Arsenal legend David Seaman has expressed confusion over recent training methods employed by manager Mikel Arteta, particularly the “theft” exercise designed to keep players alert, while pundit Alan Shearer warns that Arteta could face dismissal.
It is unusual for Arteta to have hired professional pickpockets a few days ago to steal wallets and phones from his players as a lesson. However, former Arsenal goalkeeper Seaman appears perplexed by this strategy from the Spanish manager.
Seaman told GOAL: “I don’t understand it. It’s bizarre and shocking. I’m not sure what Arteta is trying to achieve—whether he’s trying to make players aware of potential threats they might not anticipate. But I can’t grasp the rationale behind it.
Arteta has done something quite unorthodox by hiring thieves to steal from his own players. This is illegal, and what if the Arsenal players caught them in the act? Arteta is clearly doing things his own way without regard for controversy.”
This isn’t the first time Arteta’s methods have raised eyebrows. Since taking over Arsenal, he has introduced several unconventional techniques to revitalize the team and foster a winning mentality.
Seaman recalled: “I remember one Arsenal training session where there were large screens displaying positive messages, sometimes with background music to boost the players’ enthusiasm. Arteta has his own unique approach to these small details, which can be effective, but sometimes backfires, like the theft exercise.”
It remains to be seen whether Arteta’s latest training methods will yield results when the 2024-2025 season kicks off, and whether Arsenal will be in contention for the Premier League title.
Arteta returned to the Emirates as manager in 2019 and has since only won the FA Cup. Despite being considered strong contenders for the Premier League title in the past three seasons, Arsenal has yet to meet those expectations, finishing as runners-up to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the last two seasons.
Alan Shearer, Premier League’s all-time top scorer, has issued a warning to Arteta, stressing the need for him to end Arsenal’s trophy drought as soon as possible. Shearer suggested that Arteta’s near-misses could jeopardize his position at the Emirates.
Shearer told the Mirror: “Whether Arteta will be sacked depends. If they don’t win anything, you need to look at the bigger picture to see how close Arsenal came to winning, how well they played, and their injury situation. All those factors need to be considered. But ultimately, Arteta must win something, whether it’s this season or later. It has to happen at some point.”
Former England striker Gary Lineker agreed with Shearer but believes Arteta’s job remains secure unless Arsenal experiences a major collapse this season.
