Mikel Arteta approach criticised as ex-Liverpool ace launches stinging plea

Arsenal took another step towards the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday night, but Mikel Arteta has been told what he needs to avoid doing going forwards

Arsenal took their winning streak in all competitions into double figures on Tuesday night – but that hasn’t stopped Mikel Arteta from being told to stop micromanaging. The Gunners claimed a 3-0 victory over Slavia Prague in the Champions League at the Fortuna Arena.

Bukayo Saka opened the scoring with a first-half penalty before a double from Mikel Merino completed the scoring. The victory was their fourth in four Champions League matches so far this season and their 10th consecutive victory in all competitions.

Saturday’s 2-0 win at Burnley was also their fifth in a row in the Premier League and moved them six points clear at the top of the table. The Gunners are now the overriding favourites to win the title this season, having finished second in each of the last three campaigns.

But former Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer believes Arteta is still guilty of micromanaging and has told him to give his players licence to thrill. Speaking to football.london, via Casino.org Ireland, he said: “As for Arsenal, I think they bought really, really well. I think Arteta has got to stop micromanaging.

“I think he’s a fantastic manager. I think what he’s done over the last three or four seasons has been brilliant.

READ MORE: Mikel Arteta’s two conversations with Granit Xhaka after Arsenal controversyREAD MORE: Arsenal handed perfect Premier League title race scenario after new Chelsea blow

“It’s a funny sport. It’s like you can be at the top of your game, and then you get a (Roger) Federer that comes along and just wins everything. It doesn’t mean that you’re bad.

“It just means that they are like one in a million, and it happened to Arsenal. It happened to Liverpool; it was City.

“It happened to Arsenal because of City and then because of Liverpool. But I think right now, I think the team he’s built is the strongest.

“I think it’s the most equipped. I think he’s got to stop micromanaging, and he’s got to start believing in his tools.”

Ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Sunderland on Saturday – while Liverpool head to Manchester City on Sunday – McAteer claimed: “It feels like he’s holding them back a little bit. He’s a little bit too pragmatic. He’s got to believe in (Eberechi) Eze. You’ve got to believe in (Martin) Odegaard.

“He’s got to believe in all that creative talent and go and win football matches with it instead of going, I’m going to defend.

“I’m going to get a nil-nil, and then I’m going to nick it because I can throw Eze on. I can throw on (Leandro) Trossard, I can throw on so-and-so, and so on. I know Odegaard is on; I’ve got (Bukayo) Saka.

“I can throw (Noni) Madueke on. Just pick the team to win the game by two or three or four and go and win it by two or three or four. Go and do it, and stop micromanaging everything.”

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