GUNS’ GLORY DAYS ARE ON THE WAY BAC
MIKEL ARTETA will bring the glory days back to Arsenal, says Bacary Sagna.
The Gunners are still firmly in the hunt for a top-four finish with just five games left to play.
They suffered disappointing defeats to Crystal Palace, Brighton and Southampton earlier in April.
But the North Londoners now appear to be back on track following impressive recent victories over Chelsea and Manchester United.
Sagna, who made more than 200 appearances for the club and shared a dressing room with Arteta during his playing days at The Emirates, reckons the Spanish chief has what it takes to make Arsenal a force in English football again.
“I think Arteta is doing an amazing, amazing job at Arsenal – but I’m not surprised at all,” said the former France right-back (below).
“Of course, when you become a coach you have some stick, you have hard times.
“Arteta has had his hard times – and he’s going to have more – but he’s already shown that he has the mental strength to stick to his principles.
“He’s stuck to his young players even when criticism was high and now we’re seeing the benefits. He never changed his mindset and the way he wants the team to play.
I’m not surprised to see him succeeding.”
Arteta offloaded veteran forward PierreEmerick Aubameyang to Barcelona in January.
Alexandre Lacazette, 30, is also expected to depart in the summer as the club is built around younger talent.
Sagna believes good times are on the horizon with under-25s such as Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White and Bukayo Saka now making up the spine of the side.
“I am really excited about the future of this Arsenal team,” he added.
“I would love to know what the team will become.
“I still believe it’s too early for them to be champions, not that it’s not possible, but they need to get more experience of playing together.
“But I believe that this is a very good squad and I think they can be very successful in the near future.
“Arsenal are now in the rebuilding process. They are getting there slowly, but we have to be patient.”
HOT-BLOODED Mikel Arteta admits he longs for the day when he can keep cool and calm in a dugout – just like David Moyes.
West Ham chief Moyes rarely loses his rag on the sidelines any more – in stark contrast to his younger, livewire Arsenal counterpart. Indeed, Arteta often looks as if he is kicking every ball and making every tackle when patrolling his technical area with wide-eyed intensity. Discussing his manic approach compared with that of Moyes, who he played for at Everton, the Spaniard believes it stems from the pair’s significant age difference.
After all Arteta, 40, is a managerial rookie – in his first job – whereas former Manchester United boss Moyes, 59, has been an elite coach for two decades. Ahead of today’s vital trip to West Ham, the Gunners boss explained: “It’s maturity and experience. Probably. Age brings a lot of things.
“He is a bit different now to how he was before, that’s for sure! But David has his character and he’s able to use it in a lot of different ways.” As for the chances of Arteta turning into a mellower, less stressed figure in the future, do not rule it out. He added: “Hopefully. I don’t want to go any worse than I am now!”
What is not in doubt, though, is the massive impact Moyes had on Arteta when, as Everton boss, he signed him from Real Sociedad in January 2005. Arteta played 162 league games for the Goodison outfit before moving to Arsenal and is glowing in his praise for the way Moyes transformed them into a top-eight outfit, constantly punching above their weight. “David was a key figure in my career as a player and someone I look back at and try to take a lot of things from as a manager,” said the former Manchester City assistant boss. “What he created at
Everton in that dressing room was absolutely phenomenal – because of the level of ability we had…not because of the level of success we achieved.”
That is not dissimilar to Moyes’ Hammers as they bid to reach the Europa League Final and still retain an outside mathematical chance of finishing fourth.
Arsenal, however, are favourites to clinch that last Champions League place as they are two points clear of nearest challengers Tottenham with five games left.
And Manchester City’s 4-3 semi-final, first-leg thriller against Real Madrid last Tuesday has certainly whetted the appetite to end the Gunners’ five-year absence from Europe’s top competition.
Arteta, whose troops go to Tottenham in 10 days’ time, said: “The level and the quality these games are played at is just incredible. It’s getting better every single year.
“You look at the game between City and Real Madrid, it was absolutely phenomenal. And the week before it was the same. So we want to be there.”