Top five Arsenal managers and what Mikel Arteta can learn from them

Arsenal is one of the most storied clubs in the Premier League. In their 135-year history, they have been relegated only once, won 13 top-flight titles and 14 FA Cups. They look set to finish the 2021-22 Premier League season in the top five.

They are currently managed by Mikel Arteta, who took over from Unai Emery and caretaker manager Freddie Ljungberg in December of 2019. It was a hard time take control of a club. The Covid-19 pandemic severely disrupted both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.

This is Arteta’s first manager position, having previously worked as an assistant manager for Manchester City. That time spent under Pep Guardiola may have taught him some of the tricks of the trade, but he still has a lot to learn.

Betting fans would not necessarily have been willing to put money on Arteta doing as well as he has. Football betting is a massive industry and knowing that a team is in a safe pair of hands can go a long way to increasing bettor confidence.

While Arteta might have learned a lot in his time with Guardiola, he is still a young, fairly inexperienced manager. Here are five of Arsenal’s top managers and what Arteta can learn from each of them.

George Morrell

The first manager on our list is not one of the team’s top managers, in fact he’s usually regarded as one of the worst managers in the club’s history. George Morrell was the manager from 1908 to 1915, when play was suspended due to the First World War.

He led them to a sixth place finish, which was their best at the time, but then was also the manager in charge during their only relegation. He had come to the team during an early period of crisis, when debts had forced the owners to sell off their best players.

While Arteta is unlikely to ever have to face the same financial pressures as Morrell and — if we’re being completely honest — would be sacked long before he had a chance to bring the team to relegation, there is still a lesson he can learn from Morrell.

Morrell didn’t resign or allow himself to be removed after the team was relegated. He remained and led his team to two victorious seasons. That sort of grit and determination in the face of frustration and disappointed fans is an important lesson for any manager.

Herbert Chapman

Herbert Chapman is one of Arsenal’s most important managers. When he took over the team in 1925, they had been struggling ever since their relegation. Chapman was a breath of fresh air for the team, and by the 1930-31 season they were the First Division Champions.

Chapman is renowned for being an innovator above all else. From introducing modern exercise regimes to creative formations, even to adding numbers to the players’ shirts, Chapman was full of new ideas. And they paid off. Had Chapman not died suddenly in 1934, who knows how the game might look today.

The biggest lesson that Arteta can learn from Chapman is to not be afraid of creativity. Trying new things might not always work, but if they do, they can have a massive positive impact on the team.

George Allison

After Chapman’s death, George Allison was tapped to succeed him as the club’s manager. These were big shoes to fill, but Allison rewarded the faith placed in him by leading the team to their third League Championship in his first season as manager.

Allison served as manager from 1934-1947. Even though the latter half of his career was less distinguished, he kept the team together and strong. He didn’t try to mimic Chapman’s managerial style, instead developing his own, more business-minded approach to the club.

From Allison, Arteta can learn that it’s possible to be successful in your own right even when you’re following in the footsteps of a legendary manager. He can’t be another Wenger, so he should focus on being the best Arteta he can be.

George Graham

George Graham managed Arsenal for nine years – from 1986 to 1995. Some have argued that Wenger was able to achieve so much because of the foundation that Graham built. The 1990-91 team under Graham is considered to be one of the best Arsenal sides in the history of the club.

Graham was a manager who wasn’t afraid of making controversial choices. He worked hard to develop the youth team and used it to build the bench’s depth. Under Graham, Arsenal won six trophies in nine years, a truly impressive record.

Despite his talents as a manager, Graham was sacked after an investigation found him guilty of taking money from agents for signing certain players. These ‘gifts’ were too much for the club to overlook – this is why his relationship with Arsenal ended in 1995.

Graham’s biggest lesson for Arteta is the importance of playing by the rules.

Arsène Wenger

By October of 1996, Arsène Wenger had taken over as manager and ushered in a new era of football. Wenger casts a long shadow that will loom over all future Arsenal managers. From 1996 until 2018, he was the dominant force behind the team’s success and made them what they are today.

Even though he left during a rough patch for the team, he is still seen as a hero by many Arsenal fans. Perhaps this is just down to familiarity. More likely though is that fans are happy to overlook a few bad seasons in exchange for the three Premier League trophies and seven FA Cup wins.

Wenger is in a class of his own and any young manager trying to model himself on Wenger is probably going to fall embarrassingly short. One lesson that Arteta can take from Wenger is to take a holistic approach to training.

Some of Wenger’s approaches are now taken as basic common sense — such as stretching before practice and matches — though they were unique at the time. Arteta shouldn’t be afraid to try new things to improve the physical and mental health of his players.

It is still too early to say if Mikel Arteta will be remembered as one of Arsenal’s all-time great managers. He does seem poised for greatness and learning from his predecessors could be the extra push he needs to achieve it.

See More: Arsenal best ever managers