"Arteta is becoming a mini Mourinho" 👀 | Discussion after Mikel Arteta signs new Arsenal contract

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Sky Sports News panel: Arteta's new deal, Mourinho comparisons and Arsenal's dynasty challenge

The panel discusses Mikel Arteta's new Arsenal contract, arguing that the deal makes sense less for money or length than for the control and project he wants across the club. They also cover his similarities with Jose Mourinho, Arsenal's transformation into title contenders, the need to upgrade the attack, and the future squad rebuild and whether this could be his last contract.

► Subscribe to Sky Sports News: http://bit.ly/SkySportsNewsSub ► Watch Sky Sports with NOW: https://bit.ly/NOWSkySportsYT Sky Sports' Nick Wright, Gary Cotterill, Sam Blitz and Ron Walker sat down to discuss how Mikel Arteta has transformed Arsenal from back-to-back eighth-place finishes to Premier League champions. 00:00 Is a new contract the right thing? 01:48 Cotterill on what Arteta is like off the pitch 03:40 Mourinho comparison 08:22 Arsenal's transformation under Arteta 14:10 Where does Arteta improve now after winning PL? 23:28 What's more important this year, retaining PL or winning CL? 25:13 Wenger comparison 30:24 Youth players 32:58 Is Arteta the 'don' of the PL right now? 37:48 Future SkySportsNews SkySports arsenal mikelarteta ► For the latest developments on this story: https://qrcode.skysports.com/skysports/topstories ► For the latest transfer news: https://qrcode.skysports.com/skysports/TransferCentre More from Sky Sports on YouTube: ► Sky Sports: http://bit.ly/SkySportsSub ► Sky Sports Boxing: http://bit.ly/SSBoxingSub ► Sky Sports Cricket: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyCricket ► Sky Sports Darts: https://bit.ly/SubSkySportsDarts ► Sky Sports Football: http://bit.ly/SSFootballSub ► Sky Sports F1: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyF1 ► Sky Sports Golf: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsGolf ► Sky Sports Premier League: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsPL ► Sky Sports Retro: http://bit.ly/SkySportsRetroSub ► Sky Sports WSL: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsWSL ► TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skysportsnews ► X: https://x.com/SkySportsNews ► Website: https://www.skysports.com ► To enquire about licensing Sky Sports content, you can find out more here: https://www.skysports.com/more-sports/news/31754/11434270/license-sky-sports-footage

Transcript

Arsenal have got Super Mik Arteta tied down to a new contract as the Gunner's boss looks to build on his debut Premier League trophy and build a dynasty in North London. We'll be talking all about the man who has led the Gunners back to the top in this special Arsenal podcast as the longest serving manager in English football extends his stay at the Emirates. I'm Ron Walker. Joining me are three reporters who know Arsenal as well as anyone. It's Sky Sports News's Sam Blitz, Nick Wright, and Gary Cotril. Gary, first up, is a new contract for Mikuel Artetta the right thing for all parties, would you say? >> Oh, 100%. He's been saying now for for quite some time because on a regular basis at his news conferences, uh, so far this season, at the end of last season, he was asked about his new deal, when he was going to sign it, and he said, "It's what the club want, it's what I want. Uh, there's no problem. Uh, it's all going to get done." And of course, he's been true to his word. It's his fourth contract, actually, isn't it? And it's kind just shows the club just carrying on moving in that direction. 2019, he arrived, signed a three-year deal, which uh was then extended in 2022. Then 2022 to 2025, he signed that in 24. This one ran to 2027, and now and now the new one. And I think it'll be very much the same I in terms of, you know, that that progression uh to build that dynasty that he wants to build to make Arsenal, he says, the the greatest club in the world. He said that just a couple of weeks ago, but not just on the pitch around the place and off the pitch as well. And I don't think it's about money with Mike Arteta or about duration. It's just about him getting more and more of a say in exactly how the club is run at all levels. So yeah, it's great news for Arsenal fans. I'm sure the majority of Arsenal fans are delighted. I know Mikuel Mikuel is and I know the club are. >> Now, you said he's he's now into his fourth contract and he is, as we said, the the longest serving manager in English football. You've been there for a lot of that time. You're renowned as as Muel Artetta's favorite journalist. I think unofficially perhaps, but we'll see. Um, what's it like covering Arsenal with him and and working with him so closely? >> Well, let's see what they say after this. [laughter] No, he listen, he's a he's he's very different to the the guy that you you sometimes see uh in his interviews and his news conferences. He compartmental he compartmentalizes very much. And uh when he's in a news conference, he's Mik Artessa, the manager, but walking from the news conference or around the place or sometimes in the preamble and and and the post amble, I guess you could call it, of the one-on- ones, he's very engaging. You know, he calls me Mr. supercomputer. Occasionally, I've asked him questions about stats and supercomputers, making us all the favorites to win everything on earth. And he loves that. And I make him laugh. He he he has got a really good sense of humor. Just a really downto-earth, pleasant guy with interest outside football as