>>150535569
Of course, Arteta's footballing philosophy is also laden with his own insecurity. His best friend from childhood was Xabi Alonso; the two grew up in San Sebastian, dreaming of playing for Real Sociedad together. At first it appeared that fortune favoured Arteta when he earned a contract to play and train at Barcelona's famous La Masia academy. He befriended Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta, two future legends of the game who would establish themselves as the greatest midfield partnership of the 21st century for club and country. Arteta believed that he would join Alonso, Xavi and Iniesta, but what followed was a series of heartbreaks, setbacks and blunders. Good loan spell at PSG, rejected their contract offer to try and make it at Barcelona, failed and was sold to Rangers, moved to his hometown club of Real Sociedad hoping play alongside his best friend only for him to be sold to Liverpool that same summer, failed to establish himself as a starter for Real Sociedad, loaned out to Everton, rebuilt his career, got called up to the Spanish national team but tore his ACL and never got called up again, watched all his friends revolutionise football between 2008-2012 and win the World Cup while he peaked as an FA Cup winner and Everton legend.

Rejected by his own compatriots who played jogo bonito and won it all (mostly Barcelona and Spain), taken in by those who play defensive, ugly, dour, pragmatic football (Rangers, Moyes' Everton). Woefully insecure about his achievements not matching his own perceived talents. This is what drives Mikel Arteta and informs his mindset and footballing philosophy.

When you begin to analyse Mikel Arteta and the retarded freaks who worship him through a Jungian or Freudian psychosexual lens, it all makes perfect sense.