The Daily Mail’s article on Mikel Arteta’s touchline behaviour during the Arsenal match against Brighton presents a biased view, which deserves a closer examination for a more balanced understanding.
The article in the Daily Mail by Isaan Khan presents a critical view of Mikel Arteta‘s touchline conduct during Arsenal‘s recent match against Brighton.
The piece, titled “Ranting Arteta booked again – when will he learn?”, paints Arteta’s actions as excessively animated and undisciplined. However, this portrayal does not fully capture the context and nuances of the situation and, some might say, it is nothing more than an outright misrepresentation of what happened.
Firstly, the article’s title and tone imply a negative predisposition towards Arteta from the outset.
The use of the word “ranting” suggests an uncontrolled outburst, which do not accurately reflect Arteta’s actions – he merely waved to get the attention of the referee. No ‘rant’ was even involved.
Their agenda is clear – paint Arteta as a manager out of control.
It’s important to consider that Arteta’s behaviour, described as “wildly gesturing” and “both arms waving,” (again, not a rant) but in reality it was nothing more than a passionate response from a manager deeply involved in the game. A manager who was watching a referee fail to apply the laws equally to both teams. Again.
It’s a display of commitment and fervour rather than a lack of discipline, and, as we know, Arteta is far from the only manager to behave like this on the touchline.
The comparison of Arteta’s booking count to those of players like Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, and Ben White is an unusual angle, given that players and managers operate in different realms of the football environment and the media have done their best to ensure Arteta is booked at every opportunity by continually focussing on him while ignoring everybody else.
A manager’s role naturally involves intense interaction with match officials, and thus, bookings can and should be seen in a different light.
Regarding the recent FA charge clearance, it’s important to note that Arteta was found not guilty.
This outcome suggests that his conduct, while animated, was not found to be over the line by an independent panel.
The article implies that Arteta should have adjusted his behaviour following this incident, despite the charge not being proven. Why, exactly, should he do that when it was also shown that the FA admitted to treating Arteta differently to other managers?
Furthermore, the article highlights the issue of referee abuse in football. While it’s crucial to address this problem, linking Arteta’s actions directly to widespread disrespect towards officials is a massive overreach.
A manager’s passionate response during a game is a far cry from the abuse of officials highlighted in Mail Sport’s campaign.
In his post-match interview, Arteta’s light-hearted remark about waving to Gabriel Martinelli showcases his attempt to diffuse the situation with humour. This approach, although perhaps not appreciated by all, signifies his effort to bring a lighter tone to the discussion around his conduct.
The media, however, are determined not to let him.
Finally, the article suggests that Arteta is “crossing the boundaries” regularly. For Arsenal supporters and those who view Arteta’s actions as part of his managerial style, this assessment is overly critical.
His actions could be interpreted as a sign of his dedication to his team and a manifestation of the high-pressure environment in which Premier League managers operate, but the Mail save that sort of interpretation for your Klopps and Guardiolas.
Daily Mail article in full:
Ranting Arteta booked again – when will he learn?
MIKEL Arteta and referees. A combination which doesn’t mix, a bit like oil and water. Yet it’s now starting to get rather silly.
The Spaniard, who yesterday received his fourth yellow card of the season, is joint-second in cautions at Arsenal with Gabriel Jesus. Only Kai Havertz and Ben White have more yellow cards across all competitions with five each.
The wider context makes it all the more bewildering. On Thursday night, an independent panel cleared Arteta of an FA charge for his referee rant after Arsenal’s defeat by Newcastle. The north London club used a criminal defence lawyer to beat a drawn-out case which lasted nearly six weeks.
You would assume the matter might have awoken his senses as to touchline conduct. Respecting the referee and all that. Particularly after he had to watch his side’s 1-0 defeat by Aston Villa from the stands for accruing a third yellow card for leaving his technical area to celebrate Declan Rice’s winner against Luton.
Yesterday, the Gunners boss was carded for wildly gesturing towards referee Tim Robinson, both arms waving as he jumped up and down after Bukayo Saka was tugged back by Kaoru Mitoma. A foul, yes.
A cause for animated reaction, no. Robinson trotted over to give a yellow to Arteta.
Abuse of the referee rang out from the home fans, before a song lauding ‘Super Mik Arteta’. Arteta does not seem to take the issue seriously judging by his post-match TV interview. He quipped: ‘I was waving to (Gabriel) Martinelli’, before breaking into a mischievous grin.
Mail Sport’s campaign has highlighted the worrying rise in abuse of officials at all levels of the game. And the issue is not helped by the dissent shown by high-profile managers such as Arteta. It is emboldening those that wish to heckle officials every weekend all over the country.
You can sympathise with heightened emotion. As he forcefully argued at his Friday press conference, a referee’s decision can be the difference between a manager being sacked or not. When an official gets it wrong, sometimes a reaction is inevitable. Yet the problem here is different.
Arteta is crossing the boundaries, both in terms of the guidelines and his technical area, on a regular basis — even when there is little cause to do so, as when Saka was pulled back yesterday. A fourth yellow card before Christmas is astonishing. It may lead the FA to clamp down further on this issue in an effort to finally put an end to these constant infringements.