- 1 day ago
Mikel Arteta previews Arsenal’s opening Premier League fixture vs Coventry.
20/08/26
London Colney
20/08/26
London Colney
Category
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00:16Good afternoon all. I hope everyone's well. Just a reminder that the usual format will kick off the as live
00:25section and go into 10.30 for tonight.
00:28If everyone's ready to be in, we'll kick off with Gayle from Sky.
00:32Good afternoon. As you sit there now, Michael, going in 24 hours after the start of the season, how different
00:42do you feel going in as champions?
00:46When you sit there in just this moment, everything you've gone through, all those second-place finishes, you sit there
00:53and think, wow, you start the season as champions.
00:55I feel good, different, hopefully better, more excited than ever, hungrier than ever and I cannot wait to start the
01:06Premier League at home in front of our supporters and have a great performance and win the match.
01:27I think those teams have an incredible quality, which is to maintain the standards daily at the really highest level.
01:35And this opportunity that we have, I have no question that our players have that desire.
01:40And that ambition to do that now is something that we have to earn and do daily.
01:44You've spoken about doing sports in the past few weeks. And how close are you to getting the defensive reinforcement
01:53that you want in? And when you look at the sort of cover of players that have been linked with
02:00the new team, what does it say about Arsenal where they are?
02:14Well, we are really active in the market. I think I mentioned that a few days ago. And the ambition
02:21is to improve the squad. Obviously, we have a really specific issue in the back line, especially with the launching
02:26menu of Willy and the fact that we miss one more defender. That's clear. So we are trying to reinforce
02:33that area.
02:34And whenever we're ready, we will announce something.
02:36Any closer? I mean, it doesn't feel like it's going to happen before the start of the season, was it?
02:40But you're confident that in the next few days...
02:43I'm always positive, I'm always confident, but it's something that I cannot control. It doesn't depend just on us. So
02:51we are willing to improve that area and we're going to try our best to achieve that.
02:56On the other side, there's obviously been a lot of stories with players possibly moving away, because you can only
03:01have obviously some players in your squad.
03:04When you've gone on a journey with these stupid players and created this incredibly close bond as a group, how
03:12brutal, how tough is it to turn around to these players and say,
03:18you're not going to get much kentai this year? I mean, you've kind of nurtured these guys from kids to
03:24grown men.
03:26It's a great question. It's a really, really tough moment. We need to face that reality. But I think you
03:34need to face it with a real honesty and transparency,
03:38because when you are on the other side, that's exactly what you need. You might not like what you've been
03:45told,
03:46but if it's truthful, if it's the reality, if it's honest and it's going to help you to make better
03:51decisions
03:52and have more clarity for the next steps in your career, you have to do that.
03:57These are always very difficult conversations, but it needs to be done. It's like when a player doesn't feel that
04:06he belongs
04:06or it's important he wants to have a different chapter. I think that communication has to exist,
04:12and it has to be both ways. And we all know that at the end, everything has a start and
04:17has an end.
04:18And when it comes to the end, I think our duty, our responsibility is to do it in the best
04:23possible way,
04:24maintaining the respect and the admiration for the player and the relationship,
04:28but understanding that at the end, we need to make football decisions.
04:31I know that you spoke after you gave us a bit about monitoring of these sports,
04:36is there any movement on either of those?
04:39No.
04:40Because a lot can happen in three days as we regret it.
04:43Well, we know on the last day it doesn't matter. So without talking any specifics,
04:48that's something that we are working on with every individual to understand,
04:52because I would like to have the score as big as possible,
04:55because we know what we are fighting for, how long this is,
04:58and we learn again from the past, especially last year when we go in some difficulty,
05:04especially when we have two or three injuries in the same area of the pitch.
05:08So the deeper score that we have, the better. We have to manage that.
05:12But the players have to feel important and value,
05:15and in order to do that, they need to play minutes.
05:18Mimi from the family.
05:19Hi.
05:20Hi.
05:20I wanted to talk a bit about the mentality.
05:22Coming in as champions now, do you feel that you can breathe a little bit,
05:27or is there more pressure, the pep talk that you give to the players?
05:32We need to breathe, and we need to take this organically,
05:34because this is going to be a long marathon as well.
05:37What we need to show is that desire and ambition to be better than what we were
05:42last season, a month ago, or a week ago when we played Man City,
05:46and we have the ability to improve, to evolve, and that's what I sense
05:50and I feel around the club, and especially around the players.
05:55Coming in for the first game, I saw stats saying that at home,
05:58Arsenal are beating 45 Premier League home games against promoted sides.
06:03Does that give you confidence going into the first game?
06:06I think every game is different, and we're going to face a really tough opponent.
06:12I think what they've done as a club is remarkable.
