Mikel Arteta has had to deal with a number of difficult situations during his time as Arsenal manager.
Granit Xhaka looked as though his time at the Emirates Stadium had come to an end before Arteta intervened and convinced the Swiss midfielder to stay, a decision which is now paying off for the Gunners. The Spaniard also took the decision to strip Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of his club captaincy following a series of disciplinary issues which led to the Gabonese striker being left out of matchday squads and then being sold to Barcelona in the January transfer window earlier this year.
Erik ten Hag is facing a similar situation at Manchester United now after Cristiano Ronaldo refused to come on as a substitute during the 2-0 win against Tottenham. Ronaldo was keen to leave Old Trafford during the summer transfer window but the club opted to keep hold of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner despite interest from Chelsea.
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Arteta's decision to drop Aubameyang and then sell the Gunners' star striker at the time came under criticism after Arsenal missed out on qualifying for the UEFA Champions League come the end of the season. The north London outfit have turned a corner this season as they sit top of the Premier League table after 10 games, having lost just one game in all competitions this term.
Ten Hag can learn a lot from the Spaniard's example and Ronaldo looks set to be dropped from the United squad for the huge clash against Chelsea this afternoon. Since arriving as manager, Ten Hag has showed that players either follow his instructions and rules or they will not play.
The Portuguese superstar refused to come on as a substitute against Spurs on Wednesday evening and then walked down the tunnel in the 89th minute before the final whistle. Ronaldo has since released a statement in which he emphasised his support for United and the manager, though it looks likely that he will now leave Old Trafford in the coming transfer windows.
Arsenal's improvement this season could be put down to Arteta's influence on the dressing room and by moving on players that don't buy into the long-term vision of the club. The same could be said for United who may improve drastically if the 37-year-old leaves the club, halting any disruption being caused by his actions in the dressing room.
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