Arteta the player

The 6-1 game to win the title i will bever forget, grown men crying in the stands.

Overal he was too young when we had him to see his full potential.

Good player over his career but not a great one like the others mentioned above.
 
He was a great player getting better with us. It was clear he was going in to bigger things. I met him in a nightclub after he signed, he’d scored a belter that day. I walked over pished and said some goal today and shook his hand. He couldn’t speak a word of English I think! That penalty puts him up there!
 
I get the ill feeling regarding leaving us due to being homesick and ending up at Everton shortly after.

Don’t forget he was a young kid in a foreign land when he came to us albeit he had already been away from Spain in Paris for a year but he was still young. Glasgow must’ve been a massive shock.

The fee we paid and subsequently sold for was nothing to do with him.

On the pitch he was decent for us. Far from our best player at the time but also far from our worst. Very much in the shadow of De Boer and Ferguson at the time. When Ferguson left and De Boer was injured we expected Arteta to step up but he wasn’t yet up to it.
 
Still remember him having a bit of a petted lip under big eck because he wanted to play in his favoured position which at the time was Ferguson's and he was never really going to oust him at that time let's be honest.
 
He comes to Ibrox, wins a treble, gives us one wee piece of magic every game. Season ends, Murray decides to gut squad and we lose Numan, Amoruso, Cannigia, Ferguson, McCann and De Boer. This wasn't the adventure that Arteta had signed up for and he decided he didn't want to be part of it.
I don't agree with his decision but I understand it.
 
erskine bear said:
The amount of money we lost on him was absolutely ludicrous, leaves squire a sour taste but he played a big part in that season.

Albeit his penalty didn’t actually mean anything, but he was still a very good player that season and was probably one of the most unluckiest Spanish players ever.

Penalty against Dundee took baws.
Click to expand...
That one WAS important.
 
He was a good player but was still a young player when we had him so couldn't always dominate a game alone. He had a great game away to FC Copenhagen which got us through to the CL.

In his second season we had lost a few good players and replaced them with a lot of shite tbh. He went from starting beside Ferguson to playing an OF game with Bob Malcolm in beside him.

I don't get worked up about the homesickness angle. Bain and Murray actively tried to punt him and unsettle him throughout his time here to get some money in.
 
Leo_Ger said:
He was a good player but was still a young player when we had him so couldn't always dominate a game alone. He had a great game away to FC Copenhagen which got us through to the CL.

In his second season we had lost a few good players and replaced them with a lot of shite tbh. He went from starting beside Ferguson to playing an OF game with Bob Malcolm in beside him.

I don't get worked up about the homesickness angle. Bain and Murray actively tried to punt him and unsettle him throughout his time here to get some money in.
Click to expand...

It is blown completely out of proportion.

When we were selling him there were about 4 or 5 La Liga teams interested. The idea was he went back there and that was that. As it turned out, he signed for Sociedad and it quickly became apparent he didn't fit their system. He then wanted a move, and the biggest team in for him was Everton.

The idea that he would prefer Liverpool over his home of San Sebastian — quite possibly the nearest thing to paradise I've ever visited — is nonsense. He went back, grew up a bit, settled down and the rest is history.

It wasn't some grand plan to get out of Rangers, where he was using it as an excuse, as seems to be the suggestion at times.
 
tazzabear said:
He was the only player we came up against who bested Ferguson.
Of course, that was one night.
Overall, Ferguson was a much better footballer.
Click to expand...
He was brought in alongside Fergie but never really looked like taking on his mantle when Fergie left. Even at Everton and Arsenal I think he looked a little bit beneath the level they needed, nice player but not one to win you games on his own.
 
derek145 said:
He was brought in alongside Fergie but never really looked like taking on his mantle when Fergie left. Even at Everton and Arsenal I think he looked a little bit beneath the level they needed, nice player but not one to win you games on his own.
Click to expand...

