to enjoy their work and feel confident.
At 61, the Italian has experienced every trial and tribulation football has to offer. He can treat both with equanimity. Setbacks have become opportunities for Everton.
James Rodriguez has missed three games with hamstring trouble but Everton have been more defensively robust without him, winning all of them. Lucas Digne is absent with ankle ligament damage, but Ben Godfrey, the 22- year- old centre back picked up from Norwich City two months ago, has seized his opportunity out of position. His athleticism on Saturday was monumental.
All the old Arsenal brittleness was evident. Elneny and Dani Ceballos provided no shield in midfield. So Tom Davies and Alex Iwobi breezed through to create the goal Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed in via centre back Rob Holding’s knee.
The lifeline of Nicolas Pepe’s penalty evaporated after 10 minutes, when a flimsy attempt to defend a corner allowed Yerry Mina to put the hosts back ahead.
Ancelotti did not dismiss the notion of a top-four finish for Everton. Arsenal, meanwhile, face Manchester City in the Carabao Cup before Chelsea arrive at the Emirates on Boxing Day.
‘We need to win matches very quickly before the situation becomes impossible,’ Arteta reflected, surely beginning to wonder if there is any way out of the hell he has stumbled into.
EVERTON (4-3-3): Pickford 6; Holgate 6.5, Keane 7, Mina 7, GODFREY 8; Davies 7 Doucoure 7, Sigurdsson 6; Iwobi 6.5 (Coleman 83min), Richarlison 7 (Kenny 90), Calvert-Lewin 7.5 (Tosun 90). Subs not
used: Olsen, Lossl, Bernard, Branthwaite, Nkounkou, Gordon. Scorers: Holding 22 (og), Mina 45. Booked: Calvert-Lewin. Manager: Carlo Ancelotti 8. ARSENAL (4-3-3): Leno 6; Maitland-Niles 6.5, Holding 5.5, Luiz 5, Tierney 7.5; Elneny 5 (Willock 64, 6), Ceballos 5.5, Saka 6; Willian 5.5, Pepe 6 (Martinelli 72, 5.5), Nketiah 6 (Lacazette 76). Subs not used: Runarsson, Bellerin, Soares, Mustafi, Kolasinac, Smith Rowe. Scorer: Pepe 35 (pen). Booked: Elneny, Tierney, Willock. Manager: Mikel Arteta 6. Referee: Andre Marriner 7.