He sounds bitte but his theory will be put to the test this summer.
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He sounds bitte but his theory will be put to the test this summer.
Hope Wenger listensQuote:
Arsenal legends Adams and Pires urge summer investment
After recovering to reach Champions League qualification this season, the former Gunners stars want Arsene Wenger to spend big on top-quality recruits to end their trophy drought
Former Arsenal duo Tony Adams and Robert Pires have urged the club to spend heavily this summer.
The Gunners clinched fourth place ahead of neighbours Tottenham on the last day of the Premier League season to secure Champions League football for next term but, after another trophyless season, calls for investment are growing.
Adams, who captained the Gunners to 10 major trophies during his 22 years at the club, believes that manager Arsene Wenger must invest in the squad, prioritising the defence.
"The best players and the best teams win championships," he told Sky Sports. "Lately Arsenal have become very solid and Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker have gained confidence together but, defensively, I think they are still short - I'd like to see them sign another centre-back, a couple of full-backs and possibly a keeper."
The former England captain also urged fans to be patient with the young team, with the hurdle of winning their first trophy the most crucial to overcome.
"The fans are desperate for a trophy of some sort," Adams added. "I would like the players to get used to winning; if you have never had that experience of crossing the line as a winner you don't know what it is like to be a winner.
"Jack Wilshere is very important to the club but you can't rush him. I think he has played more games than Arsene would have wanted him to play following his injury but he's such an influential player for us."
Likewise, former 'Invincible' Pires believes that Arsenal need to heavily invest in the squad this summer but, importantly, they must retain their long-serving manager.
"Wenger built Arsenal so he is very important to the players and needs to stay," the Frenchman observed.
"In my opinion I think Arsenal need to buy English players. Wenger has changed the philosophy at the club, he brought in young players like Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Aaron Ramsey; these players are very good for the future but now they need to buy some players with experience to give a good mix."
Adams hasn't made 12,000,000 transfers, how did his management career go? (I haven't forgiven him for his awful autobiog), but we will need Sagna replacement & Pires basically says buy Rooney, bound to happen?Quote:
Originally Posted by Cripps
Freddie speaks senseQuote:
Arsenal should not celebrate fourth place - Ljungberg
A final-day victory over Newcastle prompted scenes of elation among the Gunners but the Swede believes that only an end to the club's eight-year trophy drought is success
Arsenal should not treat finishing fourth as a cause for celebration, according to former Gunners legend Freddie Ljungberg.
Arsene Wenger's men saw off a stiff challenge from north London rivals Tottenham with a 1-0 victory over Newcastle at St James' Park on the final day of the season, prompting elation at the final whistle.
Should they negotiate a two-legged qualifier, next season will be Arsenal's 16th consecutive campaign in the Champions League but the club's egiht-year wait for silverware goes on and Ljungberg, who won two Premier League titles and three FA Cups in his time with the Gunners, believes that only trophies should spark such feelings of joy.
"I'm not too happy about them celebrating fourth place," he told reporters. "I'm from the old school where, if you don't win a trophy every year, then it is a big failure.
"We will see what happens in the summer and hopefully Arsenal will have a better team next season."
Thierry gets it. What a man what a legendQuote:
Thierry Henry: "If you're truly an Arsenal man, it's not about being fourth, it's about finishing above Tottenham!"
Henry :bow:
Regarding this season, I can't argue with that at all.
Yep. The joy from this season was edging out Sperz. CL football was an afterthought.
Full articleQuote:
Thierry Henry: Kicking Tottenham out of the top four is the only thing Arsenal have to celebrate
The Gunners' all-time leading goalscorer believes his former club should strive for more and hopes their delight on the final day was because they had finished above their rivals
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry hopes his former club were celebrating on the final day of the season because they beat Tottenham to a top-four finish - and not because they qualified for the Champions League.
The Gunners triumphed over Newcastle on the Premier League's final day to finish above their north London adversaries and clinch the final spot in Europe's premier club competition.
As a fan of the club, Henry admits that finishing above Spurs feels like winning a trophy but believes finishing in the top four should be considered the minimum expectation for Arsene Wenger's team.
"For me as a fan or if I was a player at Arsenal, finishing in the top four would have been normal," Henry told Sky Sports.
"We saved our season and that was it because you always want to win and I know people go on about the pictures and all of this celebration.
"But I can tell you I think it was more the fact that for any Arsenal player, when you really feel the shirt and really play for the club, putting Tottenham out of the top four, and I really do hope that’s what they were celebrating about.
"Because that is the only thing you can celebrate about. If you are an Arsenal man through-and-through that is like winning something for me. And I also said it when we did it to them in 2006 that it wasn't the fact we qualified for the Champions League, it is because we kicked them out of it and we went in."
Wenger has never failed to secure Champions League qualification since his arrival at the club in 1996 and Henry admits he is struggling to contemplate an Arsenal team without the Frenchman in the dugout.
"For me it's very difficult for me to see Arsenal play, one day, without Arsene on the bench," he acknowledged. Whatever, after, people can say 'oh yeah they won, they didn't win' but for me there I will see Arsenal play without Arsene on the bench, its going to be weird.
"So I'd just love to have him there all the time. We all know that's not going to happen, one day he's going to have to go. But it will be hard as he's not thinking of leaving one day. It will happen eventually, we all know it, but I don't see it."
thierry spot on. seems like the rumours about him supporting usmanov might have been true then.
Time Usmanov came home.