Shearer explains why he would be "embarrassed" working under Arteta at Arsenal

08 March 2024 , 21:38

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Alan Shearer has branded Mikel Arteta 'embarrassing' (Image: Offside via Getty Images)

Alan Shearer would have "hated" playing under Mikel Arteta, admitting he would have been left "embarrassed" by the Arsenal boss' touchline antics.

Arteta has been in charge of the Gunners for over four years now, having returned to the club where he spent five years as a player in 2019, and the Spaniard has a reputation for being one of the more animated managers during games.

However, Shearer is not a fan of the way Arteta likes to "manically cajole" his players. "I never worked under an Arteta kind of manager, someone manically cajoling, telling you exactly where to stand or exactly what to do," Shearer wrote in the Athletic.

"I've always been of the opinion that if you're a good player, then you know that stuff anyway. If I felt I needed to drift out to the right wing or the left wing or even drop deep, I would do it myself.

"And as a captain, I felt I had the authority to tell my fellow players to do something. If it needed saying, I would say it. Not everybody is like that, though. Some footballers are brighter than others.

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"Some are needier than others. Some are more effective when they are given precise instructions and are forced to stick to them. Shouting, repeating, shouting again and reiterating straightforward messages might be the best way to get through.

"What I wanted from my manager was to be led, to be guided. I wouldn’t have enjoyed being ranted and raved at from the touchline and I can’t remember it happening too many times. Why would I have hated it? Professional pride.

Arteta has developed a reputation as one of the more animated managers in the Premier League (AFP via Getty Images)

"You’re playing in front of thousands of people in the stadium and millions at home on television and you don’t want to be embarrassed. It might sound thin-skinned, but teams are delicate. Relationships hold them together."

Arteta has been booked four times this season, although he admitted back in October he is making a "conscious effort" to tone things down. "I think I am changing. If you think differently, let me know," he said.

"But I have made a conscious effort. Basically I don't want to get sent off. Sometimes when I look at myself and I'm so agitated I think it can sometimes give an image that is not the best, mainly for the club."

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Matthew Cooper