ARSENAL manager Mikel Arteta got a surprise ahead of his pre-match press conference for Sunday’s opening game at Manchester United.
Arteta probably thought he was the one catching people off-guard today by arriving for his presser six minutes early.
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But Sky Sports reporter Gary Cotterill had other plans.
First, he revealed an Arsenal balloon and then used a party blower to make a sound.
And then he said: “I’ve got a little first question in the form of a new season poem.”
Arteta replied: “Okay, go on.”
Cotterill added: “Arsenal are red, United are too. It’s Sky’s biggest Premier League season ever. We’re excited. Are you?”
And then, we were off.
Arteta replied: “I’m super excited. I can’t wait.
“It’s been a really productive pre-season. We made such an evolution in the squad as well, and we’re ready to go.”
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WHERE THERE’S A WIL
JACK WILSHERE has opted against returning to Arsenal’s youth set-up to concentrate on getting a senior role in management and this is absolutely the right decision.
And I have no doubt that Wilshere will be a huge success providing he picks the right EFL club and then eventually, will manage in the Premier League.
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We should not forget that Wilshere, having quit the game early due to injury, is just 33, so is two years younger than Jordan Henderson.
Sunsport revealed earlier this month that Wilshere was a leading candidate to take charge of Arsenal’s under-21s with Mehmet Ali having joined Brentford’s first-team coaching staff.
In July 2022, four days after announcing his retirement from playing, the former England midfielder was announced as the new head coach of Arsenal under-18s and he led them to the final of the 2022-23 FA Youth Cup final.
He then left Arsenal last October to take over as first-team coach at Carrow Road and was then interim boss for the last two games of the season before departing.
Determined to get back into the game, he was interviewed for the Plymouth manager’s job in June but it was given to Tom Cleverley.
Wilshere was clearly interested in the Arsenal under-21s job but the offer changed with Max Porter, having worked in the club’s academy since 2017, being earmarked for that role.
Arsenal wanted Wilshere to manage Arsenal’s under-19s in the Uefa Youth League and also the EFL Trophy while supporting the under21s.
Yet Wilshere, understandably, appeared to feel this job was not a satisfactory progression from his previous Arsenal role.
The fact he has overseen the progression of Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri and Max Dowman shows you his qualities as a coach.
Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri have both spoken about Wilshere being a good influence and he would talk to them in the canteen about how to act off the pitch.
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Yet Wilshere, with 34 international caps, is still learning. He is currently taking his Uefa Pro Licence along with experienced managers Dave Challinor and Gareth Ainsworth along with a number of young coaches.
Each year, the FA asks a few of us journalists to attend sessions at St George’s Park to deliver media training with the coaches taking their UEFA Pro Licence, the top coaching qualification.
The likes of Wilshere, so used to dealing with the media, do not really need to do these pretend press conferences where we test the interviewees in fake scenarios.
Equally, though, some of the coaches taking their badges have never come across the media before so the training is important.
Speaking to Wilshere after the session, where he revealed he was training for the London Marathon, he spoke with passion about coaching and seemed really focused.
In terms of media training, Arsenal used to do something similar with their young players.
I remember one day when the club asked me to speak to some of their youngsters at London Colney, the club were hoping Wilshere would be present but he was unable to make it. He had to play a cup tie for Bolton, where he was on loan.
However, during the session, there was a young player who seemed incredibly bright and really inquisitive.
I asked who this confident youngster was. The Arsenal press officer told me: “He is from Poland. His name is Wojciech.”
Szczesny has also gone on to have a great career and while Wilshere’s was cut short through no fault of his own, I am sure he has many years left in the game as a manager.
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TRAINING DAY
FAIR play to Arsenal for going old school as they plan to lay on chartered trains for some away games this season.
This is because fans will find it difficult to get home from some games using public transport.
Many of the big clubs are criticised for not helping out fans but when teams go the extra mile, they should be applauded.
ART OF THE NAP
MIKEL ARTETA isn’t sleeping on the job in north London.
That’s because the Arsenal boss has hired a specialist to help his stars maximise the effectiveness of their snoozes.
Arteta believes sleep is the key to recovery after a tough match.
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He felt a specialist was needed to educate staff and players at Arsenal on the benefits of a solid kip.
Arteta told Men in Blazers: “I have a specialist, I brought one in many years ago. Not just for myself but for the staff and players because it’s sleep…
“We have so much education on diet, what to eat, when to eat, what is healthy or unhealthy, but with sleep there’s still not enough education.
“For me it is the most fundamental part of the quality of your health.”
With sleep at the forefront of Arsenal’s plans for the season, maybe they should rename their beloved dinosaur mascot ‘Gunnersnore-us’…
