Arteta responds to Kagame’s ‘medicorce’ tirade
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta suggests he is in agreement with comments by Rwandan President Paul Kagame regarding the English Premier League club’s recent poor performances.
Kagame, an ardent football and Arsenal fan, recently went on a rant in three tweets after the Gunners lost 2-0 to Brentford on the opening day of the 2021/2022 league season, referring to the performance in that match as ‘mediocre’.
“I agree that Arsenal should not accept mediocrity. I totally agree with that,” Arteta responded, as quoted by football.london in his press briefing ahead of Sunday’s London derby versus Chelsea.
The defeat by the promoted side which came courtesy of goals from Sergi Canos in the 22nd minute and Christian Norgaard in the 73rd minute saw Kagame pour his pain into a series of Twitter posts calling out Arsenal’s management and suggesting the club’s fans don’t deserve their current predicament.
What?? It's football,it's a loss of Arsenal at/to Brentford. Brentford deserved to win and they did. The game itself aside Arsenal and the fans don't deserve to kind of get used to this….NO !!! I say this as one of the big fans of Arsenal. The change has taken to long to come!
— Paul Kagame (@PaulKagame) August 13, 2021
It's been a struggle of about decade(s) -ups&downs-more downs until this point. Can't we have a plan that really works?? One part to look at is how we deal in the market- players we buy to execute the plan. The touch&go mentality does not bring change.
— Paul Kagame (@PaulKagame) August 13, 2021
We just must NOT excuse or Accept mediocrity. A team has to be built with purpose to win win win. So that when we lose….it was not to be expected! I am sure we all know on whose shoulders the heaviest burden rests. I hope they know too or even accept it!!! End
— Paul Kagame (@PaulKagame) August 13, 2021
Besides the performance against Brentford, Arsenal have underperformed of late, as the team missed out on continental football for the first time in more than two decades this season.