Prior to Arsenal’s stunning 4-0 win over Norwich, Rio Ferdinand, identified what the Gunners need in order to be dining at football’s top table again.
Mikel Arteta’s side have flattered to deceive at various points this season, and there’s an awful lot of work to be done at the Emirates Stadium if the north Londoners want to challenge the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City again.
That won’t stop the Spaniard looking for the right blend, however long it takes, though Ferdinand believes that Arsenal already have the solution within their ranks.
“Attitude, but I think the right characters and people who want to be at the club,” he said on BT Sport, cited by the Daily Star.
“I think the great thing about seeing Saka’s tweet there and his statement is about how he loves the club, he believes in the philosophy and he wants to move forward here.
“They need more players who think like that and they need to build around that. I’d build around him, around Martinelli, around Willock.
“These young players who have come through and the badge needs something to these boys, and they need to get players to build around that as well.
“To understand that and to come in and accept that this is the place we want to be, we believe in the management and we want to go forward together.”
As part of a hugely successful Manchester United outfit, Ferdinand knows a thing or two about the right attitude, and the spirit in the Red Devils’ dressing room, particularly under Sir Alex Ferguson, was second to none.
If the Gunners can be invested in their youth in the same way that Sir Alex was with the Class of 92 initially, then it could be just the platform they need to begin to build a sustainable and successful first-team.
It won’t happen overnight of course, but Arteta has to start somewhere.