Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta talks on Arsenal's Injury Crisis - "When it comes down to reacting against a difficult situation, we don’t feel sorry for ourselves - face it. We are a team that we know how good we are as well and how difficult we can be for the opponents. And having that ruthless mentality is something that I love"
25/10/2024
Sobha Realty Training Ground, London, UK
25/10/2024
Sobha Realty Training Ground, London, UK
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00:00We're going to do our very best to somehow have them available, but obviously it's very,
00:29very uncertain.
00:49He needs some more tests, yesterday he had some, today he's going to have some more,
00:53and from there we will know, because last time as well we thought it was really bad
00:58and he ended up playing two days after, or three.
01:02So let's see, let's see how it is.
01:03But he won't make Sunday, will he?
01:04If he's still doing tests, it's too risky.
01:05Yeah, well, I said the last time it happened, but this time might be different.
01:06Saka hadn't trained, you said, when you spoke before on Tuesday.
01:07Has he done any sort of training?
01:08Yeah, he's done a bit of training on the grass.
01:24How far we can get him to Sunday, that's a different question.
01:27We have another day, which is the good thing, that this week we had an extra day, but we
01:32will see.
01:33And just finally, is Timber training on the grass?
01:34Is he close?
01:35How close would you say he is?
01:36Yeah, Timber, again, it's the first session that he could have some involvement, he's
01:44been out for a while.
01:45We're expecting him to be further back where he is at the moment, but again we'll have
01:52to wait and see.
01:53You like to work as hard, don't you, on providing cleaners in the nation?
02:00Zulema, we know, is not going to be available, he's obviously played every minute, hasn't
02:05he, since the start of last season, so I guess you don't know fully what options you've
02:12got yet, but how do you go about filling that sort of void?
02:17Well, we have different options, players that have already played before, it's true that
02:22that partnership has been very stable, as you said, he's played every single moment,
02:26he's not available, we have to find a different solution, which is something that as a team
02:31we need to be good at as well.
02:33You talked about coming out flying, you're going to be flying on Sunday, I wondered after
02:44a slightly flatter performance but a win and off the back of a defeat, whether you've
02:50done anything different this time, have you given them a bit of time off, have you changed
02:54things up a bit, just to look for that edge to get those wins I guess for Sunday against
03:00them?
03:01Yeah, obviously after the defeat with 10 men at Bournemouth we have to pick ourselves up,
03:05I think we started the game so well, the first half was really good, it should have been
03:09very different with the scoreline, it didn't and at the end it left you this feeling that
03:13it should have been more.
03:14They had a day off, two days to prepare the game like we always do and it's a big match,
03:19we are excited about it, it's a big opportunity, we love these kind of matches at the Emirates,
03:24we know what our people are going to generate and the team is really looking forward to
03:29it.
03:32Fight margins can make a difference in games like this one, what are you hoping will give
03:38your team the edge?
03:40Yeah, that things go our way and we play the game that we want to play, that we play with
03:45that dominance, we've done it in the past, we've done it recently and play with that
03:50belief, with that belief, with that energy and with that commitment that is necessary
03:54in a big match like this.
03:56In the summer you said you'd heard great things from some of your players about Arnaud Slot,
04:00has what you've seen from him from the start of the season confirmed everything that you
04:04heard?
04:05Everything is good, obviously they're in a really good moment, they're in a great run
04:08and you can see the touch that he's given to a team that was already very strong but
04:14you can see his fingerprints on that team.
04:17You say the touch, what is the most dangerous thing about this Liverpool side in your opinion,
04:21where can they do the most damage?
04:23It's a team that for nine years has been competing at the highest level in every competition
04:27so they know how to compete, they know how to threat you when the ball is really far,
04:32when the ball is in the outside units especially, they have individual quality to damage you,
04:38they are good on set pieces, it's a team that for nine years consistently has been there,
04:42that means that they are really good at everything that they do.
04:46It will be your sixth different back line combination of the season, I know you have
04:50key players out but how happy are you with strength and depth and let's not forget an
04:54incredible keeper at the back?
