Mikel Arteta will still need some time to get Arsenal back into the top-four or challenging for the Premier League, says Ray Parlour.
Arsenal are still a far distance from getting Champions League football or competing for the Premier League. This is the opinion of Gunners legend Ray Parlour.
The north London side have not participated in club football’s elite competition since the 2016/17 season. On domestic terms, the last time Arsenal came close to a genuine title challenge dates all the way back to the 2015/16 season. Leicester City went on to win that one against all odds.
The current season isn’t going any better for Arsenal. After a woeful start to the season, Arteta managed to steady the ship a bit with a seven-game unbeaten run.
However, one win from their last four Premier League games leaves the Gunners in 11th place. Even a top-four spot seems like a herculean task at the moment.
Club legend Ray Parlour says Arteta needs time and proper backing in the transfer window. To buttress his point, he used Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp as an example.
“He’s learned a little bit from Arsene Wenger, Pep Guardiola as well, but I would give him a chance,” the Arsenal legend told talkSPORT.
“It might take a couple of transfer windows, look at Jurgen Klopp, he got an opportunity. He came into Liverpool and there was a plan.”
“Arteta has got to show he’s got a plan going forward. It might take three years to try to challenge that top four or try to challenge for the league.”
“But we know money does make it easier and that’s where the board come in.”
“If they think they’ve got the right man, please give him a chance by giving him a little bit more money.”
The Europa League might be Arsenal’s best route to the Champions League as it stands. With that in mind, Parlour says he expects Arteta to field his best lineup when they take on Benfica next week.
“I don’t think he’ll be playing a weakened side in the Europa League,” he added.
“I was in Baku for the Chelsea game [a 4-1 defeat in 2019] and it was probably one of the worst performances I’ve seen in a final.”
“Arsenal knew that Chelsea were already in the Champions League, so there was more onus on Arsenal to go there and go ‘this is a massive chance for us to get into the Champions League.”
“We know the result in the game and the disappointment.”
“I do think Arteta needs a couple of windows to get his own players in. [Arsenal technical director] Edu is going to be a big part of that.”
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