Arsenal legend Tony Adams has expressed concern over the current state of the Gunners’ squad, suggesting that many of the players may have already reached the peak of their careers. He believes this could hinder their chances of winning the Premier League title.
While Arsenal showed promise in the previous campaign and came close to ending their long wait for the league title, Adams acknowledges that it may have been an overachievement given the resources available to the club.
With limited financial resources compared to other top clubs like Manchester City, Arsenal faces a significant challenge in competing for the title in the upcoming season. Adams recognises Manchester City’s continued dominance in the league and expects them to be strong contenders once again.
Considering the circumstances, Adams fears that Arsenal’s recent performance may have been the closest they will come to winning the league title for the time being. However, the football landscape can change quickly, and the Gunners will continue to strive for success by strengthening their squad in the upcoming transfer window.
He says via The Sun: ‘I do fear that this could be as good as it gets for them.
‘I hate to sound like a prophet of doom, but I do believe that a lot of this team has already peaked.
‘They’re definitely not going to challenge Manchester City next season and without serious recruitment this summer it will be a struggle for them to finish runners-up again.’
Just Arsenal Opinion
We overperformed in the last campaign, but it shows what our players can do if they are at their best.
The club has worked hard to reach this stage where it can easily come close to winning the league, so we expect them to try and maintain this standard, but that would be easier said than done.
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Peaked?
Having ‘peaked’ this season in 2nd and with investments being planned to improve what we already have, I’d say that Tony is being premature. I don’t really know what he means. Was it just luck we finished within a gnats knacker of beating City to it?
What he means is that he believes we’ve seen the best we can get outvof quite a few of the players, as in some have likely reached their ceiling.
Barring Martinelli and Saliba I can’t see many of our players actually getting significantly better. Saka maybe a bit, I rate him but i wouldn’t say world class.
I think it’s a fair assessment and certainly not said with any kind of malice. As almost everybody here agrees that we over achieved big time this season, that means our players generally played at their max.
Football’s not for you eh son?
English is not for you Jimmy? Youngsters
hahahahahahahahaha
Well Tony might believe that, but our squad is hardly at the Leicester level when they won the league
My point was Even if a few of them have peaked (who exactly?) then coming second with hopefully better alternatives arriving should see us being competitive
I also suggest that every player should be playing at their max.
It’s also possible that us supporters think we overachieved when in reality our loss of focus/bottle /call it what you will, may have been all that was wrong.
You ask who….IMO players that aren’t going to get better are:
Holding
Nketiah
Jesus
Gabriel
Ramsdale
White
Partey
Jorginho
Viera
What people are going to think I’m say is that these players are bad, that’s not what I’m saying at all! What I’m saying is I don’t see those players making leaps and bounds in progress and improving much higher than their current level. Maybe I’m wrong for 1or 2 of them but can you honestly say you see most of those players getting significantly better?
PJ-SA – You’re right about most of those you’ve listed but I’d just disagree about Ramsdale and White. Ramsdale will go on to become a legend for us. His distribution will improve and he will become less rash. He is already a phenomenal shot stopper as you probably know.
Ben White (the gardener) I think can improve also as he is quite young and will learn more about the game, but ofcourse this is just my opinion.
No I can’t
But what is also important to recognise is that they are unlikely to get worse in the medium term apart from Jorghino and Partey due to their advancing age
Holding has already reached his ceiling and Nketiah isn’t far behind
@SueP.i read the full interview,he also said that we shouldn’t spent 80/100M on a DM/MF but a striker, someone like Grealish😂(his own words).imagine 100M on Grealish(5 goals/7 assists). it’s like he hasn’t watched us this season.i said it before the man sounds bitter for some reason,that or he really has no ideas about football nowadays.
Siamois
I took my eldest as a young sprat to his first game at Highbury against Millwall. He watched in awe as Adams led out the team. What a player he was but completely lacking off the pitch. It was a very odd point of view
Arteta’s hand must be strengthened by provided more resources to buy more pinpoint targets in the Summer transfer window to bolster the team depth. If Arsenal could achieve this much with what they have compared to other teams, then we have to expect more from injecting more resources into the team.
ADAMS SEEMS TO HAVE MADE AN ODD, LEFT FIELD STATEMENT BUT DOES NOT EXPLAIN IN ANY UNDERSTANDABLE WAY THE “THINKING” BEHIND IT.
In fact, I strongly suggest that IF he truly thinks the youngest team, bar the relegated Saints, in the Prem this season just gone, has “ALREADY PEAKED”, then he has NOT actually “THOUGHT” at all.
It is such a weird, stupid and unintelligent statement to have made!!
Who agrees with me?
No wonder WENGER NEVER ASKED HIM TO JOIN HIS BACKROOM STAFF!!
