Mikel Arteta can follow in Sir Alex Ferguson's footsteps with Arsenal dynasty now the aim
Mikel Arteta has delivered on his “five-phase plan”, but a huge new contract brings even bigger targets to tick off
Questions on the opposition will be met with praise.
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Questions → follow → praise
Unless, that is, it's about a specific player, and then the sidestepping returns.
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sidestepping → return → player
However, Arteta has been unusually open when discussing his contract situation.
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Arteta → discuss → situation
This has been a secret he has decided is not worth keeping.
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he → decide → ?
Having entered the final year of his previous deal, Arteta recently told the Arsenal supporters that they "don't have to worry".
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they → enter → supporters
“Whenever the time is right, we’ll get that done,” he said.
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he → get → ?
Nor have the club tried to hide it.
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club → try → it
Outside the Amex Stadium last month, the club's official media team asked away supporters to talk about Arteta on camera in preparation for the announcement.
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team → ask → announcement
A three-week international break has provided the space for official confirmation.
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break → provide → confirmation
Arteta has signed that new contract, one that will take him into his tenth year in the Arsenal dugout.
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that → sign → dugout
The Spaniard has been handed a significant salary increase, reflecting his rise into the top-tier of managers after leading the club to the Premier League title last season.
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Spaniard → hand → title
That was the culmination of the "five-phase plan" that Arteta and then-technical director Edu Gaspar put together in 2019.
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Arteta → put → 2019
From shedding the squad of certain characters, to bringing in a different calibre of player, and ultimately claiming major silverware, the plan has been delivered on.
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plan → shed → silverware
It has earned Arteta three contract extensions along the way, the latest of which comes with the clearest message yet: win, and win big.
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latest → earn → message
To build the best club in the world
Mikel Arteta’s aim for Arsenal
As Richard Garlick, Arsenal’s chief executive, put it in comments accompanying the contract extension: "We want to create a winning era together with Mikel.
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We → build → Mikel
The culture in the squad has been set and well-established.
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culture → set → squad
The relationship between players and fans, and with it the atmosphere in the Emirates Stadium, has been rediscovered.
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relationship → rediscover → Stadium
Arteta's influence permeates the club, from who gets weekend custody of the club's dog Win to a full revamp of the medical department and everything in between.
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who → permeate → between
With the first words of his unveiling press conference after taking the job in 2019, Arteta declared: "I feel back home."
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I → unveil → 2019
His contract situation was always about whether he would accept an extension, rather than if an offer would be on the table for him.
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offer → accept → him
There is really now only one phase left, one yardstick with which the club will be measured.
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club → be → which
The success of Arteta's new contract will be judged on Premier Leagues and Champions Leagues.
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success → judge → Leagues
He alluded to it himself earlier this month.
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He → allude → it
Asked what he still wanted to achieve at Arsenal, Arteta said: "To build the best club in the world.
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Arteta → ask → world
That has to be without any question of a doubt what we have to do."
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we → have → what
In his first managerial role, Arteta has done an extraordinary job.
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Arteta → do → job
It has been so impressive that there is a temptation for other clubs to look at the time he was given by Arsenal early in his reign and assume patience is the answer to all their problems.
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patience → be → problems
Arteta's success, of course, would not have been possible had Arsenal not put their faith in him for an extended period.
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Arsenal → put → period
However, they did so on the basis of the evidence in front of them, even if that took time to play out on the pitch.
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that → do → pitch
Arteta's force of character led to him being promoted to manager, rather than just head coach, within a year.
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him → lead → year
He stamped his authority on a dressing room of big characters and cultivated an environment at all levels of the club ready for success.
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He → stamp → success
Cultural and sporting tests have been passed over the past seven years.
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tests → pass → years
The biggest one came last season.
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one → come → ?
Under the ultimate, suffocating pressure, Arteta found a way to drag Arsenal over the line and end the 22-year wait.
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Arteta → find → wait
The previous baggage has been shed and expectations domestically and in Europe could not be higher.
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expectations → shed → Europe
That is the challenge for Arteta, evolving his side into ruthless winners on all fronts.
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That → evolve → fronts
After reaching the semi-finals two seasons ago and the final last term, Arteta is desperate to lead Arsenal to their first Champions League title.
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Arteta → reach → title
The summer transfer window did not help him in achieving that goal to the extent he had hoped.
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he → help → extent
It has been no secret that Arsenal wanted to add real individual quality to the attack by signing a transformational attacker to help them take the next, and final, step.
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them → want → step
Vinicius Jr and Julian Alvarez were lined up but the allure of the Spanish superclubs was too much even for the Premier League champions to contend with.
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champions → line → superclubs
…and 8 more, not listed.
The Aporia
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