When Mikel Arteta rejoined Arsenal as head coach in December 2019, he had a lot of work to do to turn the club around. One of the first tasks he set himself was to get to know the players, and he was particularly keen to get to know William Saliba, the young French defender who had joined the club the previous summer. However, Arteta revealed in an interview with the Guardian that he didn’t speak to Saliba for a week after he joined the club.
The reason for this strange decision was that Arteta wanted to give Saliba time to adjust to his new surroundings. Saliba had joined Arsenal from Saint-Étienne in the summer of 2019, but he had been loaned back to the French club for the 2019/20 season. As a result, he had not had the chance to get to know his new teammates or the club’s culture.
Arteta wanted to give Saliba the chance to settle in and get to know his new surroundings before he started to work with him. He wanted to give Saliba the opportunity to get to know the club and the players, and to understand the expectations that were placed on him.
Arteta also wanted to give Saliba the chance to get to know him as a coach. He wanted Saliba to understand his philosophy and his approach to the game, and to understand how he wanted the team to play.
The decision to give Saliba time to adjust to his new surroundings paid off. Saliba has since become a regular in the Arsenal team, and has impressed with his performances. He has shown himself to be a composed and reliable defender, and has been a key part of the team’s defensive solidity.
Arteta’s decision to give Saliba time to adjust to his new surroundings was a wise one. It allowed Saliba to get to know the club and the players, and to understand the expectations that were placed on him. It also allowed him to get to know Arteta as a coach, and to understand his philosophy and approach to the game. As a result, Saliba has been able to make a successful transition to the Premier League, and has become an important part of the Arsenal team.