How wise that seems now.
In total agreement John
Nice one Jon.
Best team were in the Seventies
I agree with you@Jon Fox.as I commented above not for the first time,he seems/sounds bitter when it comes to Arsenal.
No Siamois – I love my Tony so let him speak without too much criticism of him. The guy was a monumental player for us and I will always respect him for that. Everyone should recognize and remember that Tony has always been off the wall and it was probably very correct for Arsene not to hire him as a coach. But you know I’ll never have a go at him for his strange opinions as I feel he is untouchable. imo. It’s called having a soft spot for the guy.
jon, may have been due to Tony’s then off field issues. It appears to me that Arsene Wenger didn’t accept too much advice from backrom staff anyway, exemplified by Steve Bould’s lack of input into a very ordinary Arsenal defense.
With due respect to the legend, we knew you were a no nonsense captain, but some time even the legend can miss a beat.
What crisis or what peak , just a minute are we talking about the second youngest team in the league second only to relegated Southampton, which make us effectively the youngest team in the league.
Would have call this crap if it was coming from a pundit like Neville, but we know our legend means no harm so I will say he’s just a little off a true line as we would say in cricket.
Saka, Martinelli, Saliba, Odegaard, Tierney, White, Magalhaes, Jesus, Ramsdale, Kiwior won’t even peak in a year time
Sorry that should be Jon not John !
MoFW ,I am glad you apologised.
A bit more grovel would have gone down well with My Royal Highness though. You will never be made a knight of my realm after this gaffe!
I suppose what Tony is saying is. Did we over achieve this season? Did other team under achieve, making next season a lot tougher. Can we improve? Of course we can. Will we?
No that is NOT what he said at all and you know it as well as anyone else does.
He DID say that alot of the team has already peaked. And that is a stupid remark to have made, when hardly any of the team has yet reached its peak and some are still a long way away from peaking , because of their YOUNG AGE.
THAT is the truth and despite my respect for Adams when a player ,I will NOT make untrue excuses for him talking complete nonsense.
I do think his statement could be interpreted as saying he feels the current produced the best they could give this season and if we do need a better performance than this season’s, we would need to reinforces the team, which we’ll most definitely do.
🤫
👍 Plus 1, given Chelsea and Tottenham’s implosions and relatively poor seasons for Manchester United and Liverpool.
Reggie
I’d rather be an achiever than an underachiever
We have some momentum and hopefully for the immediately foreseeable, a chance to raise the bar higher. There is no reason to believe that because Liverpool and Chelsea were tops that the path upwards is going to be straightforward for them either As Arsenal supporters, we know.
Correct Sue but Chelsea and Liverpool performed way below what they were capable and the expectation is, they will do far better next. Chelsea cant be as bad and Liverpool started badly but ended ok. So at least two more teams will be in the mix, next season.
Sorry Tony, I don’t agree with you…. unless your talking about SOME individual players?
I cannot see Holding, Viera, Nketiah, Nelson, Pepe, any of the senior players out on loan (apart from Balogun) Zinchenko and even Xhaka improving…. while Saliba, Gabriel (2), Zaka, ESR, Martinelli, Ramsdale, White, Tierney, Odegaard and Trossard are just starting out in their Arsenal careers.
That’s why we’re looking to improve our squad in the summer isn’t it?
Of course, I will always support each and every player who wears the shirt, regardless of my personal opinion.
I do think his statement could be interpreted as saying he feels the current produced the best they could give this season and if we do need a better performance than this season’s, we would need to reinforces the team, which we’ll most definitely do.
As both Arteta and Edu, along with every single fan has also said!!!
That’s why we are looking to buy new players in the summer.
Can you please explain WHY you think his statement could be interpreted that way? I find it a highly unlikely interpretation and an astounding opinion of his ,TBH!
“I do believe that a LOT of this team has peaked” – not ALL of the team, so anyone who’s saying that he thinks the WHOLE team has peaked, either cannot read properly, or don’t understand the words “a lot”!!
I listed above those players that I believe have peaked, including Xhaka, of whom YOU have even said the same thing.
That is why we are looking at new players, because MA believes some (or a lot) have reached their peak.
Oh I understnd English all right I understand it better than does any single other person on JA.
So that is a silly remark Ken. I simply disagree with his “a lot”. Which “lot” does he refer to?!!
Surely not the overriding majority of our regular and still young most chosen Prem players.
Perhaps Xhaka, though that is debatable at best.
Who else then? Holding Elneny and
other WSP(way sub par) and hardly ever chosen players?!!
No KEN, I was right to point out he spoke nonsense, which he plainly DID!
jon, I find your apparent arrogance astounding, since your posts, like the rest of us, are not always perfect from a grammar, liguistic or spelling sense.
