Arsenals Wolfsheul: Mikel Arteta plays with the confusion

Arsenals Wolfsheul: Mikel Arteta plays with the confusion

MIKEL Areta, the Arsenal coach, has a special preference for having everyone in his surroundings in the dark. In his eyes it is the best game to make everyone puzzled - their own players, fans, journalists and above all their opponents.

A perfect example of this is the puzzle around Bukayo Saka, who after a game with the English national team on October 10 sent a message to an Arsenal doctor that his Hamstring injury was not difficult. But over two weeks later, there is still no clear statement from Arteta about the condition of his player. While Saka was ready to use, he was not taken into account both in the game against Bournemouth and in the Champions League game against Shachtar Donetsk.

The secret crowls of arteta

Although Arteta said in his press conference before the game against Bournemouth that Saka's injury was not serious, he raised more questions in the following days than he answered. While Sky Sports published reports on Saka's absence from the training, Areteta surprised the media a short time later with the statement that Saka had trained and that participation in the next game was not excluded. Such contradictions seem to be part of his strategy.

The confusion about Saka and other players is not an isolated case. Areta has developed a reputation that stays in the dark to get the opposing team out of the concept. This works so well that coaches from other Premier League teams report that they no longer take arttas information seriously because they have learned to deal with their tricks. This "Cloak of Secrecy", as it says in English, is used by Areteta to create a kind of siege mentality in arsenal.

arteta is known for creating an environment in which everyone pulls together - or at least it is believed. He isolates his team from separate training times to ensure that they do not come into contact with the other teams of the club, such as the women's team. The team should protect this possessive behavior from external influences.

The uncertainty about the fitness of the players seems to be an important part of Arteta's strategy. Players like Martin Ödegaard, Gabriel Jesus and Ben White have all had similar experiences, and this season the injury problems have accumulated. This secretion of secrecy increases the tension and deprives the opponents important information, while at the same time increasing the pressure on the players to constantly be ready.

For the upcoming game against Liverpool, the puzzle rates about the drawing up of Arteta will be particularly exciting. Without the suspended William Saliba, the recently registered Oleksandr Zinchenko and the further risk of injury by Saka, there are numerous questions in the room. How will arsenal set up? Will Arteta improvise by using players like Thomas Partey or Ben White in unexpected positions?

The deficiency symptom of a convincing striker, after Arsenal has not signed a new attacker in summer, could prove to be crucial. Such challenges could affect the title fight, and the mood of the team could change quickly, depending on whether they win or lose against Liverpool. Areta faces the challenge of motivating his team to win because another loss could put a considerable burden on the mood in the squad.

The coming weekend will be decisive for Arteta and Arsenal. The question of whether this year will be her great chance of the title depends heavily on her appearance against Liverpool. No matter how the game goes out, the area of tension between secrecy and strategic clarity will continue to be in the air. In the article at www.dailymail.co.uk read.