Arteta: I was right to leave Everton

, ESPN , 16 April, 27comments | Jump to most recent

Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta believes his ability to hold down a regular first-team spot at Emirates Stadium proves he was right to leave Everton in 2011.

» Read the full article at ESPN

Reader Comments (27)

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Peter Webster
1 Posted 16/04/2013 at 16:09:50

Well, tonight we show him he was wrong, don't we?

Christine Foster
2 Posted 16/04/2013 at 16:11:49

Keep on saying it Mikel, one day you might even believe it, but not today.

Peter Laing
3 Posted 16/04/2013 at 16:14:04

You might be right Mickey, after all you have had the chance to sample champions league football twice since your move. However, you are not playing in the team that became the invincibles, and an Arsenal fan I spoke to a couple of weeks ago stated that although you are neat and tidy your also not Fabregras. Evertonians love you Mickey, I bet the gooners don't feel the same way about you.

Barry Rathbone
4 Posted 16/04/2013 at 16:20:39

Big fish in a small pond here him and Pienaar were the only creativity Moyes tolerated pre the Spurs/barge pole moment.

Never sure how good he really was or perhaps could have been because he played through the hoof ball years. But he was loyal and I don't begrudge him his shot at the big time even if this Arsenal is the worst in Wenger's time.

Ray Roche
5 Posted 16/04/2013 at 16:48:47

Barry, I'd like to see Mikel in our present team, playing better football than we did with him and Cahill in the side. Great though he was, Cahill in the side had us playing a more one dimensional game.

Nick Waters
6 Posted 16/04/2013 at 16:56:39

He has played Champions League this season and last, and probably next, something that he would not have done with us. He was brilliant for us.

Yes, he was right to leave us, but tonight I hope he has second thoughts

James Martin
7 Posted 16/04/2013 at 16:52:03

Barry I really think some of the football 2007-08 and 2009-10 was better than what we play now. At times we had a midfield four of Pienaar, Osman, Arteta and Donovan, not a holding midfielder in sight around the time we beat Man Utd and Chelsea at home.

Now, although we have the ability to get it down and really play without Lescott playing it out from the back, we often go direct to Fellaini and Anichebe.

I hardly think Arteta played through the hoofball years; at times, yes (his partnership with Fellaini proved disastrous but you all know my thoughts on this) but generally we all liked him so much because the ball was not being launched over his head, rather he was getting on it and running at people in a matador style.

He is not the same player now that he was pre-injury. All he can really do for Arsenal is dictate with his passing, for us he had absolutely everything in his locker and is in my opinion the best Everton player of the Moyes era (Rooney as ever out of the equation in these things). A pre-injury Arteta would walk into our current central midfield three.

Colin Wainwright
8 Posted 16/04/2013 at 17:21:06

Great player, probably unlucky to coincide with Spains best ever and you can't deny it was a good move for him. Hope he doesn't get a kick tonight though.

Barry Rathbone
9 Posted 16/04/2013 at 17:47:48

James 157 you hit the nail on the head referring to the Landon cameos.

Yes the potential of a "proper" football side at GP was there for all except Moyes to see.

During Donovan's short stays he had him as sub for some reason, Moyes and football go together like Thatcher and Mining.

Mike Gaynes
10 Posted 16/04/2013 at 19:05:52

Barry Rathbone, do you just put that crap out there and hope nobody knows better?

"During Donovan's short stays he had him down as a sub for some reason."

Donovan made a total of 22 appearances for Everton. 19 starts, 3 subs.

You and facts go together like catsup and caviar.

Brian Cleveland
11 Posted 16/04/2013 at 19:13:18

Barry... like Thatcher and Mining.... but isn't Thatcher in a pit right now?

Sorry, bad joke.....

Ben Jones
12 Posted 16/04/2013 at 19:19:10

Sorry James, but would you really credit Lescott for "playing out of the back"?

He was just the same as all of our other good central defenders, great defenders but crap of distribution.

Heitinga has been our only good centre back for distribution, and that is quite simply because he came through the youth system at Ajax, a system for playing good football.

Chris Leyland
13 Posted 16/04/2013 at 19:33:10

Ben - shame Ajax didn't teach him to run, tackle or challenge for headers

Dave Charles
14 Posted 16/04/2013 at 20:30:12

After watching the first 45 minutes at The Emirates, Arteta is looking more like a cheating, moaning little twat than the gifted footballer who left for better things.

