ARSENAL STAND BY THEIR MAN
Technical director Edu says Spaniard can still lead club to ‘ big and beautiful future’
MIKEL ARTETA has received resolute support from the Arsenal hierarchy to lead the club to a “big, big, big and beautiful future”.
Technical director Edu insists the Gunners remain fully behind the under- fire Spanish manager, despite having slumped to 15th in the Premier League following their worst start to a season since 1974.
He says there is no question of Arteta’s position being under threat as Arsenal need “stability”.
“I can see a big, big, big and beautiful future,” added Edu.
“It’s very strange to say that in this moment but I have to be fair – that’s the way I see the photo. And I always believed, and knew, it would be a big challenge.
“We have to be patient. I know asking for patience for Arsenal is very strange because everyone has said that for long, long periods.
“I’m here today to give to you guys the word that everything is fine internally. The results aren’t coming but I think we’re going to change it very soon.
“I think the club need stability right now, we have faced so many changes.
“It is not about Edu or Mikel, it is about stability. Now is the time to try to be a stable club in the old sense – externally and internally, we need that.
“Since we arrived here we have been changing, changing, changing.”
Former Arsenal midfielder Edu could not have been more clear in his message that, despite their poor run, there is no talk internally of the manager having a set number of games to turn things around, or of him running out of time.
Arteta took over a year ago this Saturday and the club’s faith in him remains as strong as it was on day one.
Edu’s was not a vote of confidence on the back of Sunday’s defeat by Burnley, but an interview arranged last week to offer support.
That might not be what every fan wants to hear but the Brazilian believes after 22 years under
Arsene Wenger that change was always going to be difficult.
“The way I see things is very simple,” said Edu, who was appointed in July last year.
“It’s normal and easy to be driven by the results. But, for me, the main point is when I see something in which I can see the future, see where we go, the way we’re building things, I’m sure we’re going to be fine in the future.
“Since I arrived here I knew it would be a challenge. If you see how many changes we had in these years... I really understand when you have a massive man here like Arsene Wenger and then we change to a new coach who started quite well, and then we changed Unai Emery.
“Then Mikel came. knew it would be challenge, it’s not easy. “But again the way we’re driving, the way we’re going, is making me believe a lot in the future.” Edu also dismissed the notion
SUNDAY SLUMP Aubameyang puts through his own net against Burnley and Elneny, right, is crestfallen
I a there are growing divisions in the camp and that there had been a row between Arteta and defender David Luiz.
Edu, a member of two titlewinning teams under Wenger, believes there is a rich vein of youngsters coming through.
He said: “I see the players, everyone believing in what we are doing, and that’s the message.
“Because I started to hear from the outside, by the press, ‘ players have a problem, some of the players no not believing in Mikel, Mikel and David not talking’ – it’s not right.
“Nothing happened like people are saying and I don’t want that kind of thin thing to build externally to something which is not true internally.
“I want people to understand that what w we are doing here, we are in the proc process to have a beautiful future.
“If you see how many young players get a chance. Joe Willock got a place place, Emile Smith Rowe is starting to b be on the bench, Ainsley Maitland- N Niles starts to be in the national te team and Bukayo Saka has been un unbelievable.
“There is a lot of them and don’t forget, Kieran Kie Tierney is young, Gabriel is y young, Gabriel Martinelli is young – we have a quite interesting future in the club when you are tak taking about these players – we have a beautiful future.”