As the ink was drying on his new contract to remain as our manager, Mikel Arteta wanted to thank our supporters for helping make his decision to prolong his stay in north London an easy one.
The boss admitted that he values the affection he has been shown throughout his tenure by our fanbase, and that is shared by his players as the bond between those on the pitch and in the stands continues to strengthen game by game.
Mikel has appreciated all those Gooners who have stood by himself and the team in bad moments, instead channelling their emotions positively to push us on to bigger and better things. He believes that unwavering support has been one of the biggest reasons why we’re once again challenging for the game’s biggest prizes.
“I feel very lucky because I feel loved,” he said. “I feel respected but I feel loved. I feel a really special connection between us and I think the players feel the same thing. When that goes beyond just your work or what you’re trying to deliver, that becomes really, really powerful and I think that’s a strong point that we have at the club.
“They have given a lot in very difficult moments and that’s what made it unique because when everything goes well it is easy to jump on the boat, but when times are more difficult and we have to get there and we needed them so much. I think emotionally they have transformed the club and they have transformed individuals and we are different now. For me, that is down to them.”
With his future secured, Mikel is now looking forward to the challenge of taking the next step in his team’s evolution and winning some more silverware, following on from his FA Cup triumph in 2020.
However he is adamant that any success has to be achieved in the right way, with plenty of hard work pushing ourselves to limit to maximise everyone’s potential - and relishing the journey along the way.
When asked about what his main objective is now, he cut straight to the case: “To win - it has to be that. It has to be that aim, but understanding that we have to enjoy the process. We have to be able to be the best version of ourselves every single day to achieve that.
“The outcome, we can’t control it. The process of every single day doing the right thing, thinking out of the box, our commitment, our determination, how we can win matches from every angle in the game, outside the game, our determination - our vision, that has to be every single day at the front. Then, the end result, we want it. The margins are so small and I think we’re going to be close.
“We are unique and we do our things in our own way. The joy of the people, whether they are the players, the staff, the board, the ownership or the supporters, that they really feel attached to the club and how we do things. For me, this is the biggest value that any club, any brand can have. Then we have to add trophies to that, for sure, and we will do our best to achieve that.”
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