Mikel Arteta Goes Full Dwight Schrute With Arsenal Sabotage Scheme

Mikel Arteta confessed to making Arsenal’s preseason as uncomfortable as possible in the hope of preparing them for any unforeseen challenges in their Premier League title defense.

Arteta has plenty of examples when it comes to unconventional methods, from hiring pickpockets to attend a team event and teach the importance of staying alert to blaring opposition songs over loudspeakers in training.

The Gunners boss admitted to taking some more unique measures during the summer, keen to prepare the team for surprise challenges such as the significant flight delay that hampered preparations for Wednesday’s 1–0 win over Napoli.

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“I love those challenges,” Arteta laughed. “I try to create them in preseason. So when they happen, we already experience them and we already know. So, get to the stadium very late, change the routine as soon as the players have to do something else.

“Because when it happens, and it can happen, you can miss the flight, the train can be delayed, there’s so much traffic, and I don’t want the players—but not only the players, the staff as well—panicking. So, when that happens, adapt to it.

“O.K., we have another two or three hours on the plane, how can we use them? Play together, spend some time together, sleep, use it, but certainly don’t complain and then use it as an excuse because that’s not helpful at all.”

Playfully asked whether he had played a part in delaying Arsenal’s flight, Arteta laughed: “We can’t get that done yet, but just delaying the meals, delaying the transport, taking a different route ... we’ve done many things: made the dressing room hotter, more difficult, more challenging, less beds. Those kind of things.

“I think, in my opinion, we’re going to have to adapt to different contexts, and we’ll try to anticipate it and create the best possible conditions. But when there is not that element of surprise or stress on matchday, I think it’s important.”

The Creative Methods Arteta Has Used at Arsenal

Mikel Arteta — Arteta is no stranger to a unique tactic. | Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

Arteta has often faced ridicule from rival fans for his penchant for the bizarre, although the Gunners boss will feel vindicated after leading Arsenal to Premier League glory last season.

Among the methods used to inspire his players in that title race was to bring a dog named “Win” to team training. He subsequently joked that the dog’s name had since been changed to “Won.”

The story of hiring a pickpocket—disguised as a waiter at a team event—is well-known. At the end of the evening, Arteta asked his players to empty their pockets and discover what had been successfully taken and learn a message about opponents trying to “steal” advantages on the pitch.

We have also seen Arteta refer to the energy and connectivity of a lightbulb brought into the locker room when demanding those qualities from his players, while he also ordered the squad to squeeze lemons to show that, even when the players thought they were finished, there was always more juice to squeeze.

A miniature olive tree was planted at the training ground as a metaphor for the club’s heritage, roots and potential to grow, and RAF fighter pilots have also been brought in to speak to players about the importance of communication under pressure.

The training ground has also seen players forced to work under the pressure of hearing Liverpool’s You’ll Never Walk Alone anthem blared over loudspeakers, as well as a game of giant dominoes used to highlight the fact that the entire team can fall if just one player is out of line.

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