Gary Neville: Arsenal under Arsene Wenger are a soft touch and won't win title
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ByEurosport
Updated 29/08/2015 at 10:24 GMT
Gary Neville has told Arsenal that they would have to defy history to win the Premier League with their current squad, which he considers to be a soft touch.
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville
Image credit: PA Sport
Neville has slammed Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger for failing to enhance his squad with the leaders needed to compete for the Premier League title.
The ex-Manchester United defender has praised the Gunners' illustrious history but accused them of lacking the key ingredients to lift the Premier League trophy, in particular the backbone that is required in a successful team.
As a player, Neville won eight Premier League titles under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.
Neville, the England assistant manager, who also works as a Sky Sports pundit and Daily Telegraph columnist, says Arsenal lack the characters that win silverware.
Five of Arsenal's current squad, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Theo Walcott, Calum Chambers, Jack Wilshere and Danny Welbeck, have all been included in recent England squads, picked by manager Roy Hodgson.
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Gary Neville in discussion with England manager Roy Hodgson.
Image credit: Reuters
But in today's Daily Telegraph, Neville said: "Arsenal are a great football club with an illustrious history. Roll your eye down the list of league champions, though, and you see, in every instance, ingredients that are Arsenal are running low on.
"The Liverpool teams of the 1970s and 80s; all the Manchester United sides of the 1990s and 2000s, the Arsenal XI of Petit and Vieira and Jose Mourinho’s first Chelsea team of Frank Lampard, Michael Essien and Claude Makelele. The Manchester City of Kompany, De Jong, Yaya Toure. You see power, character and a winning urge.
If, at the end of the season, Arsenal fans are laughing in the face of what I had to say this week then I will happily concede defeat. To see a team out-football everyone for a whole season, and never have to rely on grit or determination four or five times to keep them in contention, would be an amazing breakthrough. Precedent suggests it will never happen. To win the league with the front six he played against Liverpool would require history to be redefined.
Arsenal have not won the Premier League since 2004, and their FA Cup win last year was only their second major trophy in the last decade.
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Arsenal celebrate winning the Premier League in 2004.
Image credit: Reuters
Neville added: "I like to protect my credibility and to speak what I see as the truth.
"I certainly don’t want to be seen as an embittered ex-pro sticking the knife into one of the great managers the Premier League has seen.
"But when the screw really begins to turn I expect them to come up short on strength, power and pace.
"Thierry Henry is among those Arsenal greats convinced that Wenger is not going to change. He wants to win that way. He wants to play that way.
"And he is not going to let anyone persuade him he’s wrong."
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Aaron Ramsey, after his goal was disallowed against Liverpool
Image credit: Reuters
Neville's attack comes just days after Arsenal stuttered to a 0-0 draw with Liverpool at the Emirates on Monday night. The Gunners travel to Newcastle today looking for their first win of the season.
"Beliefs are wonderful, and sticking to your beliefs is commendable, but in our upbringing at United attractive football was a must but with the order: find a way to win.
"Do what it takes. If beliefs have to be suspended for a week or to, and technical abilities dumbed down, then so be it. That is my major complaint."
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