Rio Ferdinand has questioned Arsenal’s recruitment strategy, and feels Mikel Arteta needs to change the philosophy of the club.
The Gunners’ slim hopes of securing Champions League football for next season look to be all-but over after they suffered a damaging 2-1 defeat away at Brighton.
Neal Maupay’s late winner saw the visitors fall to their second defeat since the Premier League returned on Wednesday night, having also lost 3-0 at Manchester City in midweek.
It means with just eight games left, Arsenal find themselves eight points behind fourth-placed Chelsea – who have a game in hand – while qualifying for the Europa League also looks a big ask at this stage.
And, speaking during BT Sport’s coverage of the defeat at Brighton, former Manchester United defender Ferdinand questioned the character of some of Arsenal’s players as they fell to their eighth defeat of the season.
“The recruitment needs looking at - I think they’re working on that - they have got people in place but you look there, are they the right characters?,” Ferdinand said.
“Is that a team you see that when they’re in the trenches, you’d want to be amongst that lot and fight for a result?
“They’ve got eight cup finals between now and the end of the season to get a respectable position for Arsenal Football Club. I don’t feel that.
“It’s going to be very difficult for Mikel Arteta and his staff. He’s got his ideas and philosophies that he wants implemented into this team but we need to give him time to get into the transfer market and get some players who would mirror his philosophy.
“Not just in the way he wants to play, but for personalities as well. You need characters in these type of situations.
“If you want to galvanise a football club, it’s not just about ability sometimes. All those players in that Arsenal squad have got a good, if not above level of quality, in terms of passing the ball and their technical ability.
“It’s the character that sets them apart as well. You need big and strong characters and they’re lacking that.”
