During his tenure at Arsenal, Mikel Arteta has established a reputation as a progressive manager. This week, one of his most recent “crazy ideas” surfaced.
By employing expert pickpockets to steal from his players during a team dinner, Mikel Arteta has elevated his bizarre tactics to new heights. The Athletic claims that the Arsenal manager wished to impart a valuable lesson to his team before the start of the new Premier League campaign.
Ever since assuming leadership at the Emirates Stadium in 2019, Arteta has played a pivotal role in the club’s comeback as a legitimate contender for the English Premier League.
The Spaniard, who is well-known for his inventive and somewhat unorthodox strategies, is constantly searching for methods to give his team an advantage.
Before his 2021 visit to Anfield, he would blast Liverpool shouts over speakers, a gimmick that became well-known after it was exposed in the Amazon Prime documentary ‘All or Nothing: Arsenal’.
Why did Arteta hire pickpockets?
Arteta admitted that it was one of his “crazy ideas,” but he thought it would assist his players get used to the intimidating environment at Anfield.
Another of Arteta’s unconventional tactics has now been revealed. According to The Athletic, Arteta set up a situation in which pickpockets were covertly hired to steal wallets and phones from his players while they were having dinner together.
The Athletic claims that when Arteta asked his men to empty their pockets following the dinner, they were shocked to find that their possessions were missing. The ruse was intended to emphasize how important it is to always be aware, prepared, and ready.
Arteta is taking a really creative and possibly slightly insane approach. During a visit to the Men in Blazers podcast, Edu provided an open assessment of the club’s recent metamorphosis, including some difficult decisions that he and Arteta made.
Arsenal Sporting Director’s early days at the club
The Arsenal sporting director, Edu Gaspar, opened up about the harsh realities he faced upon his arrival at Arsenal: “When I came to Arsenal, I saw all the squad, with respect, almost everyone was over 26, 27, on big salaries and not performing.
He hammered home the dilemma of high-wage earners who were underperforming. Edu added: “If you have those three elements, which club in the world wants to come here and buy one of our players? No-one.”
Edu explained the rationale behind roster modifications while emphasizing the necessity for prompt action. Says the 46-year-old: “So how do you deal with that situation? You have to be strong and sometimes you have to make decisions.
“You can go strong and try to let those players go or your project is going to take, instead of three or four years, maybe seven, eight or nine. Then unpopular decisions started to come.
Also Read: Top 5 Best Premier League Managers In 2023-24
“Because most of the players that have those elements, they have a fanbase and a media that love them. But for the club, it is not healthy sometimes to keep the player in that situation.”
Summing up his approach to overhauling the squad, Edu said: “When I started I saw every single player in the squad with those three characteristics. Then I said: ‘Guys, we have to clean this squad, with all my respect, to build a new foundation here.’
“From that foundation, we need to sign younger players, on lower salaries, with better futures, who are hungry to take us where we want to go.”
