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Former Arsenal defender William Gallas has said the club should have never hired Mikel Arteta while replacing Unai Emery. In an interview with the English publication The Sun, Gallas said that the Arsenal hierarchy should have never picked a person with no managerial experience.
"The Arsenal board made a mistake picking him. I’m sure he will be a great manager but you need to have the experience to manage a big club. Okay, he was assistant coach at Manchester City but he had never managed a team. It is completely different," said Gallas. "Mikel Arteta was not ready yet to manage a club like Arsenal."
It is a great shame for the Arsenal fans after finishing eighth: William Gallas
William Gallas revealed that he was disappointed by Arsenal's 2020-21 season. According to the former French international, a team as big as Arsenal should not be finishing so low in the Premier League.
The Frenchman feels sorry for the Arsenal fans who have to witness their team's poor performances. The former defender also questions the attitude of the current Arsenal squad.
"To be honest, it is a great shame for the Arsenal fans after finishing eighth. Arsenal is not the same Arsenal we knew 18, 20 years ago. We had players who were strong with strong personalities," noted Gallas.
Arsenal had one of their worst seasons in recent history in the 2020-21 campaign. The Gunners finished eighth in the Premier League on just 61 points. The North Londoners also exited the Europa League in the semi-final stage, losing to eventual champions Villarreal.
Despite having a poor season and facing backlash from fans, the club's owners are still backing Mikel Arteta for the foreseeable future. However, there is bound to be massive pressure on Arteta ahead of next season.
With no European football in 25 years, the Gunners will have more days to prepare for Premier League matches. According to former player Perry Groves, this should be the season Arsenal qualify for the Champions League. Speaking to talkSPORT Groves said:
"From Mikel Arteta’s point of view, having that week to prepare for matches and not having to play on a Thursday, he’s now not got any excuses for Arsenal not to be in the top four."
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