• Premier League

League Two side could do better than Arsenal - Merson

ESPN staff
August 29, 2011
Arsene Wenger is feeling the strain after Arsenal's winless start to the Premier League season © Getty Images
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Former Arsenal striker Paul Merson claims serious questions must be asked of Arsene Wenger after the Gunners suffered a humiliating 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford.

Arsenal had eight senior players missing from a squad with an average age of 23.8, but were completely outplayed by a United first XI who were even younger.

After the game, under-pressure manager Arsene Wenger admitted that the side had "collapsed physically", but Merson claims a League Two side would have fared better against the champions.

"It is definitely the worst day for Arsene Wenger in charge and it is even the worst day for a long time in Arsenal's history," Merson said on Sky Sports. "Since I started there in 1984, I cannot remember much worse than what we have seen here. It was shocking, just shocking.

"There are much lesser teams with much less talent than Arsenal who will come to Old Trafford this season and make it doubly as difficult as they did today.

"You have got to have tactics - you can't just have a Plan A, you have to have a plan B. The way Wenger set up wasn't good enough. You can't put teams out all the time and just say 'go and play the Arsenal way' - that isn't fair on the players.

"Don't put those kinds of players on the pitch and make them like lambs to the slaughter - it's not good enough. You have got to start looking at the manager now and asking questions. What is he thinking? I'm not joking, but a League Two could come here next Saturday and make it much more difficult for United than that."

Former goalkeeper David Seaman was cutting in his criticism on social networking site Twitter but defended the under-fire Wenger.

''When I played for Arsenal we were expected to win trophies this is not good enough,'' he wrote. ''Don't all have a go at the manager ATTITUDE needs to be different !!!''

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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