3 reasons why Mikel Arteta is the perfect appointment for Arsenal

For over five years now, the manager's position at Arsenal has been like a poisoned chalice. A spate of player departures in the recent past, coupled with the burgeoning strength of their rivals, has not helped the Gunners' cause. That being said, recent results have painted a mortifying picture for the North London club.

Defeats to clubs of the stature of Liverpool and Manchester City are acceptable to a certain degree, but Arsenal have surrendered rather meekly to teams that wouldn't have stood a chance against them a decade ago. Currently languishing at a lowly 10th place in the league, the Gunners are in dire need of rejuvenation.

Unai Emery's sacking did seem a step in the right direction when interim coach Freddie Ljungberg led the team to a 3-1 victory against West Ham. However, a Europa League stalemate against Standard Liege and a heavily one-sided thrashing at the hands of Manchester City has made it exceedingly evident that the club have several deep-rooted issues to solve.

Be it the attitude of the players on the pitch or the tactical decision-making of the coaching staff, Arsenal's problems will not disappear in a day and a long-term project is the need of the hour. Mikel Arteta is now the man chosen to rid the club of its innumerable ailments, and here is a list of reasons why his appointment could just be a masterstroke.

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3. Easy on the pocket

Allegri is one of the best coaches in the world, but also one of the most expensive.

Massimiliano Allegri and Brendan Rodgers are both excellent coaches, no doubt. While Brendan Rodgers confirmed that he was committed to Leicester City for the rest of the season, Allegri's name continued to be in the fray.

The former Juventus manager has had an incredibly successful managerial career in Italy, winning six consecutive Scudettos with the reigning champions. Allegri was also the highest-paid manager in Italy in his last season with Juventus, earning a whopping €7.5m per year, and pulling a top-flight club out of a crisis will naturally warrant a raise.

In comparison, Arteta is rumoured to have signed a deal worth £5m a year, which is still a considerable amount, but pales in comparison to the wages other high-profile managers would have demanded from the club.

Ask an Arsenal fan if a manager's wages should even be considered while making a decision as crucial as this, and a scoff is the most likely response. The North London club is, after all, one of the richest clubs in the country. Success on the pitch must be the priority.

The club's board, however, may consider these views with a pinch of salt. For reasons unknown to most, Arsenal have been shockingly thrifty when it comes to transfers, and have as a result lost out on several excellent players over the past decade.

The squad desperately needs replenishment, and money saved on the manager's appointment could certainly be used elsewhere. Whether it is used on world-class players in the transfer window is a different question entirely.

2. Does the apprentice finally become the master?

Arteta and Guardiola have worked together for quite some time.

While the likes of Allegri may carry with them a long list of achievements, Arteta has something many other high-profile managers available to Arsenal don't: a unique combination of Premier League coaching experience and sound footballing education.

Pep Guardiola's start to life as a coach was eerily similar. The Catalan was lifted from relative anonymity when he was appointed as Barcelona's coach and hasn't looked back since. Arteta's stint as Manchester City's assistant coach will have prepared him for the rigours of the Premier League to a considerable extent.

Since the miracle that was Pep Guardiola, several clubs have tried to repeat the formula, to varying degrees of success. While Zinedine Zidane tasted unprecedented success with Real Madrid during his first stint, Thierry Henry's campaign at Monaco was nothing short of a catastrophe.

As with everything else in the beautiful game, there is a degree of uncertainty surrounding Arteta's appointment and whether his lack of experience as a manager could come into the picture.

While success is never guaranteed, one thing is certain: Arteta's knowledge of the game and tactical nous is exceptional, and his illustrious mentor has vouched for him on several occasions in the past.

#1 Son of the soil

Arteta has produced some fine moments in the middle of the pitch for Arsenal.

The Arsenal of 2010 was appreciated and adored for its eye-catching, exemplary style of play. The likes of Cesc Fabregas and Jack Wilshere ruled the roost in the midfield while in their prime for the Gunners, albeit for a very short period of time.

Mikel Arteta may not have been the most noticeable player on the pitch, but he was crucial to his team's tactical setup. He joined the Gunners in 2011 and went on to establish himself as one of the most reliable midfielders in the squad. His ability to dynamically read and understand the finer elements of the game gave his team a definitive cutting edge.

Arteta may not have been a prolific goalscorer or a mazy dribbler, but he was a passionate leader on the pitch and knew exactly what it meant to play for his club. The Arsenal of today needs an injection of adrenaline, and a lot will rest on Arteta's ability to inspire them as he did when he was their captain.

Pep Guardiola isn't the only high-profile manager to have influenced the Spaniard. Arsene Wenger also worked with Arteta during his time as a player, and would admittedly let him conduct training sessions every now and then in his final campaign as a player at the club.

"I will have everyone 120% committed, that's the first thing. If not, you don't play for me." Mikel Arteta's response to questions on his managerial style makes it evident that like his mentors, he does not mince words.

Arsenal's squad needs a serious review, both tactically and temperamentally, and a studious, tactically astute, and outspoken Mikel Arteta may just prove to be the magic potion.