Arsenal came close to winning the Premier League in 2023/24, but a former player has expressed doubts over manager Mikel Arteta
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has received some criticism from an unexpected source, with the Basque's Premier League credentials questioned by a former Gunners favourite.
Arteta has led Arsenal to second place behind Manchester City in each of the last two Premier League seasons and the Gunners finished just two points behind Pep Guardiola's side in 2023/24.
However, the north Londoners looked to be in a commanding position in both seasons, only to be overtaken by City in the final weeks to end up empty-handed.
Former Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann at a FIFA legends game in December 2022. (Image credit: Getty Images)
"Arteta has done really well bringing Arsenal up, but if he is the right man for Arsenal now… I am not sure," former Gunners goalkeeper Jens Lehmann told The Telegraph in an interview.
"Last year, they were leading, and in one month [April], they lost it [three draws and one defeat]. The culmination was when [Bukayo] Saka missed the penalty against West Ham at 2-0 up and it was a draw. It was two points."
Lehmann is unsure whether Arteta has the winning mentality needed to get Arsenal over the line in the Premier League and he added: "What people who hire coaches sometimes don't understand is that the personality of the coach is super important as well.
"Look at the personality of the coach. Is he a winner, or is he a nice guy who brings you to a certain level and then it is over? Inside a football team people thought the same [about me] but after a while they changed their minds, they thought: 'Okay, he is difficult but he helps me to win'.
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"The difference between winning and losing is that losing is very easy. You don’t need to do a lot to lose. You don’t have to practice a lot. You don’t need to argue with your team-mates. You don’t need to argue with the coach. You don’t need to command a lot, to challenge a lot. When you lose it’s nice and it’s no effort. Everyone can lose. You do nothing – you lose. But you are a nice loser.
"You want to win? It’s the opposite. You have to do a lot. You have to talk a lot, you have to argue a lot, you have to discuss, you have to dispute a lot. That takes time and energy but it is worth it and along the way it creates friction."
Ben Hayward is the Weekend Editor of FourFourTwo. A European football writer and Tottenham Hotspur fan with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world - including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa America - and has spent much of that time in Spain. Ben speaks English and Spanish, currently dividing his time between Barcelona and London, covering all the big talking points of the weekend on FFT: he’s also written several list features and interviewed Guglielmo Vicario for the magazine.