04:56Obviously we had so much going on especially in the back line in the first few months of
05:02the season, we had to adapt to that, that's why we have some versatile players that have
05:06been really, really helpful.
05:09Ideally we would have other options as well and more consistency but that's the situation
05:14that we have at the moment.
05:19Do you feel hard done by it that you've had so many injuries at this stage of the season
05:23and it's maybe stopped you from playing your best football?
05:26This is the game, obviously we didn't want to be in that situation but we are really
05:31lucky as well to have the squad that we have, to have the players that we have, to have
05:35the attitude that we have when it comes down to reacting against a difficult situation
05:42and don't feel sorry for ourselves, face it.
05:46We are a team that we know how good we are as well and how difficult we can be for the
05:50opponents and having that ruthless mentality in the team is something that I love.
05:56You mentioned the mentality there, will this game require a different type of mentality?
05:59So many key players potentially out to try and get a result against a team like Liverpool?
06:05We are always going to be ourselves in the things, in the identity that we have, in the
06:09game that we want to play, in how we are going to approach the game to win it as sets and
06:13it's not going to change.
06:14Then obviously you adapt and you make certain alterations to fit the quality of the players
06:20and put the players in their biggest strength which is what we want to do.
06:24There's been some positive moments for Mars, Lewis Scurlly and Ethan Maguire this season,
06:30is there a possibility they could start the game on Sunday? Is it too soon for young players
06:36like that to come in?
06:37They are there, they are in contention, they have always given us the option and the possibility
06:42to start the game. Miles came on the other night and he did really well, Ethan the same.
06:48They are first team players, they are with us and we treat them and we value them in
06:52the same way as any other player.
06:58With the likes of Lewis Scurlly and Maguire, is it a case of maybe this is a good game
07:04for them to come in and play because the crowd will be up for the game and actually young
07:08players, as you know, sometimes can play without fear?
07:13Yes for sure, that's certainly something they don't feel much, especially those two and
07:18that's something really positive. It brings the crowd together as well, it creates energy
07:22in the team, that's something really good. It's about throwing in the best moment with
07:28the right players around you which is something really important as well.
07:31So you wouldn't be scared to do it?
07:32No, well we did it in a Champions League game the other day.
07:36In terms of Liverpool, you mentioned there the last nine years they've been competing.
07:40Sometimes we don't mention them as much as Man City but are they a part in your eyes
07:46as being championship challengers every year as well as Man City?
07:50Yes, for me they are one of the best teams in the last decade and certainly in the history
07:56of this Premier League because they competed against a team that was creating record after
08:01record and they were consistently. That shows a lot of relentless and winning mentality
08:07to consistently believe in. You at some point feel that you could not reach it so that's
08:12a big credit to them and they were, they've done it with a very clear identity.
08:17So that's something remarkable in my opinion.
08:19And last one on you, with the injuries, with the suspension, off the back of losing a form
08:26last week. Is this your biggest test for two or three seasons as Arsenal manager or is
08:31this the sort of thing that you will absolutely relish because you can go and prove a lot
08:36of people wrong?
08:37I need to go on the hard drive but I think we have very, very difficult moments or challenging
08:43moments. I don't think this is one of them. We are so energized. We play Liverpool at
08:47home, we really want to play. We have a magnificent squad. The atmosphere is going to be tremendous
08:52and we're really looking forward to the game.
08:58If you were to lose this game, you would be seven points ahead?
09:01If we were to win it.
09:02If you were to win it as well, you'd be even closer?
09:04I don't think about that.
09:05You're too early to think about that.
09:07I never think about what if we lose it. I think everything that we do is to win it.
09:12So in my preparation I don't spend one second if we lose it. So it's about if we win it,
09:19how convinced we are that we are going to win it and how we're going to feel afterwards.
09:24Do you think about the title race at all? Because you mentioned Liverpool being a challenger.
09:27Do you think about that?
09:28I don't. When we won against Aston Villa and everybody was already saying, if you lose
09:32this game, second game of the season, what's next? And then you have to go to City and
09:37you have this and that. We cannot think like this in October.