06:14What Frank has done is incredible,
06:17and after so many years without being in the Premier League,
06:20they have earned the right to do that, and they've earned it in a really special way,
06:24not only that they are where they are, they absolutely deserve where they are,
06:27and I love the way they play and the courage that they show in every game.
06:32Speaking about how well they've done last season,
06:35they were the top scoring side, the best defensive side in the championship.
06:39Do you commend Frank Walford and the work that has done
06:42and what to expect of them this season?
06:44It's unbelievable, that's what I just mentioned,
06:46because I know all those stats, because I watch a lot of their games,
06:49because I know when we face him, and he was at Chelsea as well,
06:54so, yeah, I think what he's done is remarkable,
06:57and I'm sure they will show the ambition on Friday night,
07:00so we are ready because we know what to expect.
07:03Ian talks more.
07:05Hi, Michael. How are you?
07:08Have you had time to enjoy the fruits of your labour from last year?
07:12You worked so hard to be a champion.
07:14Have you actually had time to sit down and enjoy it?
07:16Yes, I have.
07:18To enjoy, to reflect, it was time for everything.
07:20It was a long summer, longer than I would usually have,
07:24and, yeah, just because I feel fresh, I feel motivated,
07:28I sense the enthusiasm around the place,
07:31and that's exactly what I want.
07:33I mean, you're obviously bidding the first part of some of the World Cup,
07:36cheering on Spain to win the World Cup,
07:38that's why I asked that question.
07:40How hard is it to defend the title?
07:43Once you've won it, how much harder is it to defend the title?
07:46We will find out.
07:47I mean, we haven't done it before, so I cannot really tell you.
07:50I had experience, but in a different role.
07:53And, as I said before, it's about why you put in daily,
07:57where you set the standards, and how you drive those day by day,
08:02and the right to be where you want to be at the end of May
08:05to give yourself the chance to win it again.
08:07I was thinking, driving here today,
08:10you and Frank Lampard must really love football.
08:12You are top players, and you quite easily just have the no-pressure,
08:17BMT, ECBL in your punditry on the game,
08:19that you want to be managers both, and you want to succeed.
08:22You want to go through the tearing your hair out process
08:25and telling players when they're going to play
08:27and not when they're playing.
08:29Why is it you think that you two have succeeded
08:32in the last 12 months at this job, which is so difficult?
08:36Probably because we share the passion and the love for the game,
08:39and that's something that fulfills you as a person,
08:45and it gets purpose to your life.
08:47That's the reason what I do with the people that I do it as well,
08:52and it brings me so much joy and happiness,
08:55and it's a part of my life that is really fulfilling and I really enjoy.
09:01Last one. I don't know how often you played against Frank Lampard.
09:05Memories of playing against him when he was with Chelsea?
09:07I've seen a few videos about him and I on the pitch.
09:11What a player he was.
09:13He was one of my favourite midfielders by far.
09:16What he could produce, he could do absolutely everything.
09:19On that midfield, he was a top-class player.
09:22Good luck.
09:23Alex Bipsy?
09:24Hi.
09:25Just a couple of fitness updates for Kaya Saka and Deca Maia
09:28since you came off the bench.
09:29Are they fit enough to start?
09:32Yeah, they are ready to be involved, yeah.
09:33And then Jurgen Timbuk said he might be able to join team training this week.
09:37Is that the case?
09:38No, I'd say in the next few weeks,
09:41and he's not training with the group yet.
09:44And then in terms of squad size, managers like different size,
09:48what is the ideal number for you?
09:49What do you like to work with in that squad?
09:51Well, it depends on the availability and the history of those players.
09:54I think there is a lot of factors that count.
09:5822 outfield players and three goalkeepers of four is enough.
10:01Or maybe you know more.
10:03You need to understand what happened in the previous season,
10:05the injury record of those players, the versatility of certain players.
10:09And I'm sure we're going to hit the right number
10:12to have a bit of both.
10:14A lot of competition with the right level of cooperation in the team
10:17and everybody feeling important.
10:19And with Bruno coming in,
10:21is that midfield one of the best midfields in Europe?
10:23Have you seen a lift from the other players
10:25because competition has got even harder, right?
10:27Yes, that's what the new sign brings.
10:30It's a new energy,
10:33something to prove in front of them as well,
10:36and obviously a competition.
10:37And when you talk about players of that quality and leadership,
10:40by the same with Christos or with Ilan,
10:42what they've done since day one,
10:44I think it leaves the level of everybody.
10:47Tom from London?
10:48Hi.
10:52Let's see how it is.
10:53It's evolving really well,
10:55but let's see for tomorrow.
10:57You talked a lot about evolution and going to that next level.
11:01Obviously, a lot of games that we won last season,
11:031-0, 2-1s, 3-2s, 1-1 goal wins in a lot of cases.
11:07In the one evolution wins by bigger margins.
