Arsenal are currently sitting at the bottom of the Premier League table with zero points and a goal difference of minus nine and according to Gary Neville, they are still living in the past.
The Gunners have lost their first three league matches and it’s safe to say they did not have a great transfer window either, despite spending around £155 million.
Mikel Arteta is under heavy pressure to pull out results on the pitch and according to the former England international, Arsenal are facing a problem similar to what Man United had experienced.
Neville told Sky Sports: “I’m not sure what Arsenal’s transfer strategy is. It seems a bit over the place. Maybe there is one, but it’s not clear. Sometimes you can see a left-field signing and think you can see where it comes from, but there’s quite a few of them at Arsenal.
“I’m not sure what style of play they’re going for, but it’ll all come out in the next few weeks. Man Utd came out of a period under Sir Alex Ferguson, and it’s very difficult. Arsenal are suffering in that way too, the hangover of the Arsene Wenger era.
“You’re trying to get the club to move forward, but I always think of David Moyes’ comment that you’re going into the house, and the father’s left and you’re the step-father.
“I think that’s starting to leave Manchester United nearly 10 years on, but there’s probably still an element of that at Arsenal.
“It’s not necessarily within the squad, sometimes it’s the non-football side that holds everything back, that feeling of not being happy in the club.
“There’s something not right at Arsenal, I think there’s a lack of surety at the top. You’ve got to stabilise after the period they’ve had with Arsene Wenger.”
Mikel Arteta was brought in not only because he is an ex-Gunner but also because he had been working under Pep Guardiola for some time.
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But none of these qualities seems to have helped steady the ship.
The loss of European football seems to have been the biggest blow in recent times as no major footballer is now ready to join the North London side. A big reason why they had to pay £30 million for a backup goalkeeper like Aaron Ramsdale.
The new arrivals can still help steady the ship somewhat but looking at the quality of the squad, we really do not expect Mikel Arteta to guide this side into Europe next season.
That is if he manages to hold onto his job for that long.