Ross Edwards
15 Posted 16/04/2013 at 21:41:36

Arteta acted like a judas out there today. Obviously instructed by Wenger to roll around at every opportunity. I thought the way he charged towards the ref for Gibbo's yellow was disgusting.
Good riddence to bad rubbish.

Bobby Thomas
16 Posted 17/04/2013 at 08:12:36

Playing for Wenger, Champions League football, the whole Arsenal set up, London blah blah....yeah I can see his point.

It wasnt going to happen with us because of the glass ceiling circumstances we operate under.

But he is playing for Arsenal have dropped their level. They are currently strictly a Champions League group stage side & Wenger needed a senior pro who knew the division there having lost a couple of very very good players in central mid.

He was an effective quick fix signing who could play how Wenger wants.

You could say that signing him is symbolic of Arsenals decline.

Very good player, no doubt though. From his perspective, if it was on offer he probably should have made the move pre knee injury when he was at his peak.

As for the hoofball.....he played right hand early doors when we were very.......lets say functional!! Nev & Cars in mid....Cahill around his peak.

As for Arsenal & refs.....they were all over the ref at our place & its an age oldcthing to pressure them. If you don't ask you don't get and we are too nice basically.

Brent Stephens
17 Posted 17/04/2013 at 08:50:47

Arteta was a con merchant at Everton. Drew more fouls than anybody else (there are some stats about that I believe) and could did his share of rolling about after a bit too much.

Darren Alexander
18 Posted 17/04/2013 at 14:13:04

And perhaps a con merchant in other ways, Brent 368? Funny how he seems largely injury-free at Arsenal, whereas he'd become something of a sicknote for us, if I remember rightly.

Brent Stephens
19 Posted 17/04/2013 at 14:21:43

Interesting obs, Darren. Didn't he have a fairly serious injury or two with us though??? Can't quite remember.

Eugene Ruane
20 Posted 17/04/2013 at 14:29:02

Brent (368) - Agree completely. He is/was a 'footballer' no doubt, but he was imo going through the motions for us in his last year and I wasn't put out in the least when he left. I was also embarrassed at times due to the fact that he went down easier than Tulisia

Mike Gaynes (202) - CATSUP!!!??

Clive Lewis
21 Posted 17/04/2013 at 23:50:38

Not sure if Arsenal have more ambition than Mikel, Maybe he might consider that he was wrong to leave if they buy another Fabregas type player for next year. He still clearly does not score enough and lacks creativity. he cant go past players, he reminds me of that bit of elastic attached to the ball that small kids play with. I believe he is overrated as a midfielder. Not really sure he wins the ball that much, fouls a lot.

Steven Telford
22 Posted 18/04/2013 at 00:13:22

We essentially made his career for him, for that reason he should have not behaved how he to the ref about Gibson. I wonder if he would have celebrated if he scored.

A game for the historians of Goodison: of all the players that left us for other EPL teams, which received a good receptions back at Goodson, and which received the worse? State the player and the reason if you can.

Vijay Nair
23 Posted 18/04/2013 at 01:01:28

My pick for the biggest Judas: Nick Barmby

For joining the shite and scoring against us.. TWAT

Jason Lam
24 Posted 18/04/2013 at 02:33:22

That's not fair about Arteta not getting injured at arse: they don't tackle and get stuck in like we do, just stroke the ball around and play to feet, how can you injure yourself? Gibson is as effective as Arteta in defensive mid, and what Arteta can do in running with the ball and getting round defenders, Gibson nonchalantly pings the ball forward to our players.

Arteta is always welcomed in my books though.

John Ford
25 Posted 18/04/2013 at 02:48:48

Aye Jason, I have curious dreams about Gibson smoking fags in acres of space on supersized pitches, stroking balls expertly around the park.

He could turn into an Everton great

Patrick Murphy
26 Posted 18/04/2013 at 03:54:06

Most if not all the players who left Goodison and returned with their new clubs got a good reception, none more so than Duncan McKenzie who got cheered for scoring for Chelsea against Everton, the first player I personally remember getting dogs abuse was Steve McMahon, although I can't remember whether it was after he joined the Dark Side from Aston Villa.

Tony Waring
27 Posted 18/04/2013 at 16:30:52

Gibson..............could he become another Martin Dobson ? Only the older generation can answer that !

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