BBC pundit Garth Crooks has slammed Arsenal for their decision to appoint Mikel Arteta as Unai Emery’s permanent replacement.
The often controversial Crooks claims that Arsenal have ‘gone for a number two when they desperately needed a number one.’
He adds that the Gunners should’ve opted for a more experienced candidate, citing Patrick Vieira or Carlo Ancelotti as two ideal options.
Speaking in his BBC Team of the Week column, he said:
What are Arsenal doing appointing a manager who isn’t bigger than his players? Far be it from me to tell the Gunners who their manager should be but come on. Mikel Arteta – really?
While both Ancelotti and Vieira boast more managerial experience when compared to Arteta, Crooks has massively misjudged this one.
Read Arsenal verdict
Ancelotti has a tremendous CV and there is no doubt that he has plenty of experience under his belt, but is he really what Arsenal need right now?
The club have gone stale, the squad is unbalanced and could well be torn apart over the summer. Experience would’ve only gone so far at the Emirates.
Arteta can bring an identity, a style, a philosophy. Call it whatever you want, but the new Arsenal manager needs to make radical changes if the club want to get back to their glory days.
There are a number of exciting young talents coming through the ranks at Arsenal and Arteta has shown at Manchester City that he can help players harness the best of their talents.
As Ancelotti’s last two jobs have proven, he’s no longer someone who you’d consider for a long-term job, which is exactly what Arsenal will be hoping for with Arteta.
Experience can be a crucial tool in management, but it’s not what Arsenal need to lift them from their current rut.