09:41In the sort of era we live in now, social media, news and everything, I just wonder
09:47for you, how important is it keeping information inside the club and stopping leaks?
09:53And how much is that something that you've worked on as a manager in particular when
09:56we're all trying to find out?
09:58Especially against Team News. That's something I understand. There are a lot of kids as well
10:06that they want to do their own things and obviously their managers and their position.
10:10But it is our job to protect that as much as possible because you don't want to give
10:15anything away. Normal.
10:17Was it something you'd worked in from when you came in, stopping leaks from the club?
10:21Well, I think it's a big part of our job. We have a lot of information, a lot of sensitive
10:26information, a lot of information that a lot of people want to have and share. And it's
10:31our obligation, our duty to maintain and protect the club and the team in the best
10:35possible way.
10:36Do you have an understanding as to why this happened or do you just think it's bad luck?
10:45Well, in a lot of cases it's been very bad luck. We have certain difficult knee injuries,
10:52we have certain traumatic injuries, we have three injuries with the national teams, difficult
10:58to control. But, yeah, luck. I don't know why you call it luck. What happened with Ricky
11:03the other day, what happened before with Tom Iassu, it can happen. But it's about how we
11:10react to that. We're not going to change it now.
11:12Just on Slott and how he started Liverpool, were you surprised at how well he started
11:17it?
11:21No, because obviously the team already, the infrastructure that they have, the team that
11:25they have, the individuals that they have. And because he's a really good manager, so
11:28he has inherited a team that is already very successful. And he's given it his touch to
11:34maintain that and to evolve in the direction that probably he believes is the right way
11:38to do it. So, obviously, from the beginning when you look at that squad you think they're
11:42going to be right in the mix.
11:47With the injuries you've got, I don't expect you to tell us, but do you know your team?
11:52As you sit there now, do you know your line-up?
11:55Can you just talk us through the next 48 hours for you, what the challenge is like?
12:01A lot of drawing, a lot of possibilities, a lot of ifs, because probably the team that
12:06we start is not going to be the team that we finish the game. But this happens every
12:10week. We have to prepare for the scenarios, what happens if, what context the game throws
12:15at you and how prepared we are after to make the changes that we need to do. Who is available
12:20to play 90 minutes, who is not, that's always the case.
12:23You talked before about, you recognised you did a lot of work last season to keep players
12:29fit for so long, to hit the back, you were able to pick the same back four so consistently.
12:34Did you feel you prepared for this to some extent?
12:41Well, not that early in the season and not in the manner that it has happened with a
12:46few players. But having the rest in the best possible physical condition, mental condition,
12:52something that obviously we put a lot of work into that because it's key. And then be the
12:58team prepared because when that happens you lose your captain, that's a big thing. Then
13:03you lose your central defender, you lose your full-back, you lose another full-back, you
13:06lose your striker, you lose a winger. But the team has to have the resources, first
13:11of all mentally to adapt to that and then maintain the same belief that even like this
13:17we are a great team.
13:20Talking about the injuries, the red cards, it seems like a lot of luck has broken against
13:24you this season. Given that, what have you learned about the character of your team and
13:28maybe what has the team learned about its character?
13:31I love watching people, watching individuals, watching teams react to that. And I look at
13:39it and I hate it. I haven't seen the team once, I haven't seen the staff, I haven't
13:43seen upstairs, I haven't seen anybody talking about it. Get on with it. Get on with it,
13:47show your teeth, show how much you want it. That means opportunity for other people, that
13:52means opportunity for us as a team to rebel against certain situations. We need the crowd
13:57more, so on Sunday we need them even more. I'm sure they're going to do that. And let's
14:01keep going.
14:02How do you stop yourself doing that? Because when Ricardo goes down you've got another
14:06left-back. How do you look at that?
14:08Because it gives me zero for the next moment, for the next day, for the next preparation.
14:13It just takes things out of me. And if it takes things out of me, it's going to take
14:17things out of the staff, because they are close to me, and then the players, and then
14:20belief. Throw it away. That's it.