11:10I mean, is it that simple?
11:11How broadly does evolution go?
11:13The more dominant we are and the bigger the margins, the better.
11:16So, in order to achieve that,
11:18we're going to have to be much better in every department.
11:20In order to achieve that,
11:22we need to have a much better availability in the squad
11:24that we had last year for long periods of the season
11:27to be able that those margins become bigger.
11:29And on miles, just more definitively,
11:33are you confident he'll be an Arsenal player
11:35come the end of the transfer?
11:36100 per cent.
11:39Max for a standard?
11:40We've seen transfer fees go up and up every year,
11:43but the club's record sales still only 35 million
11:46I think from about a decade ago.
11:48Do you think historically Arsenal have been a bad selling club?
11:52It's not bad or good.
11:54It's what you have in relation to the options that you have to sell.
11:59Maybe we've been extraordinary depending on the level of the players
12:02that we have the ability and their contracts and their will to go.
12:07A possible issue that you can face is that
12:09maybe you want to make certain decisions with certain players
12:12but they are that happy that they want to stay as well.
12:14So, it's a lot of factors that have to be right
12:19when you have to sell a player,
12:20but it's not that simple in my opinion.
12:24So much investment last summer,
12:26more strength in this window.
12:28Is it getting close to a stage where maybe the club
12:30can't bring any more people in until those sales aren't made?
12:35Depending on the sporting success as well.
12:37I think there isn't any club in Europe that has had the growth
12:42that Arsenal had in terms of the value,
12:44in terms of the performances, in terms of the revenues.
12:48So, that's something very big.
12:50Some of the clubs maybe they need to sell.
12:52I think we've taken an approach that has increased the level
12:57and the capacity of the club, big time.
13:00James, again?
13:02Kelvin.
13:02When you go from finishing second for three years
13:05for being champions,
13:07and sort of go from hunting to being the hunting,
13:10if you like,
13:11do you feel there's a target on your back now?
13:13Do you say that to the squad,
13:15as champions, there's a target on your back now?
13:19Today, no, because we start from scratch,
13:21from zero tomorrow,
13:22and we're going to have to prove
13:24if we have the level to go back to that position again.
13:26But I think that happened in the last three seasons.
13:29At some point we were first,
13:30some of the times we were chasing it,
13:33and you never know what is better.
13:34If you give me the choice,
13:36I want to be first,
13:37I want to be hunted,
13:38and I want to be in control of our future,
13:42rather than depending on somebody else.
13:44A lot of the home games,
13:45particularly in the second half of the season,
13:47were quite tense,
13:48very emotional occasions,
13:50were trying to get over the line.
13:52Do you think now you have done that,
13:54that the atmosphere will change,
13:56that it will be more,
13:58maybe not relaxed,
13:59but it will be more emotional than it was?
14:01I don't know.
14:02I think it's been an evolution
14:03in terms of the atmosphere,
14:05three, four years ago,
14:06then two years ago,
14:07then last year.
14:09And yeah, when you are so close as well,
14:11at some point at atmosphere,
14:13and the feeling of not doing it again,
14:16can restrict you.
14:18But then when I see the celebrations,
14:20and the parade,
14:21and those emotions,
14:22I'm very confident that we're going to have,
14:24in my opinion,
14:25the best stadium in the world,
14:26and the best atmosphere in the world.
14:28Because if we do that,
14:29we're going to be much closer
14:30to achieve what we want to do again.
14:32Mark Athletic, over here.
14:34Hi, Michael.
14:34Hi.
14:34Just speaking up on Miles,
14:36a few Premier League clubs over the past few years
14:39had to settle their academy players
14:40because it helps with their financial records.
14:43But when you talk about Miles there,
14:45and seeing someone who,
14:47not just brings something on the pitch,
14:49but also off the pitch,
14:50is probably the soul of the club.
14:52Is it important to keep players
14:54that have those qualities at all?
14:57Certainly.
14:57I mean,
14:59the players that have been raised in our system,
15:03and they feel generally that love
15:05and that connection with the club,
15:08it brings something else.
15:09There's no question about that.
15:11And we need to look after them in a really special way,
15:14because they bring value that is very difficult to find.
15:17That's why, when we can,
15:19we want to protect those assets as much as possible,
15:22develop them,
15:22and make them extremely important for the club.
15:24And just from a more general perspective
15:27on youth development,
15:28it seems maybe 10 or 15 years ago,
15:32it was quite normal for the top Premier League clubs
15:35at Arsenal and Chelsea
15:36to send their young players
15:38to other Premier League clubs on loan.
15:40So, Jack Wilshere,
15:41Tobolton,
15:42Daniel Sturridge,
15:43Tobolton as well.
15:45Whereas recently,
15:46it seems it's more loans abroad.
