Adams: Gunners lacking 'now' players
Former Arsenal captain Tony Adams fears the Gunners’ lack of players currently at their peak will finally kill off their Champions League dream this season.
Tomorrow night’s visit of Real Madrid has the potential to become one of the club’s greatest ever matches, given that Arsene Wenger’s side returned from the Bernabeu last month with a 1-0 first-leg lead.
Thierry Henry scored a sensational solo goal that night and Wenger also has Dennis Bergkamp, Jose Antonio Reyes, Freddie Ljungberg and Alexander Hleb at his disposal, with Robin van Persie a possibility.
But injuries to defensive stalwarts Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole have forced youngsters Emmanuel Eboue and Mathieu Flamini to fill in at the back and, although teenage midfielder Abou Diaby has been hailed as the new Patrick Vieira, Adams is convinced the Gunners still miss the French midfielder.
“They need some more ‘now’ players,” he said. “They have a serious lack of experience, although obviously experience can only be gained by going out and doing it.
“Maybe they have not got enough experienced guys to tell the younger ones what to do. In hindsight, Patrick leaving was a year too early.”
Wenger has also recruited precocious 16-year-old Theo Walcott from Southampton and 22-year-old Togo international Emmanuel Adebayor from Monaco, although the latter is cup-tied in Europe.
Adams argues that the Arsenal faithful, who will transfer from Highbury to a new stadium next season, will have to be patient.
He said: “They are going to have to wait for success, because of the way Arsene has gone about his recruitment in buying some of the best young talent in the world. That does not give you instant success. You have to wait for it.
“It’s a gamble, and you will have to judge Arsene on the team that he is building.”
Whether Henry will be part of the new era remains to be seen. He has yet to agree a new deal and is wanted by Barcelona.
Adams still hopes his old club may be able to afford a deal to keep their captain without sowing resentment among the rest of the squad.
He said: “Thierry Henry is an experienced guy. At this stage, they can’t afford to lose him but Arsenal have always had a decent financial structure.
“From the chairman down to the players, it has always been a well-run club. There has always been four or five guys on the most money, then the middle range and then the youngsters.
“That was an environment where people did not resent other people. I hope they have still got that in place and the new stadium has not taken their eye off the ball in any way.”
