Arteta admits touchline conduct let Arsenal down
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has said he is making a “conscious effort” to improve his touchline behaviour after admitting he had let the club down in previous matches.
The 41-year-old is a constantly animated presence in games and has attracted criticism for aggressively remonstrating with officials on multiple occasions.
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The Premier League brought in a new technical area code of conduct this season – which also features only one coaching representative allowed to stand by the side of the pitch at any one time — with Fulham boss Marco Silva and Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola already serving suspensions after picking up three yellow cards.
Arteta has two bookings in the league so far — against Fulham and Chelsea — and asked about his dugout demeanour, the Spaniard acknowledged he had made mistakes in the past.
“I think I am changing,” he said. “If you think differently, let me know. But I have made a conscious effort. Basically I don’t want to get sent off.
“Sometimes when I look at myself and I’m so agitated I think it can sometimes give an image that is not the best, mainly for the club.
“Sometimes it’s difficult with certain decisions when you are in the heat [of the moment], because you are representing the club and you want to defend them. That’s what drives me. It’s to defend the players to defend the club. Nothing else.
“It’s not about me. You are there to be on it and make sure that we are the best we can be and the most competitive we possibly can be. That’s the drive, nothing else.
“What I don’t allow is that behaviour changes the focus. Then I cannot look at the game or make divisions with clarity.
“What I demand of the players, I don’t like them during the game like they are on a sunbed. I like them to feel every single ball, I demand them to do that. But with emotional behaviour that they have to control for sure.”
Arteta also suggested managerial punishments should mirror those of the players, who receive an automatic suspension after picking up five yellow cards.
“We are always ‘playing’ as managers, so I don’t know why we get three yellows and the players can have five,” he added. “We are there every minute of every game. Some players are on the bench, sometimes they are injured, but we are always there and we can only have three yellows. It’s not fair, no?”