ESPN pundit labels Mikel Arteta ‘stupid’ for bringing dog to Arsenal training

Add as preferred source on Google

ESPN pundit Craig Burley has bemoaned the idea from Mikel Arteta of bringing in a dog to the training ground to increase morale.

The Arsenal manager has brought in a chocolate labrador as he looks to keep things ticking over at London Colney.

Dogs are believed to be good mental health and raising spirits. The move has been spoken about all week in the media.

However, ESPN’s Burley was having none of it.

ESPN pundit not happy with Mikel Arteta’s dog idea

Burley, who was speaking on the latest prediction show for ESPN, had it put to him what he thought of the dog idea from Mikel Arteta.

And in typically serious fashion, Burley claimed the idea was stupid.

“I have no idea what this is all about. I’ve never heard something so stupid in all my life. This is back to the Amazon documentary-esque, Ted Lasso, call it what you like, spoof,” Burley moaned.

“I’ve never bought into this word bottling with Arsenal. They’re the only team who have even pushed City. Arsenal made them do that. They lost their mojo, lost their best defender William Saliba. Partey lost form, a few injuries. They just didn’t quite have enough.”

Burley went on in the clip to have even more words on the idea. At one point, he even questioned whether his fellow presenters were on the wind up.

Arteta loves a big idea

There probably is some good science and research behind the idea of dogs and morale. But Burley, from the old school train of thought, is clearly having none of it.

Mikel Arteta will have his reasons here and he’s got a lot right this season. But it does stink of a bit of another attention grabbing moment. And that might actually be intentional, to take the pressure off the players.

If they win the title next season, then nobody will bat an eyelid.