"I don't know what he's trying to do" - Arsenal legend critiques Mikel Arteta's pickpocket lesson, labels it 'weird'
Arsenal legend David Seaman has expressed his confusion over Mikel Arteta's recent training methods, specifically highlighting the manager's unconventional 'pickpocket lesson' aimed at keeping players alert. Arteta hired pickpockets a few days ago, aiming to teach his players some lessons, but Seaman seems to be bewildered by the Spaniard's tactic.
Seaman said (via GOAL):
"I don’t get that. That's weird. I don't know what he's trying to do, whether he's trying to open players' minds up to what could be going on without you knowing.
"I can't work out what the reasoning is behind it, but Mikel does things his own way and you can't argue with it."
This isn’t the first time that Arteta's methods have raised eyebrows. Since taking over as manager at the Emirates, he has introduced a variety of unconventional techniques in an effort to rejuvenate the squad and instill a winning mentality.
Seaman also said:
"I remember going to training and seeing massive screens with all these positive messages on them and sometimes music playing. He does all these little things his own way, and it's working."
It remains to be seen whether or not Mikel Arteta’s latest training method will pay dividends when the 2024–25 season commences.
Alan Shearer opines on Mikel Arteta's situation at Arsenal
Premier League all-time top goalscorer Alan Shearer sent Mikel Arteta a warning that he must end Arsenal’s trophy drought as soon as possible. Arteta returned to the Emirates as a manager in 2019, and since then he has only won the FA Cup with them.
In the past three seasons, Arsenal were included among the favorites to lift the Premier League title, but they have yet to meet that expectation. They've finished as runners-up to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the last two campaigns. Shearer, however, thinks Arteta’s near misses could put his job at risk at the Emirates. He told Mirror:
"It depends, if they don't win anything, then you look at the bigger picture and how close they've come and how good their football is, and their injury situation," Shearer told The Rest is Football podcast.
"You have to look at all those things. But eventually he's going to have to win something, whether that is this season or not. But that has to come at some stage."
Former English player Gary Lineker concurred with Shearer but believes Arteta’s job is safe, barring Arsenal suffering a massive downturn in fortunes this season.