15:49Do you feel like,
15:51I don't know,
15:51maybe sending players on loan to the Premier League,
15:54again,
15:54could be beneficial for those young talented coaches
15:58that are also going across the league?
16:02I think those are individual cases.
16:04I mean,
16:04those players have to be ready as well
16:06to compete in the Premier League
16:07and to play regularly.
16:08The priority is to expose those players
16:10and give them minutes.
16:12Yeah,
16:13you better agree that that's going to be the case.
16:15and how many clubs,
16:17teams,
16:18managers in this league
16:19can guarantee you
16:20that that's going to happen
16:21to a really young player
16:23that probably hasn't had exposure.
16:25If you find it great,
16:26because that's the level
16:27that we want them to compete,
16:28but sometimes they need a different pathway.
16:30The beauty of this is that the pathway
16:32can be completely different
16:34and the outcome can be the same.
16:36And this is the magic of football as well.
16:38We'll go to Hannah
16:39from StanSport Australia.
16:40Hi,
16:40I'm Mikel.
16:41I'm from Australia.
16:43Arsenal has a third income following
16:45and down under
16:45and fans are stoked
16:47that every Premier League game
16:48is going to be broadcast on StanSport.
16:51Do you have a message
16:52for all of the Aussies
16:53who are going to be getting up
16:54in the middle of the night
16:55during the season
16:56to cheer on the gutters?
16:57And can you give us your best G'day?
17:00Well, make sure that they do.
17:02And I have a really special connection
17:04with that country,
17:05first of all,
17:05because I've been there
17:06because I love it
17:07because one of my best mate,
17:08Tim Cahill, is from there.
17:09So I know everything about it.
17:10So what do you say?
17:11I have to say G'day.
17:12G'day!
17:13So to all of them.
17:14Let's go.
17:17Thanks, Hannah.
17:17We'll go to Phil from PA.
17:19Hi.
17:20Arsenal start the season
17:22as the favourites to win a league
17:23in the last action.
17:25Is that the way you sit?
17:27It doesn't matter.
17:29Our friend is not here today
17:30with a supercomputer
17:31and all the stuff
17:32that we normally have.
17:34I hope he's back.
17:35I hope he's back.
17:39But, yeah, I think it is what it is.
17:42I think our supercomputer
17:43and what it has to drive us
17:45is the standards I can daily
17:47to be able to day-by-day
17:49and the right to position ourselves
17:51there in a really strong way
17:53and to play, to perform
17:55and to connect with our people
17:56in the manner that we want.
17:58And if that's the case,
17:58I'm sure we're going to be very close
18:00and then the destiny will decide what happens.
18:11That we want, I guarantee you,
18:15with my life that that's the case
18:17and how willing they are to achieve that.
18:20But we need to show
18:21and that's only on the pitch
18:22and the way we act and react
18:25and overcome different challenges
18:27and opportunities over the season
18:28whether we are capable of doing it or not.
18:30Okay, last couple of minutes live.
18:32Benji, sorry.
18:33Good afternoon, Mikel.
18:35Hi.
18:37He seems to have gone under the radar.
18:39He seems like he can attain any attribute.
18:41When he's in a box,
18:43coolness of a strike.
18:44When he's in a midfield,
18:45calmness of a midfield.
18:46What's it like coaching a player like that?
18:48And how have you seen him bro over the years?
18:50Well, every player has very specific qualities.
18:53Ricky has a part of those qualities.
18:55He has a special energy,
18:57a special aura around him
18:58that makes him different.
19:01But he brings that.
19:02But Piero is extraordinary.
19:04Everything that he does
19:05with very different qualities
19:07and what I want that is Ricardo is Ricardo
19:09and Piero is Piero
19:10because with those two,
19:11we are much better.
19:13The way they complement each other,
19:14the qualities that they offer
19:16and that's what we try to build around the squad.
19:19And Harry, whoopsie?
19:21Hi, Miguel.
19:21Hi.
19:22Quick question on your job in general
19:25because it feels like from the outside
19:27there's more information during a transfer window
19:30out there than there's ever been.
19:32Does that make your job harder?
19:34Has it ever filtered through to the point
19:36where you have to have discussions
19:38to try and get ahead of things?
19:40With all honesty, no,
19:42because it doesn't go through my eyes.
19:44It goes more through my ears,
19:46especially with Dan, okay,
19:47that they feed me, okay,
19:48what is going on.
19:50And my kids.
19:51That's it.
19:51Are you signing this?
19:52Or how close we are with this?
19:54The rest I just focus on the information
19:56that I gather from Andrea, the board,
19:59or George in this case,
20:00to understand where we are with those transfers
20:03and what we are able to do and what not.
20:05Okay, guys.
20:061, 2, 3.
20:062, 3, 3.
20:072, 3.
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