Mikel Arteta says the pressures and strains around winning games must not be allowed to “destroy” managers’ personal lives, citing his own example as one where the right balance needed to be struck.
Last season Arteta turned around a woeful start, and significant supporter discontent, to guide Arsenal up the Premier League table; now they will face Everton at the Emirates on Wednesday night with a chance to go five points clear at the top. But he explained the demand for success brings difficulties and requires a sense of perspective, particularly where family life is concerned.
“You can have difficulties in your job and challenges, which we do especially when you lose, but when you’re winning as well because the job is so demanding,” he said. “But you cannot destroy your life because of that. Your family, your friends, your loved ones, the people around you don’t deserve their lives to be affected in such a negative way because you lose a football match.
“So that balance, I think in my case, was critical but you need some help from someone to put that picture in front of you, because when you’re in that position it’s not easy to see it.”
Arteta was speaking days after Graham Potter, the Chelsea manager, revealed he has received messages wishing him and his children dead since he took the job in September. Two years ago Arteta spoke of online threats to his own loved ones, although he did not wish to go into detail when asked this time. Potter is struggling to turn a complex footballing situation around at Chelsea and his counterpart understands the issues.
“We are colleagues and we all know the pressure, the demands and the uncertainty this industry has,” Arteta said. “And as well because the fact the ball has to go into that net and there are sometimes many factors that prevent that which you cannot control. So of course you empathise because you suffer, because you know how it is going through those moments.”
After losing the first three games of 2021-22 without scoring, Arteta sought and received assurances that he still had his board’s trust. Even so, he felt his job was on a knife-edge and accepts results are the bottom line. “With me they were really supportive but in the end you have to win football matches because you know that, if the run continues, it is unsustainable,” he said. “I knew I had to win [the next game] against Norwich, and win against Burnley, then afterwards, and then everything helps and the environment starts to get better. Everybody is more confident and you can keep going. We depend on results unfortunately.”
Everton’s visit starts a run of four home league games in five for Arsenal, all of which come against sides in the bottom half. Arteta said he would not be lulled into a false sense of security, especially given Arsenal were beaten at Goodison Park on 4 February. He is unlikely to make major changes to the side that beat Leicester 1-0 on Saturday, although there may be a temptation to restore Eddie Nketiah at centre-forward. His centre-backs William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães had an animated discussion after the final whistle at the King Power Stadium. It was blown out of proportion in some quarters and Arteta said the pair had a “happy marriage”. He continued: “I don’t want robots, I want players with feeling with passion that they demand [from] each other.”