well. He just drives an ordinary car. He always beeps and waves. If we're doing lives outside of the arrives and walks with the dog down the path to the training ground. So he's pretty different to maybe the the the man we sometimes see particularly after a defeat or or particularly if he's intensely trying to prepare for a game. He doesn't really want to be at the news conferences. He just knows that it's part of his job and he can be really engaging in news conferences as well. So I like him. I think there's a lot more to him than meets the eye. He's quite a private man. You you never see him when he's not at Arsenal anywhere else at any other stadium watching any other team going to World Cups or or Euros. He's a family man, but he's 24/7 and you know he's 44 years old and the pressure of a highpowered job. How come he still looks the way he does? [laughter] I've got no idea. >> Gary, you've you've got a bit of a Midas touch with Iberian managers. We know your relationship with Jose Mourinho. Very well documented. How do the two compare? Because they they've been they've been compared on on the pitch, but what they like off it as people. >> I've written down some words because I tried to be clever with the ity. So, I've got some ity words. Intensity, they're both really intense. It's 24/7 um doing the job. Uh they don't sleep. Jess says he sleeps really well before a game, but not after a game, win or lose. M Aretta, I know, uh has spoken about when he gets home, he sits for a while before returning to bed. And literally when they're working for that club, they're working in all departments all the time. Seeing the different levels of the youth players as well. Integrity. Now you might go integrity Jose Mourinho. But but actually he's honest. I think Mikatell as well. Mel Areta as well is honest. And um what he says he means. And when he says he's going to turn up, he'll turn up on time. Miketa is always on time. Very very seldom. I think I've only been late for a news conference or an interview once in the time I've been going down to Arsenal, he's been there. Same with Joe Seinho. If he arranges luckily enough for me to have lunch or dinner or a coffee, he'll be there. He might have made the arrangement a week before, but he'll be there when he said he's going to be there and on time. And >> it's not always common in football that either, is it? >> No, no, no, no, it's not. It can be can people can be a little bit um uh what's the word? When they don't live up to their expectations, what can they be? They can be unfulfilling. >> Unfulfilling. No, it's a bit more flaky. >> Flaky flaky. >> So, do that bit again. >> That's not always the case in football, is it? >> No, it's quite unusual actually. The people can be a bit flaky, can't they, in football, but these two are really uh, you know, true to their word. Um, and I've got generosity written down here as well. It's another ity. Um, and they are generous with their time. Mik Arteta, obviously we're a schedule. see the media, do the news conference, do the interview, but before the interview, after the interview in particular, not so much news conferences, but he'll spend some time uh chatting to you, you know, um spend some time afterwards chatting to you and then moves on to the next thing. Jesse Mourinho is the same really generous with his time whenever I'm sure he won't mind me telling you whenever I am lucky enough to have some social time with him, dinner or lunch, he always pays. Now, you might say he can afford it, but you know, I think really other people should pay sometimes but I don't want to have an argument because uh he he um won't have it and generous as well I think in terms of the stuff that they do behind the scenes generous with their time to other people as well the kids the fans charities stuff that you maybe don't hear a lot about because you don't know what Mike gets up to for example what's he been doing in the international break you don't see him he doesn't go to games you don't see him out and out, but he's doing things for other people behind the scenes. I know that for a fact. And loyalty. Jose Mourinho loyal. I think he is. He's You don't You don't meet many players who who've played for Jose Mourinho who don't like him. You don't meet many players who play for Mik Arteta who don't like him or played with him. Um so there is a loyalty there and a loyalty to the club as well. And I think this is really pertinent to Mike Arteta. He's at Arsenal. He's 100% Arsenal. He's not looking at joining any other team or doing deals potentially to do work for TV companies or even even commercials. You can't say that about Jason Reini. Obviously, he does commercials, but he's loyal to the team that he's at. He's had lots of clubs. Yes. He never wanted to leave Roma. He never wanted to leave Venabach. He never wanted to leave Benfica. He wouldn't have left Benfica if not for the best job potentially in the world coming up Real Madrid. Um, and I've got ruthlessity. Ruthlessity. [laughter] I made that word up just so it works in the ities. And they're both ruthless and I think this is the most biggest thing that they have in common. >> Michartes are ruthless when it came to Martinelli ruthless when it came to Jesus. Um Jose Mourinho has been ruthless with players in the past. If they're not doing the job on the pitch or around the place that they were brought in to do anymore because of age or because of attitude, no matter what relationship they've had, Miketta a nice guy. Let's face it, he seems like a nice guy, but got ruthlessly got rid of the players this summer and