Paul Merson believes Arsenal risk becoming an “also-ran club” if Arsene Wenger departs and they fail to make the top four.
“If they don’t finish in the top four this season, they will just be an also-ran club for a few years,” Merson said.
“This is not a one-off, we’ve been talking about it for four or five years. If they don’t finish in the top four I don’t see a world-class player going to play for Arsenal next season.
If that doesn’t happen, how are they going to get in the top four next season? Man City will buy again, Man Utd will buy again, Chelsea will buy again.
“Maybe Tottenham won’t because of their new stadium but Liverpool will buy again. All of a sudden Arsenal get left behind.”
The problem with Arsene Wenger, and this has been his biggest problem that I’ve criticised, is he brings in nice players,” the Sky Sports pundit added.
“They get beat and they’ll all be sitting there and going, ‘That wasn’t very good, was it?’
“I know they are not around as much nowadays but he’s not going to buy a Roy Keane type of player. Someone who will question his tactics or question why he put that team out.
“He wants players around him that are nice. The players are comfortable and they are letting him down. At the same time he is the person who brought them in.
“I know it’s been same old, same old for the last three or four years, but the other night [at Bayern Munich] was the first time I’ve seen him look lost.
Even in the press conference, he went in with the thought that he was in trouble. That’s the first time I’ve really seen him like that. Usually he is quite confident and he will get out of it by saying the right words.
“Sometimes you have to draw a line, though. He takes all the stick and I’m one of those people that’s probably on his back as much as anybody else.
“But these players are letting him down. He puts a team out and puts a lot of faith in these players who have been there for a long time – not like a year or two – these players have been at the club four, five and six years. Some even longer.
“They are not performing. They are letting him down and they keep on getting away with it.”
