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Former Super Eagles coach gave Mikel Arteta tips on how to get his Arsenal team over the line and win the Premier League.
Super Eagles legend Sunday Oliseh stated that Mikel Arteta's style is more similar to Jose Mourinho’s than the legendary Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger.
However, the former Dortmund midfielder believes the Basque tactician still has some kinks to work out should his setup become as successful as Mourinho's during his heyday.
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What Oliseh said
The 50-year-old who had a brief stint at the helm of the Super Eagles is one of the brightest minds in the game. And as such, he occasionally weighs in on current affairs in the sport, providing expert insight and analysis.
The Gunners have been nearly men in the last two campaigns. They are currently six points adrift league leaders Liverpool, having played a game more than the Reds.
With Arteta's side set for a third consecutive season in second place, Oliseh made suggestions that can be categorised into seven points, which he believes would deliver much-coveted silverware for the North Londoners.
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Oliseh’s 7 points
Defensive structure: While the retired defensive midfielder acknowledged the quality of their centre-backs, William Saliba and Gabriel Maghalaes, he noted that attacking teams can find space behind Arsenal's fullbacks.
Recall that Ollie Watkins blindsided Thomas Partey to help Aston Villa snatch a point at the Emirates last weekend. After the game, he revealed to reporters that they knew where to find the spaces in Arsenal's backline.
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Resilience: Oliseh believes this trait exists in some players, like Declan Rice, in the Arsenal setup. However, he posited that varying performance levels from a player like Havertz make him unreliable when the team requires relentlessness to grind out results.
Attacking fluidity: Oliseh wants Arsenal to get themselves a “killer,” as their current crop of attacking players are not as ruthless as Mourinho enjoyed with Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto’o in similar risk-averse setups.
Adaptability: the former Ajax man praised the qualities of Odegaard and Havertz; however, he thinks both players are rigid and do not allow Arsenal have tactical flexibility.
Psychological edge: While Mourinho was able to psych his players into delivering at the peak of their abilities, Oliseh suggests Arteta has not unlocked this quality and needs to do so to win.
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Fan and player buy-in: Arteta's football has increasingly been risk averse from when they first competed for the Premier League title in the 2022/23 season.
Oliseh believes the players, as well as the fans, are not yet fully committed to the more pragmatic approach. A change, according to him, is required if trophies are the goal.
Counterattacking efficiency: One of the hallmarks of Mourinho's sides was their efficiency in offensive transitions. Oliseh posited that Arsenal have to score more goals from fast breaks, and he thinks Arteta has to rely on players like Raheem Sterling for unique qualities in attacking space.
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