Arsenal manager Arteta unveils new name for his substitutes: It’s about mentality
Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, has come up with a new designation for his substitute players.
At the team’s training facility in London Colney, Arteta had the phrase “train to win” embedded in the pathway leading to the players’ entrance.
He also frequently hires a DJ to play music on the training pitch to motivate his players. However, he received criticism when he played “You’ll Never Walk Alone” before a 4-0 loss at Anfield.
The situation has changed significantly since Arteta’s criticized choice of music. Currently, Arsenal sits at the top of the table with a five-point lead and is attempting to advance to the quarter-finals of the Europa League, following a 2-2 draw against Sporting Lisbon last week.
Arteta said: “I think every game needs something different and we are always looking at what we have to throw at the boys.
“We try to give them exactly what they need to make the team better and get the right mindset with the right energy and confidence levels.
“Of course if you only judge it on results alone, that’s something different. But the response as individuals and as a group is always really good.
“The way I measure it is by looking in their faces, their attitude, their behaviour, then I look at the video and analyse what I can see.”
Arteta has gone as far as to rename his substitutes “impactors” following a lengthy conversation he had over the summer with Eddie Jones, the former England rugby coach, and other prominent coaches from different sports backgrounds.
He said: “It’s something that we wanted to change and I discussed it with a few people to help us find something that particularly suited us.
“It’s the best way to express how we feel about the subs and how they have to feel about their role, especially on match days.
“The idea is to replace somebody and make the team better or to do something different to win the game.
“And the more you repeat that phrase, the closer you get to the mentality of having an impact on the game rather than just being a sub.
“I’m not saying it makes the players on the bench feel less disappointed because everybody wants to start.
“But every manager has their own way of doing things and this is about managing the group so they know their role and making sure that everyone is still motivated to help the team.”
Arsenal manager Arteta unveils new name for his substitutes: It’s about mentality