he's done it before and ruthless when it comes to the officials as well. [laughter] Viceta is becoming like a mini Jose Mourinho in his criticism of decisions and referees. Um, so yeah, quite a lot in common, but of course very very different as well. >> Nick, as we've mentioned, it's been a while since Arteta first took the job way back in 2019. feels like a long time ago now and almost hard to believe that Arsenal were 10th back then and and the sort of journey that they've been on already under Mika Arteta but there's already been a few different iterations of this Arsenal team hasn't there how has he molded them into well the Premier League champions the ultimate prize that they finally achieved last season well I mean the club is unrecognizable isn't it from from 2019 on and on on and off the pitch you know Arteta is not solely responsible for that it's been a collective effort but I think he's the driving force behind it. He's uh he's won a few constants over that period of six or seven years and he's undoubtedly played a huge huge part in it. Um I think he's brought the club back to the elite, hasn't he? I mean, this is a team winning titles now, also consistently reaching the latter stages of the Champions League. Um obviously there are still imperfections, there's still fallibility. The Brighton game showed that, you know, but I think what made that so, you know, it was so uncharacteristic, wasn't it? That defeat and that that tells you a lot about the standards that that he's uh that he set. you know, Arsenal hadn't lost a game by by three goals in the Premier League for over three years. It just doesn't really happen. And that's what we've come to expect from Arsenal that uh that capacity to deliver consistently. They become so difficult to beat. And remember Arsenal were a team who used to get bullied and beaten up all the time before. You know, it's it's a total transformation of their identity. I think under Arteta, I think they are really defined by that competitiveness. They are a a a super competitive team, you know, and that's why that Brighton game felt like such a slap in the face to them, I think, because it was so unusual, so uncharacteristic. Um, and they are relentless, aren't they? And I think that's a reflection of the manager, you know, the competitiveness, the relentlessness. These are the things that define him and these are the ways in which he has uh imprinted his own, you know, his own personality on this team. I think he the team is very much a reflection of Mikl Artetta and the way he approaches his job and the way he has he's put that culture in place. You know, it's deeply rooted now and previously the the the the things that defined Arsenal were also deeply rooted. You know, that that vulnerability, the kind of flimsiness of them before as a team. Um and it took time for him to to change that, you know, but uh I think he's done an incredible job over that period. Really really amazing to uh to bring the team to the point they're at now. Um and yeah, it's uh it's been a total transformation. >> Does that end up with when some of the strengths that you talk about there are things like resilience and and pragmatism more than anything? You know, we look at the way that let's say Jurgen Klopp was was praised for the sort of heavy metal football, but is that really Arteta seeing what Arsenal needed and then implementing exactly what that was? and he almost, you know, wasn't bothered about the the criticisms for reliance on set pieces, etc. It was, you know, this is what we need. This is what we're going to get it done. And now he's got a Premier League trophy in the trophy cabinet to show for it. >> Yeah, he's ever since he's walked in the building, he's had a very, very clear idea of where he wants to take Arsenal. I think it's it's no better summarized, and it's been very highly documented that when he arrived, he had this five-step plan to bring Arsenal back to the top of of of English football. Now, he's never gone on record and said what those five steps exactly are, but reading between the lines, you can sort of make it out a little bit. So, step one was creating that culture. And there was that infamous story of that first team meeting with the Arsenal players where the players walked in and the room was a mess. Chairs were everywhere, tables were everywhere. And Arteta said, "This is what English football thinks of you right now, and we're going to fix it bit by bit." It was the first of many quirky ideas from from Arteta that that that we've grown to seen. So yeah, and then step two was probably getting the right players in. So we sort of saw that with the likes of Gabrielle joining Ben White, Aaron Ramdale. These are more the profiles of of what he wanted. Step three then was to challenge and that sort of coincided with the time when Gabriel Jus and Alexenko arrived at Arsenal and and Arteta said those two changed our world. So that got them challenging for the top honors once again. Step four was win, get over the line. That also coincided with the arrival of Win the dog, uh, who who's a popular figure at the the training ground and that obviously happened last season. And now we've got to step five, which is the dword. Now, anyone regarding associated with Arsenal will know the D-word is dynasty. And it's interesting, this new contract is sort of coincided with that step five. The last step uh that Mikarta had when he first came in was to create a dynasty. So yeah, that's the clear idea that Arteta had when he came in and now we're seeing the the last bit of that plan coming about. >> Well, and