Mikel Arteta, comparison with Jose Mourinho and what it says about Arsenal’s style

Mentioning the name Jose Mourinho can always cause irritation Arsenal fans.

former Chelsea And Manchester United The manager is persona non grata at the Emirates Stadium, especially after his bitter rivalry with Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger.

Mourinho and Wenger were at one time seen as ideological opposites – two extremes of the coaching spectrum – so it was intriguing to hear pundit Jamie Carragher mention current Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta in the same breath as Mourinho after Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, maybe going back to this match last year,” Carragher said on Sky Sports.

“Because Mikel Arteta worked with Pep, we all think he is a student of Pep Guardiola. If you look at the two most successful managers of the last 10-15 years, you will see Pep at one end and Jose – almost equally successful – at the other.

“Mikel Arteta is gradually turning into a coach like Jose Mourinho.”

In his press conference on Tuesday, Arteta said similar comparisons were for others to make, but he acknowledged Mourinho had an influence on his football journey.

“Of course,” he said. “I’ve known him since I was 15 years old. He trained me. He was in Barcelona. Yes, he won – I don’t know, 26, 28 titles? So you can really admire him, how he did it, how he changed the culture in clubs, how he did it in different countries.”

Carragher’s assessment is part of a wider discourse regarding Arteta’s perceived caution – a tendency to retreat to defense rather than attack.

“They were 2-1 up, they were pressing Liverpool and they were playing really well, but they fell back in the second half,” Carragher explained. “I know they had a couple of back injuries but they still had midfielders and some forwards who you think can grab the ball and go forward and try to relieve the pressure you’re under. . But this protective instinct comes from the coach, but it happens too often.

“What they did (at Emirates Stadium against) Brightonwhat they did against Bournemouth… The best teams when reduced to 10 men: yes, you are under pressure, but you take it off; you hold the ball a little longer and you’re still a threat going forward.”

The mention of Arsenal being down to 10 men touches on an important aspect of this debate: context. Arsenal have only played nine matches so far. Premier League games. In three of them they lost a man – in two of them this happened before the break.

Arsenal have already faced difficulties on away trips Aston Villa, Tottenham And Manchester Cityand dealt with a number of injuries and suspensions. They’ve had games this season where they dug in and wasted time, but there are pretty simple explanations as to why.

However, Arsenal are increasingly characterized as a team that sits and defends from the front. High-profile games such as those at the Etihad have helped cement the idea in the wider football consciousness, but it is not a true reflection of how Arteta’s side usually play.

Arsenal have an excellent back four, but the reason their goal has been so well defended in 2023-24 is because Arteta’s side have dominated possession and territory. They strangled the opponent all over the field. This is not a team without attacking intent: Liverpool equalized on Sunday in a moment of transition as Arsenal went in search of a third goal.

Perhaps we just haven’t seen Arsenal’s intended style in action yet. Main playmaker Martin Odegaard played just three games in the Premier League, and the only stylistically similar alternative in the team is the 17-year-old. Ethan Nwaneri. Given the circumstances conspiring against Arteta, he may simply not have been able to put his plans into action just yet.

That’s not to say there’s nothing to Carragher’s observations. The comparison with Mourinho is the latest in a string of parallels drawn with a large number of managers who have placed significant emphasis on defence. Arsenal fans fondly say he has a bit of George Graham about him. Others point out that Arteta spent most of his playing career under David Moyes.

While comparisons can easily be made between apprentice Arteta and mentor Guardiola, the Arsenal manager draws on a wider range of influences. This is a manager who played in four countries and spent most of his football career in Britain. City staff noticed after the draw earlier this season that Arteta had moved somewhat away from Guardiola’s principles. Perhaps they shouldn’t have been so surprised.

A manager tells you what his priorities are based on how he spends his money. In the summer, when much of the football world expected Arsenal to sign a centre-forward, their first new signing was actually a left-back. With Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira allowed to leave, many thought Arsenal would select an equally creative midfielder.

Instead, Arsenal took advantage of the structure and power offered Mikel Merino. It’s a complete reversal from the Wenger days, when fans begged the manager to sign a central midfielder or a defensive midfielder, only for him to bring in another diminutive playmaker.

There are certainly parallels between Arteta and Mourinho: a passion for height and fitness, a gift for organization and communication, and a willingness to take every possible advantage to win.

“This is not a criticism, this is an observation,” Carragher insisted. However, it is difficult to avoid the idea that the references to Mourinho are derogatory. Of course, many Arsenal fans will see it that way. Younger fans don’t remember Graham’s iconic teams and grew up watching Wenger. The Frenchman has made attractive football one of the main pillars of the club’s evolving identity.

“The idea that Arsenal play great football and he is Pep Guardiola’s man is not that,” Carragher continued. “Just look at the players coming out of the game today, the secrecy before the game about who is fit and who is not. This is not according to Jose Mourinho’s rules.” Even if this isn’t meant as criticism, it certainly doesn’t feel like praise.

This is the fate of Arteta and Arsenal now. They are at an awkward point in their trajectory. They no longer have outsider status. This is a big club, they have spent significant money and are subject to a new level of scrutiny and analysis, but they have yet to win big prizes. Until they do this, such criticism is inevitable.

The Arsenal manager is adamant.

“I don’t like to compare myself to anyone because I’m myself,” says Arteta. “I don’t do things because other people have done them, I do what I think is best for the players and the team so that we can be successful and play the way we want to play.”

(Top photo: Alex Pantling – UEFA via Getty Images)