He absolutely did, at first. He went from playing with Ferguson and de Boer to Bob Malcolm and Vanoli.

Weird to me that Arteta is readily criticized that season when Emerson came in and was earning more. He was much much worse.
 
prenzlauerbear said:
He absolutely did, at first. He went from playing with Ferguson and de Boer to Bob Malcolm and Vanoli.

Weird to me that Arteta is readily criticized that season when Emerson came in and was earning more. He was much much worse.
Click to expand...
To be fair Emerson gets slated big time.
 
derek145 said:
He was brought in alongside Fergie but never really looked like taking on his mantle when Fergie left. Even at Everton and Arsenal I think he looked a little bit beneath the level they needed, nice player but not one to win you games on his own.
Click to expand...
Huh? He was easily Everton’s best player. He was also Arsenal’s captain.
 
Here one I will volunteer

I remember drawing PSG that season and the usual nerves and build up to the match.

I remember reading some French articles and the general opinion was Anelka and Ronaldinho where the danger men (at that time relatively unknown). But also that they had Hugo Leal in midfield that dictated play and was their ‘lynchpin’.

After 90 mins at Ibrox I remember thinking that Leal absolutely bossed the middle of the park.

Only to get home, check the line ups and it was in actual fact a 19 year old Arteta.
Was the best player on the park that night and why I think we pursued and then signed him.

Always felt he wasnt best suited to Scottish football but the boy could play.
 
Max Payne said:
Huh? He was easily Everton’s best player. He was also Arsenal’s captain.
Click to expand...
I know, I just didn't think he was that great a player, Fergie seems to be the one easiest to compare him to and I just never saw him as being better than Ferguson in any of these teams. Perhaps Everton and Arsenal fans will disagree with that.
 
Glasgowsteve said:
I remember him being great against us for PSG and I was over the moon when he came. A great player on his day and along with Klos, Amo, Barry and RdB, he was instrumental in winning us the title. I was gutted that he left but he probably knew he was too good to be playing against the likes of Livi and St Mirren in the Scottish winter.
Although England isn’t much better weather wise the football and money certainly is.
Click to expand...
I was at the game in Paris , with all the big name stars in the PSG team at the time as a young unknown he stuck out
 
Arteta was a brilliant talent had a very good season when we won the treble. Struggled with injuries in the second season and effectively chucked it especially when he came off injured in a game v them at the piggery claimed his shoulder was done and shat it imo.

Begged for a move home was sold on the cheap courtesy of fucking Bain and Murray then within a short turnaround back in Spain went to Everton and we all know he went on to have a good career in the EPL.

Yes he scored the penalty to win our 50th Championship but his cowardly act to get a move home cost us a small fortune that won't be forgiven in my eyes.
 
I liked Arteta, agree he was massively undersold, always seemed a bit lightweight at times, didn't like it when it got nasty.
 
Ferguson was twice the player.

We paid nearly 6 million in 2003 for him and sold him 18 months later or whatever at about 40% we paid.

Good player but a very poor signing. Must have been considered a coup at the time though.

Also the reason I saw a square go between supporters at a game, some idiot in McLeishs second full season spent first 30 mins calling Arteta all sorts (a women, p**f, shitebag etc) and guy in front of him turns round and knocks him out with a dig. Surreal.
 
Never seemed fully committed and blatantly worked his ticket so not someone I remember particularly fondly.
 
Last edited:
Mr Wilton said:
He was a great player getting better with us. It was clear he was going in to bigger things. I met him in a nightclub after he signed, he’d scored a belter that day. I walked over pished and said some goal today and shook his hand. He couldn’t speak a word of English I think! That penalty puts him up there!
Click to expand...
He was another like Souness and Wilkins who used to get the 1815 Shuttle down to London after Saturdays game. It was not every home game but fairly regular.
He then flew on from Heathrow to Spain and home.