win the dog. Sorry, just another example. I was kind of um missed out in when I was talking about things about Mikuel Artetta that you learn by seeing him week in week out is he he said they were changing the name after they'd picked up the Premier League title to Wonderd Dog as a joke to one of the interviews that he did and people took it on board and thought it was true [laughter] and all the players apparently were going up to Lyn who kind of runs the training ground and looks mainly looks after win the dog saying oh no is that ch has she changed her name to win the book and she went no it's just a joke. [laughter] So that it's not it's not gapor it's not you know you wouldn't open your comedy act with it but just an example of his his sense of humor and this kind of little twinkle that he has in his eye and that's another similarity between you know another guy I know well Joseph's got a great sense of humor as well but it's hidden sometimes in Mckelb and obviously winning is winning is most important but there's a real sense of humor there I'm sure I'm sure he shows it around the place to the players which is another reason why they love him so much >> definitely wouldn't want to get one of the Arteta hard stairs though myself personally so now that they have got that first Premier League trophy under their belt undereta. Where does he improve them? Because you know, as you say, does style come into it a little bit more? He's got that Catalan blood. He's come through the ranks under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and the style there. Does does pragmatism kind of take a slight step back now that they've got that monkey off their back? >> Well, maybe. Yeah. I mean, I think if you asked Mikuel Arteta where he he wants to improve them, I think he would say everywhere. You know, I think he sees margin for improvement in all areas. all the time and that's part of what makes him a good manager. You know, he is uh I think he's he's also quite a tough manager to to play for because of that intensity. You know, he's he's not necessarily always an arm around the shoulder manager. He's he is super driven, super intense, and I think players who succeed under him have to be ready for that. You know, I think that's important. But I think the main area really is the attack, isn't it? I mean, clearly the the club acknowledged that. They they tried to strengthen their front line in the summer. They weren't able to do it to the extent they wanted. You know, they wanted that big signing there. Um, so I think that is that is probably the area where fans where where where people want to see the most improvement. I do think though there is a slight misconception around Arteta in terms of what he wants the team to be and and who he is as a manager as well. You know, I understand people are you know people are sometimes critical of there being too much emphasis on set pieces or too defensive and you know they did lean into those things to win the title. No doubt about it. But I think that was largely to do with injuries. you know, when you can't get your most effective attacking players on the pitch, it's hard to be uh to be that that free flowing force. And he he he maximized their chances of winning by by leaning into other things. You know, you have to remember the last time he had Kai Havtz, Saka, and Martin Odigard fit for a full season. Arsenal scored a record number of goals. You know, scored 91 goals, more goals than any Wenger team ever scored, you know. So, I think there is a slight misconception there in terms of what he wants Arsenal to be. And I think he would like to return Arsenal to that level of attacking potency. You know, I don't think he's setting his team up to nick a game by a goal. You know, I think he he would like them to do more than that. Um, ideally. Um, so yeah, I don't think he's willfully turned them into something else. I think he's adapted and I think it does go back to what you said, Ron, about pragmatism. He is a pragmatic manager. He's he's willing to to lean into whatever he needs to to maximize their chances of winning. It's all about winning at the end of the day. But I think he would like to see Arsenal as a more expansive attacking force and I think that's ultimately the goal. >> I mean it is pragmatism but if you think that you know people can argue with me here but you can argue that Arsenal have the best defense in depth in the Premier League. They've got the best midfield in terms of quality and depth in the Premier League, but they've got nowhere near the best attack. So he wants to get the best attack and maybe won't be quite so pragmatic. >> Yeah, I think that's true. I think there's clearly work to do on that front line, isn't there? And the club, you know, we could be talking about a side here with Venicious Junior on the left wing had it all gone as the club wanted. And you know, that's clear proof that Arteta wants uh wants an extra dimension in attack. >> Yeah, we have actually seen a little bit of a shift from last season, just a tiny bit. And I was focusing on those two Brighton games. Now Nick, you and I were at that Brighton game back in March where Arsenal just weren't at their best at all. So they retreated into this sort of low block, played very pragmatic. Then there was obviously those comments after the game about from Favian Herzler about time wasting >> uh which which grabbed all the headlines. Then they go to Brighton 6 months later as the champions and again they struggle but they're not as pragmatic. [clears throat] >> Sorry. >> Yeah. >> And then they go to Brighton