Arteta won't copy Pep's bold style with Arsenal as it could end in disaster

MIKEL ARTETA will not try to replicate Manchester City’s cavalier style at Arsenal — because it would probably end in disaster.

Gunners chief Arteta learnt the ropes from City’s Pep Guardiola and is full of admiration for the man he yesterday described as the “bravest” manager around.





Arsenal chief Mikel Arteta learnt some of his trade under Pep Guardiola at Man City but will do things his own way


But he has had to come up with some ideas of his own in his first managerial role.

The pair go head to head for the first time in tonight’s Premier League clash at the Etihad.


Arteta said: “It is always bad if you copy and paste and I think it would be the wrong thing for me to do. It is a completely different context with the situations at City and Arsenal and completely different players.

“You have to be around every character and every person and I’m not going to go into extra planning for this game because of what I know about City.

“It would drive the players mad if I had to go through all the details and that’s the last thing I want to do.

“I want to keep things as simple as possible — to concentrate on our strengths and the things we can control to bring the energy to the game.”
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City suffered a 2-0 loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday, but Arteta said: “City will respond for sure to losing to United at the weekend.

"They are a team who are so used to winning and after every defeat they have reacted straight away.

“We know how capable they are and the amount of different situations they can put you in on the pitch.

“But we need to forget about the things they do right and focus on our own strengths and qualities.”

Arteta may have handed in his tracksuit as a City coach but he remains a fully paid-up member of the Guardiola fan club.

And whatever the outcome of tonight’s game, nothing will diminish his admiration for the man he calls “the key figure in my career”.


The quality that stands above everything else is Pep’s values as a person. The second quality is how clear he is with his ideas. And he is braver than any other manager I know.

Mikel Arteta

Since Arteta stepped down as Guardiola’s right-hand man shortly before Christmas, City have lost to Wolves, Tottenham and Manchester United in the League and been held to a draw at home by Crystal Palace.

The defending champions are currently 25 points behind Liverpool and even victory in tonight’s game-in-hand will not prevent the league title from heading to Anfield.

Yet Arteta is adamant Guardiola has lost none of his magic and remains in constant contact with his guru.

He explained: “The quality that stands above everything else is Pep’s values as a person.

“The way he treats the players, the way he looks after the football club and all the people who work there . . .  that is what makes him so special.







“The second quality is how clear he is with his ideas and how he puts a plan together to implement them.

“And then there is the fact that he is braver than any other manager I know. He always wants to take risks and to play the way he wants.

“No matter what the result, he will always maintain that line.

“I have never heard any player doubting him and asking, ‘Should we really play like this?’. They are all so convinced because he does not leave a single drop of doubt about what needs to be done.

“In our first season at City the process was really good but we didn’t win any trophies.

"Even then, there were no feelings of doubt from the owners, the sporting directors or any of the people above about what was possible in English football.


“They were all on board and supporting the way we wanted to do things.

“That is vital. You can have good ideas but you still need the backing of the club to put the plans into action and be successful.

“And look what has happened at City since that first year.”


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