Rio Ferdinand says Arsenal players are going backwards under boss Arsene Wenger as Martin Keown suggests his former side will struggle to qualify for the Champions League this season
- REPORT: Arsenal were held to a disappointing goalless draw against West Ham
- Rio Ferdinand says Arsenal have gone backwards under boss Arsene Wenger
- The Gunners are 19 points away from Premier League leaders Manchester City
- Martin Keown thinks Arsenal may not play in Champions League for another year
Rio Ferdinand has accused Arsenal's players of going backwards under manager Arsene Wenger.
The Gunners were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw at West Ham United on Wednesday night in the Premier League.
Wenger's side are in seventh place following the trip to London Stadium and 19 points behind league leaders Manchester City.
Rio Ferdinand believes Arsenal's players have gone backwards under boss Arsene Wenger
Wenger looked frustrated on the touchline as Arsenal were held to a 0-0 draw at West Ham
Former Manchester United and England defender Ferdinand said he struggles to understand how Arsenal fans find Wenger's recent record acceptable.
He told BT Sport: 'If I'm an Arsenal fan I'm sitting there and asking the question "where is the progress over the last few years?"
'Tell me where the progress is with this side because that's what you look for year in and year out. You look for progression within a football club, within a team [and] I don't see it.
Arsenal were nearly made to pay when Javier Hernandez's shot hit the underside of the bar
Ferdinand also took aim at how little the players at Arsenal have developed a winning instinct under Wenger - something the 68-year-old he feels used to be able to instil.
He added: 'I see players going backwards. I don't see players improving dramatically under this regime and that is the worrying part for me.
'And when you look at this Arsenal team and the history of Arsenal, even Arsene Wenger's early tenure at the club it was about trophies, it was about winning and competing for titles, for leagues. They are not doing that now. They are fighting for one or two positions in the Champions League.'
Sportsmail columnist and former Arsenal defender Martin Keown also admitted that he felt Wenger's side would struggle to qualify for the Champions League this season and that would spell more failure under the Frenchman.
He said: 'Arsenal just haven't got that cutting edge and are losing ground on their rivals. They are slipping deeper and deeper and deeper into that table.
Sportsmail columnist believes Arsenal will struggle to qualify for the Champions League
'The Champions League is looking like it's not going to happen for Arsene Wenger and the questions will come again for the manager. Is he going to be there next season or not?'
He added that the end for Wenger may have already been signalled given the lack of desire of some of Arsenal's star names.
'If it doesn't get much better for him [in the second half] then at the end of the season he has to hold his hands up and say maybe I'm not the man to take this club forward.
Keown accused Alexis Sanchez of not giving enough before he was substituted
'It looks like the end and we talked about it being the end of the chapter for Arsene Wenger. But [Mesut] Ozil and [Alexis] Sanchez look to me... Sanchez didn't give enough tonight,' he said.
'If it doesn't get much better for him then at the end of the season he has to hold his hands up and say well maybe I'm not the man to take this club forward.'
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