Keane slams Arteta ‘mindset’ as Arsenal ‘won’t do enough’ for PL title with ‘defensive-minded’ manager
Mikel Arteta isn’t a gambler like Sir Alex Ferguson was, and that could cost Arsenal the Premier League title, says Manchester United legend Roy Keane.
The Arsenal manager has been criticised for his team selection against Manchester City after his side’s 1-1 draw at home in the Premier League on Sunday.
Just as it was away to Liverpool on August 31, Mikel Merino’s inclusion in the starting XI has been questioned after the Gunners failed to win.
Many believe Ebere Eze should have started the match and his introduction at half-time alongside Bukayo Saka with City 1-0 up perhaps shows that Arteta believes that as well.
Gabriel Martinelli did rescue a point for Arsenal with a sublime finish three minutes into second-half stoppage time but Arteta has not avoided criticism for another overly-defensive, risk-averse approach to a game against a Premier League title rival.
Former Manchester United and Nottingham Forest midfielder Keane has compared his approach to his old managers Brian Clough and Ferguson, who “were gamblers”.
“The few managers I’ve played under, particularly at club level, I always thought were gamblers – Brian Clough and Alex Ferguson were gamblers,” Keane said on Sky Sports.
“They were all about winning and not waiting and not worrying too much about the opposition. They went for it and they got the rewards, and maybe Arteta is defensive-minded.”
Keane continued, claiming that Arteta’s approach leans more towards not losing than going out and winning, which “won’t be enough” to beat City and Liverpool to the Premier League title.
“When I’m looking at Arteta, I think his mindset is, ‘Let’s make sure we don’t get beaten today’,” he said.
“But because of the standards of the other teams, and we’re talking about Liverpool and Man City over the last few years, that won’t be enough.
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“We’ve all sat there and gone, we’ll take the draw. But you know too many draws won’t get you anywhere fast, particularly when Liverpool are setting such high standards, and Man City did for a number of years, where Arsenal were competing with them.
“So they have to change that mindset, particularly at the start of the game today, ‘Let’s go at them’. It’s as if they were waiting for something to happen.
“They’ve got the quality, the strength and depth. What are they waiting for? Have they got that belief?
“Arteta every week says he’s proud of his team. I’d love for him to come out one time and go, ‘No, I expect more from my players. We’re Arsenal, we’ve got a big squad, we’ve spent a fortune, we’re going places’. Instead of every week going, ‘I’m proud of this and I’m proud of that’.
“You get proud of your team when you’re winning trophies, and that’s the next step for them. So Arsenal have to look at that and go, ‘Are we proud to get a draw against a Man City team who aren’t at their very best?’
“He has to be a bit more critical and say we need that extra bit if they’re going to win the league title. Otherwise, come the end of the season, we’ll be sitting here and they’re second. But they’ve been second for the last three years.”
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