Arsenal players call Arteta “Mister” instead of “boss”
Mikel Arteta has been handed the nickname “Mister” by his Gunners squad after the traditional “boss” greeting was banned.
The Spaniard is only six months into his first manager’s job but is said to have already reset the culture at the Emirates.
They now like to greet the Emirates chief as “Mister” or simply “Mikel”.
Arsene Wenger was famously labelled “Le Professor” when he was first appointed Gunners boss in the mid-1990s.
And Greek international Sokratis coined the nickname for Arteta when he was asked about being switched from his favoured centre-back role to right-back during an FA Cup clash in March.
The 38-year-old manager is also said to have introduced a Wheel of Fortune to punish stars with forfeits at their North London training base.
Day-to-day infringements such as arriving late for training and phones going off in team meetings are being dealt with in a novel way by the Gunners boss.
The forfeits include cash fines to cleaning the dressing room or polishing the captain’s car.
And there is still the opportunity for an escape as one option on the wheel is a free pass, letting the guilty party off the hook.
Arteta spent three years working as Pep Guardiola’s assistant before he replaced Unai Emery at the Emirates in December.
Following a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Manchester City on Wednesday, Arsenal remains slumped at ninth in the table having won just nine of their 29 league games.
David Luiz was at fault for two of the goals at the Etihad and left Arteta’s side with ten men after seeing red.
Arteta this week urged the board to hand him a new contract, with his current deal up at the end of the month, and it seems his views haven’t changed despite the nightmare trip to Manchester.
Following the clash he said: “[Luiz] is someone that is very honest and straight-forward.
“My opinion on David Luiz hasn’t changed.
“It won’t change because he had a difficult performance.”
read also:Saka contract a priority for Arsenal, says Arteta
Luiz’s latest nightmare comes just days after footage of his shocking defending in Arsenal’s 3-2 loss to Brentford went viral.
He had been linked with a move to Benfica but the club’s president said Luiz was going to renew his Arsenal deal.