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Football pundit Stan Collymore believes Arsenal could sack Mikel Arteta if the Gunners fail to win a trophy next term. The former Premier League striker also suggested that a fresh manager could be capable of delivering the trophies that Arteta had promised.
In his exclusive column on Caught Offside, the Englishman wrote:
"I am big fan of the comments made by Thierry Henry on Stick To Football. Basically, he has said what everyone else outside of Arsenal, but because he is a club legend, I think there is a greater chance that he will be listened to. It is clear that Arsenal have made progress in recent years, and they are one of the best teams in England. But they have nothing to show for it during Mikel Arteta's tenure, aside from an FA Cup in his first season."
He continued:
"He cannot continue to get away with these results for another season, otherwise he should be getting sacked. Another manager is more than capable of coming in and delivering the success that he has promised. Hopefully Henry's comments, and the ones made by lan Wright too, really resonate with Arsenal, and also the cult-like supporters of Arteta too."
Arteta, who was appointed as the Gunners manager in 2020, won the FA Cup in his first stint but has failed to add to that. In the last three Premier League terms, the Gunners have finished as the runners-up.
"He had time to get a nine" - Arsenal legend on Mikel Arteta's transfers
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United States v Canada: Third Place Match - CONCACAF Nations League - Source: Getty
Thierry Henry opined that the Gunners should have signed a striker when they opted to bring in Raheem Sterling last summer. While acknowledging that injuries have affected Arsenal, Henry criticized Arteta for failing to push for the signing of a number nine despite public outcry.
During a discussion with the Overlap Stick to Football Podcast, Henry said (via Sky Sports):
"When you look at the injuries and you look at the players that came, he brought players. He got [Raheem] Sterling when everyone wanted a nine. He had time to get a nine."
He added:
"I'm not the coach, I don't know how the discussion (went)… everyone has been screaming for a nine - apart from when we win, by the way. When we beat Real Madrid, we didn't need a nine."
As the Gunners struggled without a natural and lethal striker in their frontline last term, they are expected to sign a number nine this summer. Several reports have linked Viktor Gyökeres and Benjamin Sesko with Arsenal.
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Abel is an European football journalist who focuses primarily on analysis pieces and preview copies at Sportskeeda. A B.Sc degree holder in Economics, he has a previous work experience of 3 years – a year at Opera News Hub where he was promoted as a 'Verified Sports Writer,’ and over two years at Sportskeeda as a revenue-share writer, where his writing skills have ultimately led him to be integrated into the in-house team.
A Manchester United fan who grew up in a family of Red Devils supporters, he started his journey as an ardent football fan in his childhood. He used to spend hours watching the sport with his family and developed a knack for writing about the beautiful game over the years.
He is a huge admirer of Paul Pogba owing to the midfielder's ability to thread passes from anywhere on the pitch and his favorite manager is Jose Mourinho due to the Portuguese's tactical mind. He feels France's triumph in 2018 is his all-time favorite World Cup moment, and reckons Lamine Yamal and Endrick could replicate the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Abel always strives to verify information, especially statistics, before penning a word and offers constructive but not defamatory criticisms. Apart from Europe's top five leagues, he follows the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga. He loves to spend his free time playing video games like EA FC and watching movies.
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