• Exclusive - McLintock: This is the worst Arsenal team I've ever seen

    Frank McLintock believes this is the worst Arsenal team he’s ever seen – and claims this will be Arsene Wenger’s toughest season in charge.

    The Gunners limped to a 2-1 over Olympiakos in the Champions League on Wednesday night but questions are still being raised about their lack of confidence in defence.

    And former skipper McLintock has laid the boot into Arsene Wenger, claiming the Frenchman must focus on the frailties in the team.

    He said: “When you look at the team overall at the moment, taking into account they’ve lost Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri and brought in four new players, are they going to do as well as last season or the seasons before? I honestly don’t think they will.

    “I think they’re poorer this year than they ever have been. I think it’s going to be the toughest season that Wenger’s ever had at Arsenal.

    “There’s some part of Arsene Wenger that doesn’t address various faults that we’ve had over the years.

    “I think they’re poorer this year than they ever have been”Frank McLintock

    “We’ve let in more goals from dead-ball situations than any other Premier League team. So you would think that somebody would sort this out and that will improve us by 20-30%, but it doesn’t seem to happen.”

    Arsenal have lost a succession of top players over previous seasons and McLintock went on to claim that the Gunners board haven’t done enough to replace some of those stars.

    “After watching Arsenal over the last few years they’ve always needed three really top players to become one of the best teams in the world,” the Scot added. “But they seem to have gone away from the players they had, to the squad they have now.

    “I’m just getting frightened. The idea of finishing fourth would be an unbelievable achievement, but you took that as automatic in the last few years.”

    Related Content
    Tags
There are 10 comments. Login or register to get involved and have your say.

Comments

Comment by Oskar the dog posted Friday, September 30, 2011 - 23:23

More depth now than ever before?? What planet are you on, Wahid?


Since the glory years we've parted with Seaman, Cole, Keown, Adams, Bergkamp, Henry, Pires, Viera, Ljungberg, Flamini, Hleb, Gallas, Campbell, Toure (plus others I've probably missed), and now Clichy, Fabregas and Nasri ... and replaced them with??


This year we needed two CDs. Those mentioned as targets included Phil Jones, Gary Cahill, Phil Jagielka, Jan Vertonghen, Neven Subotic, several others ... and way down the list? Mertesacker.


Then we also needed to replace Fabregas and Nasri. Targets were Eden Hazard, Juan Mata, Christian Erikksen, Marko Marin, Mario Götze, Yann M'Vila, Mathieu Valbuena (etc etc) ... and at the end of that list? Mikel Arteta and (never mentioned at all) Yossi Benayoun.


Wenger still refuses to buy the best, instead looking for players at bargain prices. The prime example is his refusal to pay 22m for Mata, who then went to Chelsea for 25m.


In just a few years Arsenal has gone from arguably the best team in Europe, Premier League champions, CL finalists, automatic top 2 in England, to a team with no hope of winning the Premiership (let alone the CL) and struggling to survive in England's top 6.


Reread some of the names we've lost since then and compare with today's squad. McClintock is quite right.


Comment by sirperegrine posted Friday, September 30, 2011 - 12:10

Wahid - you are an idiot


Depth? What depth?


The reality is even had Fabregas and Nasri stayed we would still not be good enough to win any of the 4 competitions.


There has been nothing but negligence from the club for a number of years.


Arsenal Wenger has been totally caught out as a manager - since the last of the players that he inherited when he joined the club he has won nothing. He has won nothing because he did not recognise that a) you need English defenders to win the title b) you need leaders on the pitch like Adams, Keown, Capmbell, Parlour, Bergkamp, Vieira, Henry c) you need common sense to make changes and pay the going rate for players when the ones at the club are not going to make it d) you need to have a plan 'B' during a game that you are losing and finally e) you need a manager who jumps up and screams during a game not one who sits on his chair with his hand under his armpits


Comment by CaerphillyC posted Friday, September 30, 2011 - 07:55

Usual dramatic headline to exaggerate the views of an experienced observer. McLintock has summarised Arsenal's current failings pretty accurately... and it will be an achievement to finish in the top four this season. But there's no panic. Losing Nasi at the same time as Fabregas was a massive blow. And with Vermaelen injured again the defensive issues are far from remedied. But the club has bought well (givn the pitiful amount of time between receiving cash and the close of the transfer window) and should be expected to buy well again (in January and next summer.) Players will bed in and others will gain experience. The club will be more resistant to injuries than last season.


