Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta collab with GQ magazine to share some of his thoughts on winning and the culture at Arsenal

When Arteta talks about the coming season, he says he wants to see the team determined to be the best, but that is as specific as he gets. He is softer and warmer than managerial sharks like José Mourinho;

Arteta believes that helping players enjoy their job is how you get results. It’s by rebuilding Arsenal’s spirit, as much as via any tactical changes on the pitch, that he has the team and the fans feeling optimistic again. He sees the players growing every day, on the pitch beside the olive tree, its branches steadily stretching toward the sky. “I love winning,” he says, “but we have to deserve to win.”

Arteta does want to be the best manager in the world, and he really wants to win every single game this season – just ask Win the dog. But losing has given him a kind of fearlessness that sets you free. “The day I decided to be a manager I had to be clear on one thing: I don’t know if I’m going to be sacked tomorrow, in a month, in a year, but it is going to happen,” he says. “I don’t want to leave my job with the fear of ‘What if?’”

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