Arsenal star speaks out over issues and makes bold claim over Arteta sack
Pablo Mari insists everyone at Arsenal is committed to ending the Gunners’ poor run and has explained why sacking Mikel Arteta is not the answer.
The Gunners lie 15th in the Premier League after picking up just 13 points in 11 games.
They fell to a 2-0 defeat in the London derby against Tottenham at the weekend, sealing their worst start to a season in nearly 40 years.
Arteta led the club to FA Cup glory last term but his position at the club is becoming increasingly unsteady.
Reports on Tuesday suggested a big-name European coach was waiting in the wings for the axe to fall on the Spaniard.
However, Spanish defender Mari insists the Gunners were determined to arrest their slide. However, he did admit there was a lot of confusion at why results have been so poor.
“It is the million-dollar question. Everyone in the club is thinking about what is happening to us,” Mari told EFE, via Sport Witness.
“In the dressing room, we give 100% in every game. We give 100% in every training session to reverse this situation. But I think that within all this, football is streaks and I believe a lot in this kind of thing.
“As much as you want to score 10 goals each game, there will be times when you can’t score any.
“We are in that dynamic right now. No matter how hard you try, football is not giving you everything that you give it. It is a matter of changing it.”
Despite question marks appearing over Arteta, Mari is adamant that he still has the backing of the Arsenal squad.
Furthermore, he claims the powers that be at Emirates Stadium are also fully behind the manager.
“The first thing is that I think that quick coach changes are not the right thing to do,” he added.
“When you sign a coach, it is because he has given you the confidence that his idea of football is the one that you think is best for your club.
“If you don’t give it time for that idea to evolve, you aren’t giving it a chance. When you want to change a dynamic or a mentality of a club, it is difficult to do it in a month.
“About Mikel, I think the idea of the club has changed. The attitude, the mentality has changed.
“He has brought a very interesting long-term project in which I feel like a participant because I signed because I liked it a lot.
“I go with Mikel until the end of the world. He just needs time. Soccer is not always rosy. I am happy because, despite the situation, we are united.”
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Arteta under big pressure, says pundit
Despite those words, Troy Deeney has said that Arteta would be skating on thin ice if his side lose to Burnley this weekend.
“I think he has to come under criticism, ultimately because of where they are,” he said.
“For me, and I’ll go out on a limb here, if they lose [to Burnley] he is massively under pressure.
“I’d be surprised, if they lose and the ones around them win. They are looking more backwards than upwards. He would be under pressure to keep his job.”
Arsenal have not lost to Burnley since 2008, and haven’t tasted defeat in a league game against them since 1974.
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