Arsenal legend claims club lacks ‘technical ability to compete’

Former Arsenal captain Tony Adams has claimed that we lack technical ability, describing our side as a ‘cup team’.

Arsenal faltered to a 1-0 defeat away to Manchester City yesterday, in a match where we really should have secured at least a point, and former defender Adams claims that it is highlighting our frailties.

‘We’re still not beating those big teams, are we?’ Adams told Premier League Productions (via the Metro) after the Gunners’ defeat to Manchester City on Saturday.

‘It’s been prevalent in the last few years that we can only go so far. Listen I’m a massive Arteta fan – he’s got the best out of those players.

‘I think the recruitment has been very poor in the last few years to be honest with you. He’s doing a miracle job with them by putting an FA Cup on the sideboard last season.

‘I was hoping and praying at the start of the season. One with the goalkeeper situation which I disagreed with him; I thought we should have kept Martinez and two with the back four. I think after his time last season playing 3-4-3 he would have gone back to 4-3-3 go back into a back four and train the back four, work with them.

‘At the moment he’s getting everyone behind the ball, they’re buying into the style he’s enthusiastic and stuff but you can only take that team so far, they’re a cup team for me.

‘Very similar to the cup team of 1992/93 that I played in that won the ‘double cup’ and then the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1994 but we were miles off the title. We couldn’t sustain it over the course of the season. We couldn’t go to Manchester United and turn them over. We didn’t have the squad, the technical ability to compete at the top and he [Arteta] hasn’t.’

I feel that Adams words are a little harsh, although I’m all for a switch in formation to hone our attacking talents, and give us further numbers up the field in order to aid our side.

I’m not so sure that I can disagree with his Martinez comments, as I think we lost a real gem there, and although he was less proven than Leno, I feel like he had the scope to hit a higher ceiling given time.

Do you agree with Adams comments on this team being a ‘cup team’? Does the team lack in ‘technical ability’?

Patrick