Mikel Arteta looking on during an Arsenal game
Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images
Arsenal have come under enormous criticism for their plan to make 60 roles redundant at the club.
The Gunners are in the middle of an incredibly successful period, not just on the pitch but off it as well. They are generating more revenue than ever and are in a position to spend massive amounts of money.
Mikel Arteta responds to questions about Arsenal’s job cuts
Arsenal fans are far from happy about the club’s plans to cut 60 jobs.
In an ever-changing world where barely anyone’s job is secure, one of the biggest organisations in the world should, in many people’s eyes, be a lot more caring about their employees.
That becomes even more concerning when you consider all the commercial and on-pitch success Arsenal have had over the last 12 months.
Mikel Arteta was asked about the news in his press conference on Friday, and the Arsenal manager gave as much of an answer as he could on the situation.
He said, as per Arsenal.com: “This question is not for me. I was informed about the exercise and analysis that has been done across the club, and with the intention always to evolve and improve, some decisions have to be taken to put people in the right roles and keep investing to achieve what we want to achieve, and the success that we want to create.
“So that’s been explained. Obviously, I’m not the right person to answer that question, that’s for sure, and hopefully everybody will respect that.”
The Kroenkes and the Arsenal CEO must speak up
Arteta is spot on; he is definitely not the right person to be asking this question.
The decision on the redundancies ultimately falls under the board and the club’s owners – Stan Kroenke and his son Josh. CEO Richard Garlick was reportedly the one who informed the staff about their futures.
These are the people who need to come out and explain themselves, not just the reasons why these cuts are being made but also how much of a difference it would make in the grand scheme of things.
Kieran Maguire recently speculated that Arsenal would only be saving around £3 million a year with these cuts. If that really is the case, it is fair to question whether some or all of those employees could have been redeployed elsewhere within the club rather than losing their jobs.