Always remember he just looked like a wee boy.... a very smartly dressed wee boy with designer suit carriers etc., but a wee boy nonetheless.

Flew back on the Monday morning I believe so basically had a day at home.
Kind of backs up the homesick theory and if my memory serves me right he brought his mum over to live in Glasgow for a while.

Initially could not speak a word of English but coincidentally I believe it was a BA staff member who was hired to teach him.

I don’t believe he engineered any move to England while he was with us, but after moving back to Spain, who in their right mind would not give the EPL a try for the money, prestige and challenge.

Don’t bear any grudges re his time with us and indeed hold him in high esteem for most of his performances and particularly that penalty!
 
Part of our history with a good contribution in the 50th title season.

Overall, I don’t overly like or actually dislike him, snaked his way out of the club after crying about wanting Barry’s role in the team and not being up to it.
 
I always remember him being a decent player with us - although maybe not as consistent or robust as we'd all have liked

He looked good at Everton- but even better at Arsenal imo

One thing that sticks in my mind - was reading that he actually took a drop in wages to join Arsenal
Which makes me wonder about his career path choices

I've heard of players saying if they'd stayed at the same club they'd have stagnated even if they were successful

Then again maybe he's just fickle
 
MaryleboneBluenose said:
I’m looking forward to welcoming him back to Ibrox in July but it got me thinking today about his contribution as a player.

Obviously he will always have a place in our history for that goal but his phoning it in the season after and all the home sickness chaff did leave a sour taste.

What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...
Always recall his contribution vs Pars to win league!
 
derek145 said:
I know, I just didn't think he was that great a player, Fergie seems to be the one easiest to compare him to and I just never saw him as being better than Ferguson in any of these teams. Perhaps Everton and Arsenal fans will disagree with that.
Click to expand...
Arteta was incredible playing an attacking role with Everton. He was legendary in fantasy football with the constant assists and some goals too.
 
remember him being immense from the August to October in his first season tailing off a wee bit then finishing strongly
his second season was poor but the team was downsized and lost loads of quality I don’t think he wanted to stay a 2nd season and suspect he had an agreement to leave if the right offer came in

remember the story about a Tim vandalising his Porsche while he played 10 pin bowling in Finneston .....somethings never change
 
His effortless balance stuck out like a sore thumb for me. Bain deserved to have his niagaras parted for selling him on the cheap.
 
I remember the build up for the PSG game was all about Ronaldinho but it was Arteta that caught my eye. Very mature performance. Was delighted when we signed him but aside from a couple of games I don’t think we saw him at his best.
 
The boy was a really tidy player and you could see he was going to have a good career. To be honest I think he shat it in Scottish football coz he was on the end of some heavy tackles from various hammer throwers around then and I think he worried about a career-ender. Hence all the homesick BS. That we made a loss on him sums up our financial masterminds at that time.
 
I think at the time he was said to be not overly keen on moving to Scotland but we were the only club paying the money that Barca wanted for him.
 
Amadaeus said:
Couldn't take a corner to save himself.
Click to expand...

That's what baffled me about him at the time. Looked so skilful on the ball in open play, liked to score by curling it round the keeper.

Then he insisted on stepping up to take every corner, and failed to get it past the first defender each time!

Vastly improved by the time he got to Arsenal though.
 
JW1988 said:
Part of our history with a good contribution in the 50th title season.

Overall, I don’t overly like or actually dislike him, snaked his way out of the club after crying about wanting Barry’s role in the team and not being up to it.
Click to expand...

The story of him wanting Ferguson's role came from Martin Bain.

Arteta subsequently denied it in the following days.
 
There's been a few 'big names' that have signed for us that I got the impression didn't really appreciate what they had here, Arteta will always be one of them for me. He isn't an ex-player I think too fondly off with the whole Rangers-Real-Everton fiasco. He played us and made us look daft imo, was of course a joint effort with Bain.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Latest posts

Back
Top