What is Arsene like in the dressing room after a disappointing result?
“That's something that stays in the changing room but he's not a manager who likes to get the negatives of the situation – I would say the opposite. He normally tries to get the positives and say ok we have done badly because we didn't play the way we should have played but we still have the opportunity to do something so it’s in our hands.”
How does that compare to your manager at Everton, David Moyes after a disappointment?
"David is more...I wouldn’t say passionate because Arsene is very passionate about football but I'd say he's very emotional in the moment. You get the reaction straight after with David. But after, when he calms down and he gets things over the next 24/48 hours he's very diplomatic and he can see the whole picture.”
But he lets his emotions go a bit more than Arsene?
“Yeah. Big time.”
There have also been some highs this season. What stands out most for you?
“When I signed for Arsenal, because I've always been a big admirer of the club and the tradition the way they play football – for me it was a big move and I was so pleased to get it done. The debut was very nice as well to get the reception I got and to get in the first 11 after three or four training sessions. I'm really enjoying my time here.”
Has the team spirit changed as the season has gone on?
“I've found it’s really good. Among the players the atmosphere is really good – we make jokes to each other, we like each other and we go to dinner with each other. I think it’s one of the best I've seen to be honest.”
But when you joined there were a lot of ins and outs…
“Yes but that didn’t affect and I was surprised because there were a lot of things around the club but inside it was really calm and protective and I like that. It’s more calming as a player to have that – if everything is stressful I don’t think it helps anyone. They tried to do the opposite and I think they did it right because now we are reaching the results that they were after.”
Arsenal have been able to play with a more settled back four of late – is that the key?
“It’s important in any team – Real Madrid, Barcelona, the Milans – you need a starting 11 and the back four is really important to get the consistency and the clean sheet and after we know we have the quality up front to score the goals.”
With no silverware left to play for, what are your hopes for the rest of this season? What would constitute success now?
“Just to go game by game and try to finish as high as we can in the league. There is nothing else to play for – we're disappointed that we have dropped out of the Champions League and the FA Cup against Sunderland; that was very disappointing but we want to see where we can reach.
"We're third now so we have to try and contain that as much as we can because obviously it takes you directly to the Champions League. It’s not going to be easy because there are some top teams fighting for it but hopefully we can do it.”
When you joined Everton you admitted there could be a price to pay for not going to one of the big four in terms of your international prospects. Did thoughts of the national team come into play when you moved to Arsenal?
“Yeah but now I know that it’s going to be really difficult for me to join the national team – I don’t know if it’s too late already, after my move here (laughs). I have probably the best generation of midfielders that Europe ever had in front of me – not just Spain, Europe. So I know that it’s really tough. I never give up hope though – it’s one of my dreams to play for Spain, so why give a dream up when you still... you never know in football.”
Why do you think words like magician and artist are those most often used to describe you as a player?
“I don’t know – I don’t know what they can see but obviously they're nice words to me. I just try to give everything I have in every game – 100 per cent in my attitude, my concentration and try to put the team before myself – whatever comes, it comes naturally with your talent.”
Is it maybe something that comes from your days in the Barcelona Academy? When you think back to those days now, when you shared a room with Iniesta, Pepe Reina and Victor Valdes, what did they give you that other players (those without the experience of the Barcelona Academy) don't have?
“A lot of my football education is down to Barcelona because that’s where I spent three years at probably the most important development time of my football career. They understand there the way that football has to be played and what I like here is it’s exactly the same as it is in Barcelona. That helps because that’s the way I understand football has to be played and, if you enjoy your time on the pitch, you have more chances to win games and be happy than if you don’t.”
You used the word education – did they spend just as much time teaching you about the game as showing you things on the pitch at Barcelona?
“Yes, talking and practicing – and practice is always with the ball. If you are in possession of the ball it’s impossible for the opposition to score a goal. Barcelona when they play they have 75-80 per cent possession. That means the opposition has got 10 minutes to score one goal. That’s not easy. So if you have more of the ball you have many more chances and I think Arsenal tries to do the same thing.”
Are you a creative person away from the pitch?
“Not like van Persie but I'm very... I don’t know the word. I can’t stop thinking about things. I hate being at home doing nothing – I can’t do it.”
You’ve now played in a north London derby as well as Merseyside derby – how do the two compare?
“It’s different. It was intense this one as well and the second one we played against them (Spurs) at home when we were 2-0 down is probably one of the nicest games I have ever played. But the Merseyside one is nice as well. These are rivalries in the same city that have been played for a long time. Is one more intense than the other? They’re just different... just different.”
There are lots of Mikel Artetas on Twitter, are any of them actually you? Your hair has its own Twitter page…
“No that’s not me, not yet... they're trying to copy me but they can't. Sometimes I think I'll start, but then… I hate feeling like I have to do something – I have to do it, I have to do it. And if I do something I like to do it in the right way. I'm a bit of a disaster with my phone – texting back and that – I don't want to upset people.”
No comments:
Post a Comment