EXCLUSIVE: Bentley talks Edu's Arsenal success & Saka's bright future ahead of the derby
Edu is now Sporting Director and Bentley is impressed by the work his former teammate, along with manager Mikel Arteta, has done with the Gunners.
“I think he understands the values of the Arsenal Football Club and the quality of player they need to bring in. Arteta and Edu have built a good relationship.
"If you watch the documentary, you can see the way they run the club. I think the transformation is great, and it's engaged the fans again,” says Bentley as he sits down with Tribal Football for an exclusive chat ahead of the weekend's North London derby.
“A lot of Arsenal fans had become disengaged before the Arteta/Edu reign. They were disconnected with the club, the football and the whole relationship. You need that relationship between the club and the fans, you need everyone engaged and enjoying it. It's not always about just winning trophies.
"If you create that environment, which they have done, the team engages the fans and you get more of a togetherness around the football club. I think they've done a really good job in doing that,” continues Bentley who is also impressed by performances on the pitch.
“Tactically, I think Arteta is really good and obviously the quality of play that's been brought in with everybody working together and they perform well. They're good to watch and tactically they're very good.
"It's only Manchester City hindering them in really achieving what they should,” says Bentley, pointing to the obvious stumbling block that has prevented Arsenal from having two Premier League titles to show for the past two seasons.
As an important piece of the current Arsenal puzzle, Bukayo Saka has been an ever-present in those two seasons and, as a former winger, Bentley enjoys following the England international.
“I think he's started the season really well. He's got a good, stable environment which he’s talked about himself. Playing with good players, like he is, he's allowed to express himself and he can go on to another level.
"He's really strong on the ball for his size, he plays for the team, he's honest, but he's also got that end product. He really does produce, it’s not only talent, he actually produces the numbers and he's only going to get better.
"Every time he's interviewed, he just comes across really well, he is a human being which is a good thing. I think that's something Arsenal do really well with providing their young players with a platform. You don't hear much off the pitch,” Bentley rightly states as the days of 'Lord Bendtner' and the like being caught with their pants down seem long gone.
Speaking of enjoying the bright lights of London, Bentley himself rarely shied away from enjoying life and he gladly did it with Nwankwo Kanu, another former teammate at Arsenal.
“Talk about somebody who's got a great appetite for life,” Bentley says with a great smile, when we bring up the former African Footballer of the Year, who was “unbelievable” in training, tells Bentley.
“He was the strongest man ever. He was unbelievable in the way he worked his body. He wasn't muscular, but he was tall. He just didn't lose the ball; it was impossible to get it off. He was a great, great guy, always smiling and a great sort of energy to have around the building.
When asked whether he is rooting for Arsenal or Tottenham, Bentley prefers to dodge the bullet.
“It depends on who’s asking”, he says with another one of those disarming smiles from the ex-pro who belongs to that rare group of players who has actually played for both Arsenal and Tottenham. Remaining diplomatic, he does offer an opinion on the first North London derby of the season.
“On paper, Arsenal should win the game. They’ve won three of the previous four meetings with the last being a draw.
"They dropped points against Brighton, and with what they're trying to achieve and the way Manchester have started, I think you need to see a response.
"But they've got a few injuries and you can never discount Tottenham at home in front of their own fans and it's a North London derby.”
