Arteta vs Ferguson - the early years

Could Mikel Arteta do an Alex Ferguson and become one of the greatest managers of all time?

 I have looked in their time at Manchester United and Arsenal to see if there are any gleanings to be made in their respective careers. One big difference is that Ferguson was very successful at Aberdeen before being lured to United and Arteta was a rookie.

A boyish Mikel Arteta at Rangers

But first let’s look at them as players and, surprisingly, they both had two seasons at Rangers. Ferguson, as a forward, scored 25 times in 41 games (Rangers regularly trounced smaller teams) and Arteta had 68 games and 14 goals as a midfielder. Pretty even, I would reckon. Arteta won the Scottish league and league cup with Rangers and Ferguson won nothing in a fallow time for Rangers. Celtic were riding high under Jock Stein at that time.

Arteta wins as a player

Arteta won 5 trophies as a player whereas Ferguson only ever won 2 Scottish second division titles. Arteta played for Arsenal, PSG, Everton, Real Sociedad, and started out at Barcelona, although he never played for the senior side. Aside from Ferguson’s 2 years at Rangers, he only ever played for small sides. Arteta played 427 times with 62 goals and Ferguson played 317 times and scored 171 goals. It is fair to say that Arteta had the far better playing career. Of course, that doesn’t mean that that gives any advantage to Arteta as a manager.

And a young Alex Ferguson at Rangers

Many top managers were not great players but Ferguson was a good goalscorer and probably should have been recognized more for his talent. Denis Law , Alan Gilzean, Bobby Lennox, and other greats stood in his way for Scotland. It happens, your time coincides with great players in your position. And the same happened to Arteta with Spain. Do I really need to list the incredible Spanish midfielders that stood in Arteta’s way? Just in case you know nothing about football – Iniesta, Xavi, Alonso, David Silva, Busquets, even our own Cesc Fabregas and others made sure Arteta couldn’t squeeze out one cap despite being a regular in the youth sides.

Early Arteta management vs Ferguson

But ok, we really want to talk about management. And here I see many similarities. Ferguson was noted for dumping players and Arteta has done the same, getting rid of Arsenal’s star names early on. Wenger, by contrast, had little trouble with players.

Arteta beats Chelsea in his first year to win the FA Cup

Let’s look at Ferguson’s first year at Utd in 1986/7. He came in mid-season in November and they finished 11^th. Arteta came in December 2019/20 and they finished 8^th but he did beat Chelsea in the FA Cup to record his first trophy and still only real one.  So, one nil to Mikel.

In 1987/88 Ferguson came second and Utd were looking good. Arteta in 2020/21 still only got 8^th and the Charity Shield but this one goes to Ferguson. 1-1 after 2 seasons.

In 1988/89, Ferguson struggled to build on 2^nd and ended up 11^th. Arteta in 2021/22 finished 5^th. No question it is Arteta’s year. 2-1 to Arteta.

Ferguson’s miracle year

In 1989/90, Ferguson has his worst league season. They finish 13^th and all season the fans are screaming at him to go. But they win the FA Cup! Ferguson has given Utd their first trophy since 1985’s FA Cup. It saves his job. Arteta though brings his team in 2022/23 right up the table and only for key injuries at the end, they probably would have had their first league title since the Invincibles. I am going to give that marginally to Arteta as 13^th in the league is poor.  3-1 to Arteta.

Alex Ferguson saves his job at Wembley in 1990

Finally, 1990/91 and Man Utd win the European Cup-Winners Cup. They also make the League Cup final. Only 6^th in the league, though. Arteta has his best season so far in 2023/4, pushing Man City all the way to the last game but still finishing 2^nd.  89 points is Arsenal’s second best ever season, only beaten by the Invincibles 90. I don’t believe I am being unfair in giving this also to Arteta making it 4-1 to Arteta.

Arteta has always been up

I feel that, by Arteta always showing improvement, whereas Ferguson went up and down, the first few seasons are advantage Arteta. There were similarities in the opponents. Ferguson had the incredible Liverpool team to contend with and also George Graham’s Arsenal who won many trophies around this time. Arteta also had Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and the fantastic Manchester City team of Pep Guardiola to try and get in front of.

So, can Arteta kick on and eclipse Ferguson? Ferguson had the advantage that Man Utd were always the richest club in England but Arteta may have a different advantage. The Kroenke’s seem to have a nous for sporting finance. They create success wherever they go. They try to invest wisely. This sense of when and how to spend money could make a big difference in competing with Man City and the mega rich Premier League teams. It is not how much you spend as how you spend it that matters. The Kroenke’s haven’t gone too far wrong thus far.

How tough is dominance going to be?

The young players we have, plus what seems to be emerging from the academy, could push Arteta to the top and stay there. City, without Guardiola, and with their money worries, may decline. But still, Liverpool, Man Utd, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Newcastle and maybe even the Spuds should still provide a tough challenge for dominance.

Arteta before his first match at Arsenal

Ferguson was a top manager before Man Utd. He toppled the 2 kings of Scotland, Celtic and Rangers and won European trophies with Aberdeen. With Utd he went on an extraordinary run that culminated in him winning more trophies than any other manager. He deserves his place among the greats.

Arteta out, like Ferguson out?

Arteta, like Ferguson in his early years, has his detractors. To my mind, that criticism is undeserved. Ferguson had plenty of money to spend and brought in lots of top players only to see the team still struggle to win. Arteta’s buying seems far better with very few duds emerging. Arsenal are not the richest team in the Premier League and may never be in Arteta’s time.

Alex Ferguson in his first season at United

Ferguson had fans screaming at him to go, and the newspapers marvelling at why he wasn’t sacked. Arteta, has had his criticism also but he doesn’t need a miracle to stay on. The FA Cup, in a bad year for Ferguson, was his miracle. The Utd board must thank the footballing gods every day that they never panicked. The great years took a long time in coming, but come they did.

Is our greatest time coming?

We are looking at Arteta and we don’t know, just as the Utd board didn’t, whether Ferguson could deliver. I believe a gut instinct told them this was their man. I have the same gut instinct about Arteta. He will come good in a spectacular way if given the chance, even with a bad season or two. Supposing we finish somewhere near where we are now in the league, should it be bye bye Mikel? Does he need a trophy to save him? Look again at the Ferguson finishes delineated in his first seasons.

We may be on the cusp of our greatest ever era and I believe we should not throw it away even if this season and next go wrong. Keeping the faith with Arteta may well be the smartest thing we have ever done.