Tony tends to speak before he engages his brain and this is yet another occasion where his views cannot be justified.
Grandad, read my reply to JF above and you should change your opinion I believe.
No KEN . IT IS YOU WHO SHOULD CHANGE YOURS, AS IT IS PLAINLY UNTRUE.
Isn’t it the same people that have been assuring us since the later end of 2020 that Arteta has a ceiling (5th to 8th place). We have been inundated about how he will never be a Top 4 level type of manager with the likes of Conte, Klopp, Pep, Tuchel, Ten Hag etc all still around in the EPL. And that we now have to give way to Newcastle.
Been constantly assured that we will never come close to even sniffing CL football later on getting anywhere near the likes of City or liverpool in the Top 2, later on have a sniff of the EPL title.
Last season we were told by the same group that we had bottled our only opportunity to make CL (Top 4). How all the other Top 6 teams that have a divine right to finish in the Top 4 will all be much more improved and stronger while Arteta and his Arsenal Beta-Male pretenders will be commanded by force to stand still or get worse so that the other divinely ordained Top 6 clubs can take their divinely given Top 4 places. And that in 2022-23 we will be lucky to make 6th place.
Season 2022-23 has just concluded, we led it for more than 90% of the way. We ended in 2nd on 84 points just 5 points behind Goliath super monster City on 89 points.
But the same “always correct / right” Crystal Ball seers are back again assuring us of their next prophecy for 2023/24 where we are going to regress like we have been for the last 4 years.
Can I now get this Friday’s Euro millions winning numbers? I hear that it’s going to be a massive £109 million jackpot.
💰🤞😊
Is our Tony back on the bottle?
Gooster, I am disappointed in your unfair disparaging comment about someone who fought hard to successfully overcome his demons..
OG – Yes I was disappointed with the general lack of respect for the King the other day. I posted a long message about this a couple of days ago but it has somehow “gone missing” !
I don’t like how the pack like to hunt down people when they get the taste of blood in their mouths.
Tony Adams, as far as I am concerned, has earned the right to critique in any way he wishes as he’s not abusive about it is he. Greatest Gunner of them all imo. Four league titles in three different decades under two different managers. Who will ever be able to achieve that again.
EvGunner, although an Australian republican, I had a great deal of respect for Queen Elizabeth II, particularly as a diplomat and respect Charles III for his charitable trust, intellect and forthrightness in often expressing views contrary to the “establishment”, but beneficial to the world at large.
OG – At first you had me somewhat confused by your message, but now I can see the joke…..I think.
Unless we win the league next season, which at the moment looks a long shot. Big Tone may be right!!!!!!!
I 100% think the present team would not win the league next year, so they possibly have peaked. We need additions and a change of philosophy.
It’s as simple as that Reggie and Tony was echoing MA’s own words.
The change of philosophy is down to Arteta not the team though
That part is Sue.
Not winning the league doesn’t mean you have peaked.
There is a difference between peaked and not having enough materials to win the league from teams like M. City who are spoilt with quality options.
City didn’t win the league!!!!!!
We lost it.
City could not have done anything if we held our form.
I take your point Ken.I suppose it’s how the reader interprets the use of the words”a !ot”. All good fun at our age in any event.
Grandad, Well, I do NOT ACCEPT KENS POINT AT ALL, AS HE IS SPEAKING NONSENSE.
I will never accept nonsense! “A lot” plainly means more than half, or a majority, and that is clearly ludicrous and untrue.
Tony Adam is right. Arsenal have too many players who simply are bit players and won’t be able to influence the outcome of a season. Trossard, Partey, Jorginho Xhaka etc. Thrown into the mix they will have their good, bad and indifferent games . Probably more of the later. You can’t blame Arteta for signing the first two. He had to do something to strengthen his squad mid season. However now he is stuck with them and looking forward it is a squad that with the exception of Martinellii, Odegaard and Saka lacks high impact players. However it is the second tier players who worry me the most. What are we expecting to get from Nketien, Elneny, Viera, the Polish centre half, Ben White playing at wing back, an injury prone Tomiyasu also playing out of position, Nelson resigning and warming the bench, wating to be brought on with the expectation that he perform a last minute miracle etc. These guys may make some useful contribution here and there but will also fall flat when the pressure is on. but do not influence the outcome of a season. Not one where you expect our team to challenge for a repeat Champions League place. The point of this of course is that we need to spend big in order to get the best. Meaning also players with attitude and not simply well behaved manager’s picks
Odegaard Saka Martinelli together will get better. Jesus without injury would improve on his stats. If you look at one season Gabriel Saliba was very good, they will get better. White will get better in his new position. Ramsdale will improve. All over the field, more experience playing together will improve players. As a team you’d have to think that we can improve, so I don’t get what Adams is saying