McLintock played in the worst Arsenal side I've ever seen, in the early part of the mid-Seventies. This side is still a street ahead of that... and several others since. The development of Ramsey, Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Frimpong can only improve it.


Comment by lanterne-rouge posted Friday, September 30, 2011 - 07:04

I don't think Wahid even knows who Frank McLintock is let alone anything about Arsenal, another Johnny-come-lately who only knows the Wenger years. Arsenal were great before him and they will be long after he is replaced. Check the Arsenal history books before you shoot your mouth off, claiming Frank McLintock as an Arsenal basher......., twerp.


Comment by jelly46 posted Friday, September 30, 2011 - 06:36

He's right, they are very poor and we have no real leader on the pitch. The defence is still not good enough, only Bolton have conceeded more goals than us. We are not a force anymore, yet people still think we are going to do well this season, we are in deline. On Sunday we have Spurs and they will go to town, @Wahid you have no clue what you are talking about, we dont have depth, no real quality anymore!


Comment by Oskar the dog posted Thursday, September 29, 2011 - 23:56

More depth now than ever before?? What planet are you on, Wahid?


Since the glory years we've parted with Seaman, Cole, Keown, Adams, Bergkamp, Henry, Pires, Viera, Ljungberg, Flamini, Hleb, Gallas, Campbell, Toure (plus others I've probably missed), and now Clichy, Fabregas and Nasri ... and replaced them with??


This year we needed two CDs. Those mentioned as targets included Phil Jones, Gary Cahill, Phil Jagielka, Jan Vertonghen, Neven Subotic, several others ... and way down the list? Mertesacker.


Then we also needed to replace Fabregas and Nasri. Targets were Eden Hazard, Juan Mata, Christian Erikksen, Marko Marin, Mario Götze, Yann M'Vila, Mathieu Valbuena (etc etc) ... and at the end of that list? Mikel Arteta and (never mentioned at all) Yossi Benayoun.


Wenger still refuses to buy the best, instead looking for players at bargain prices. The prime example is his refusal to pay 22m for Mata, who then went to Chelsea for 25m.


In just a few years Arsenal has gone from arguably the best team in Europe, Premier League champions, CL finalists, automatic top 2 in England, to a team with no hope of winning the Premiership (let alone the CL) and struggling to survive in England's top 6.


Reread some of the names we've lost since then and compare with today's squad. McClintock is quite right.


Comment by Dagenham Gooner posted Thursday, September 29, 2011 - 20:46

To say the Frank Mclintock is a moaning Arsenal basher disgusts me. Wahid must be ashamed of himself to call himself a fan and I would hope he apologises now for his words on the great Arsenal legend. Frank speaks common sense its what the vast majority of Gooners think I only hope Wenger and the board take note !.


Comment by Wahid posted Thursday, September 29, 2011 - 12:45

Nonsense, just the regular moanings of the usual arsenal bashers. Truth is we have more depth now then ever before, we let two top players go who wanted to go one for Money and the other for a completion of a dream. We rather let go and make profits then keep players and end up with sulkers like what we see at Man city.


Comment by RVPs Right Foot posted Saturday, October 1, 2011 - 20:02

Wahid, what part of FM's comments aren't right?

The part of always being 2/3 players away from being a great team?

2 of our best players going so we're further away than ever?

Wenger not addressing obvious problems that everyone else can see?

Always being nailed on for top 4 minimum and now struggling to make top 6?


From your comments you seem to be a person who has blind faith in AW and anyone who dares to ask questions or critisize is shouted down as an Arsenal basher.

FM is one of the best players and captains The Arsenal ever had and cares more about the club than most, if he was in that team now we wouldn't be conceding ridiculous goals, and were we to lose you could guarentee he would ensure that no player gave less than 110% (which isn't the case now).


Comment by JRichards87 posted Friday, September 30, 2011 - 08:52

How can you possibly have more strength in depth than ever before? You're not even as strong as you were last year!


So you'd rather have an average team without sulkers than a good team with sulkers? You're dismissive comment about City would be accurate if your team were actually better than theirs, but you're a long, long way behind them!


From a United fan!