Mikel Arteta has defended his outside of the box approach of motivating his players ahead of Arsenal's Premier League clash with Liverpool at Anfield.
Arteta was captured during Amazon's All or Nothing documentary series piping the sounds of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' into the Gunners' training session at London Colney ahead of the corresponding fixture last season. The unorthodox technique backfired however, as his side were on the receiving end of a 4-0 hammering, prompting widespread criticism of his methods.
Speaking ahead of his side's return to Anfield this weekend though, Arteta insisted that he has no regrets over the ploy. Instead he feels it is important to do what he can to prepare his players for the cacophonous atmosphere that awaits Arsenal this weekend.
READ MORE: Every word Mikel Arteta said on William Saliba injury, Klopp clash and Arsenal's Liverpool trip
"It depends," he said when asked if he had amplified the issue of Anfield's fierce reputation. "If you want to isolate only a context that is about an atmosphere you’re going to live in, then they should not shoot on goal. Because if they have to shoot on goal on Sunday, don’t shoot on goal on Thursday just in case you miss.
"You have to prepare the players, you have to tell them what they’re going to be facing and you have to recognise that. And an error and a mistake becomes after an opportunity to do that and develop yourself. You have to expose yourself, you cannot train the players in the zoo and then go to the jungle on Sunday. It’s impossible."
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