I fell out with Mikel Arteta and Arsenal staff over touchline antics
Former Oxford manager Karl Robinson explained his fall out with Arsenal staff following his side’s FA Cup defeat in January.
The Gunners won 3-0 at the Kassam Stadiumbut manager Mikel Arteta and his staff’s apparently poor touchline behaviour did not go unnoticed.
Robinson (L) has opened up n the altercation he had with Arteta and his coaching staff
Arteta is known for his touchline antics which has caught the attention of many
Two goals from Eddie Nketiah and a bullet header from Mohamed Elneny ensured Arsenal progressed on the day.
Despite the result, it was Arteta and the antics from his coaching staff that had Oxford boss Robinson seething after the final whistle.
The Arsenal manager’s conduct on the sidelines has come under much scrutiny, something he has had to defend on multiple occasions.
“I have seen it first hand, it isn’t necessarily always him though,” Robinson told talkSPORT.
“I think there is one or two behind him that don’t conduct themselves great at time, which I was shocked by.
“Listen, they were moaning at us for going down and wasting time. I tell you what, we will play Arsenal, right, and we will give you all the ball, 95 minutes.
“We are obviously going to be looking to set-plays and taking more long throw-ins.
Arsenal won the match 3-0, but they did not enjoy Oxford’s tactics
“It is part and parcel of what we have to do, but you are better than us. Then, they were having ago at me for doing that.
“I think I said one or two things and I might have been wrong. They were calling me all sorts it was quite funny.
“One of his staff members was calling me a cheat, this, and that, and I said ‘thank you.’”
Arsenal were eventually knocked out of the FA Cup in the fourth round, losing 1-0 to Manchester City.
The Gunners are currently four points ahead of Pep Guardiola’s side in the race for the Premier League title, although the City do have a game in hand.
Robinson hopes the Manchester club go on to win the league and explained why.
He said: “I want City to win it (the title), because of Guardiola.”
talkSPORT host Jim White asked: “And because you don’t like Arteta?”
Robinson has huge admiration for Pep Guardiola
Robinson joked: “Yeah, probably.
“I just love Pep Guardiola and I’m just addicted to watching Man City play. I respect what Arsenal have done, they have been outstanding.
“Without what Arsenal have done this season, the league would have been completely boring. It will go down to hopefully the last few games.
“That’s why we do have the best leagues in the world, and part of that is having competition for Manchester City over the last three or four years and they are certainly going to do that.”
Arsenal and City meet each other at the Etihad – live on talkSPORT – on 26 April in what could be a make-or-break game.
First, though, Arteta will be focusing on Southampton on Friday night before attention turns to his former boss Guardiola.
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