Man Utd Legend Offers Scathing Mikel Arteta Verdict | OneFootball

Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel launched into a tirade on Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on Sunday, slamming the Spaniard as a "control freak" and blaming him for another trophy-less season in north London.

Schmeichel spoke before the Gunners fought back from 2-0 down at champions Liverpool to earn a point, one which edged Arteta's side closer to confirming a top-five finish after failing to challenge the Reds for the title.

Arsenal's campaign had long rested on their Champions League progression, but defeat in the semi-finals to Paris Saint-Germain ended hopes of salvaging silverware from an otherwise underwhelming campaign.

As a result, 2024-25 will end as Arsenal's fifth straight season without silverware, and Schmeichel wasn't willing to supply Arteta with all that much credit for their previous trophy success - the FA Cup in 2020.

Providing his opinion on the Gunners' disappointing campaign, the former great Danish goalkeeper said (via Goal): "It’s all on Arteta, all. What I’m saying is, he was employed as head coach. He inherited the team and that team is the only team that he has won a trophy with. Then it’s his own team and then in the process, he’s now changed the job description so he’s now the manager. Everything is on him."

While Arsenal have failed to supply themselves with the best chance of winning in back-to-back transfer windows, Schmeichel refused to deviate blame away from the manager before offering his most scathing criticism.

"It’s not recruitment, it’s not the board," the Dane said. "Whenever they [fans] get the opportunity today, watch him in the technical area. Arteta is a control freak, he wants his players to play the ball that he wants. He’s directing everything.

"Arteta is still playing the game for the players and that would confuse the hell out of me as a football player, that you had a coach that wants to direct me for everything I do. It would confuse me and make me a worse player," he concluded.

After this season's disappointment, 2025-26 has the feeling of a make-or-break campaign for Arteta. There were mitigating factors at play this season as to why Arsenal didn't go all the way, and a big summer is needed at the Emirates, but if Andrea Berta can deliver, the Spaniard will have nowhere to hide next term.

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