Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta on changes made for playing away, from home to keep players fresh
18/10/2024
Sobha Realty Training Ground, London, UK
18/10/2024
Sobha Realty Training Ground, London, UK
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00:00Hello, Pep. Talking about your connection to England,
00:05how big a factor was that when you almost played for England on Friday night?
00:09I was thinking about that the other day, I was actually talking to Edu about that at lunch,
00:16and, yeah, I would have done it.
00:20So that was Capello?
00:21Yeah, and I would have done it, I felt very proud about it and I was very realistic looking at the place
00:29that Spain had at the time, how little chances I had, so you need to know your level,
00:35that's very important, look in the mirror, and at the end it didn't happen.
00:41It was good, at least to think about it.
00:43Were you sort of disappointed, upset, did you try and fight that ruling in any way?
00:48Sorry, sorry?
00:49When it couldn't happen, as far as I understand, FIFA basically said...
00:53No, but it's OK, you cannot do it, you cannot do it, that's it, it's fine.
00:57It wasn't sort of a big ambition, you weren't totally devastated?
01:00No, I wasn't prepared to fight against the wall in that moment.
01:06Jürgen?
01:07Hi, Miquel, four of the first six games of the season were away from home,
01:12the next ten games you have seven away games.
01:15How much mental work do you do with the team, with the club,
01:18to ensure that these days do not affect you, these periods of being away from home for so long?
01:26Yeah, we discuss and we put things in place, especially to make the players feel fresh,
01:32because there's a lot of travelling, there's a lot of requirements,
01:36a lot of routines and habits that become a bit different,
01:39but they've just been ten days away from home, most of them as well,
01:44in hotels and playing international football, so they're quite used to it.
01:48The thing is when you glide those two things together and then the days become
01:53a big proportion of sets and periods, then it becomes more challenging.
01:57So far, we are still very early in the season, the team is fresh.
02:01What do you do to keep them fresh?
02:04Well, try to make those periods as short as possible, as efficient as possible,
02:09obviously respecting the priority always, that is performance,
02:13that is preparation and that is rest and recovery.
02:16So we have to bring them back straight away after a match is perfect,
02:19the best thing is to stay in the hotels and try the following day to have better sleep,
02:23better food, better time to recover and prepare for the next match.
02:27They have to understand, and then we always do sets and activities within the squad
02:31to keep it fresh, to keep it a bit of a surprise and a bit of something a little bit out of the norms, basically.
02:39Any examples of what you do?
02:41Not at the moment.
02:42And just finally, you've done a lot of work to make away days feel like home,
02:47you know, putting slogans in the dressing room and trying to make it feel like home.
02:51There was a period when Arsenal really struggled away from home,
02:54but that isn't the case anymore, do you feel like you can now go on away days
02:57and you don't fear it or dread it as much as maybe you used to?
03:02Well, we try to prepare the best possible way and obviously the results that we had in the last two seasons,
03:08especially away from home, it's reassuring, it brings confidence,
03:12it brings trust to the team that we are capable of competing in any scenario.
03:17And that's, in my opinion, very, very important for ourselves and as well for the opponent
03:22because they can see that we are ready to face-to-face.
03:28Over the summer, there's quite a bit of excitement around Gabriel Jesus
03:32and the return of him obviously being fully fit and the rest of it, obviously,
03:38what do you make of the start to the season?
03:40Do you think there's a bit more to come from him?
03:42Because it seemed against Alonso that he wasn't fully back on his feet.
03:47Well, as I said, he came on in great shape, probably better than in the best condition he's been with us.
03:53He was flying in pre-season and unfortunately he got that injury straight away.
03:57That affected him for a few weeks, he put, again, a lot of work into it to come back
04:02and now he needs to get the rhythm, you know, he's playing a few games,
04:06he has started two games already against Atalanta and Bolton, he's come on against Southampton,
04:12so, yeah, he's there.
04:15Now he needs to end the right to play more, he's got our full support,
04:20he's a player who can play in various positions and he's a really important player for us.
04:24In terms of English managers in this country, looking at the pathway,
04:28is there anything more that this country needs to do in terms of producing English managers
04:32or do you think it's just a matter of time before more come through?
04:36I don't know, I think...
04:40I don't really know the system that well, to give a clear opinion,
04:44but I can tell you that the level of English managers is really high
04:48and the education of the players, especially when they come into the academy, is extremely high.
04:56So that means that there is quality there, they have enough opportunities as well,
05:01that's a question that probably is not for me to answer.
05:04Gary?
05:06Hi.
05:07With Ossie Thomas' past experience at club football,
05:11would that be perhaps slightly advantageous for you
05:15when it comes to the learning for some of the players who go on to the Intermediate Cup,
05:19that he knows what it's like to be in your shoes
05:22and then maybe you get a little bit more of a strike?
05:26Would that be perhaps equal to defensive football,
05:29because you're definitely at certain points?
05:32Well, I think all the managers understand the demands that we have at the club level,
05:36but the reality as well is that they have the responsibility to do the best for the country
05:40and to fulfil the duties that they have in their role,
05:43which is to win all of the games.
05:45And with those demands, you have to make the best decision that you think for the day.
05:50And it's very difficult, I understand that, for anybody to look,
05:54one month ahead, three months ahead, or looking at the previous history.
05:58Ed?
05:59Just on Jack Wilshere, you mentioned he's going to be a big miss.
06:03Have you made any attempts to try and keep him, to talk to him or offer him a...
06:08No, I don't know exactly where we are on that today.
06:11At the moment he's here with us, we are extremely happy to have him,
06:14and what happens in the future, we can discuss it after.
06:17And just generally on your players, the next international break,
06:20obviously you've got a lot of injury issues at the moment.
06:22There's a few players that have sat out this international break.
06:24Do you expect more to do the same for the next international break,
06:28which comes in a really, really busy time?
06:31My wish will be that everybody is fit and available,
06:34and they can go with the national teams, and we don't have to adjust any of that.
06:38So, let's see where we are in November.
06:40OK, last quick couple, thanks.
06:42Should we be surprised that there are more Spanish coaches in the Premier League
06:46than English coaches, when there are 2,000 Spanish coaches
06:50with a pro-licence badge and only 200 English?
06:54And if I wanted to go and get my UA for pro-licence tomorrow,
06:58good luck to your team!
07:00LAUGHTER
07:02It would cost me £13,000, where I think in Spain it's something like €2,000.
07:07Should we be surprised that there's that imbalance in Spanish-English coaches
07:11in the Premier League?
07:13Again, very difficult for me to give you a proper answer,
07:16because I don't know all the data and all the factors that are contributing
07:20for probably that imbalance in the numbers that you are describing.
07:25OK, finally, John.
07:27You mentioned that the England players were smiling quite a bit,
07:31does that include Raheem, who's out of it?
07:34I don't know if Raheem was in there.
07:36LAUGHTER
07:38What about Ben White, did he ever visit it?
07:41LAUGHTER
07:43So he doesn't ask me about Bukayo or Declan, you go to...
07:48We just assume that those two were happy then.
07:50LAUGHTER
07:52Well, I assume that Thomas Tuchel would be happy with those two.
07:55And with Russ, I think he would be very happy,
07:57and probably very happy to have Ben as well.
08:00Is it important to get Raheem back in the England side?
08:04Well, if that's his desire and what he wants, for sure,
08:07and he's in a really good moment right now.
08:11I was watching the last few training sessions and he was exceptional,
08:15and Raheem at his best can compete with any player in this league, for sure.
08:19OK, that's us. Thanks, guys.