Former Arsenal midfielder Robert Pires said that what the club needs now are more English players.
Pires, who now plays for Spanish side Villarreal, spent six years at the London-based Arsenal, winning two league titles and the FA Cup three times under the guidance of coach Arsene Wenger.
Now with Arsenal fifth in the Primera Liga and struggling to qualify for next season's Champions League, Pires saw one big problem with his former side.
"What Arsenal lacks now is English players, that is very important. When I arrived there were a lot of English players there and that is why we won. You need to have a mix in the dressing room. What I see now when I look at the club from outside is that they lack that mix. They only have two English players (Jack Wilshire and Theo Walcott) in the squad," Pires told Spanish TV station GolTV.
Pires began his career with Stade Reims before moving to Metz and Olympique Marseilles. In the year 2000, he received offers from Real Madird and Arsenal, but found it easy to decide his destination.
"I spoke a lot to Wenger and with virtually nobody from Real Madrid. There was a lot more stability at Arsenal, while Real Madrid appeared to be changing president, coaches and players all of the time."
"I was at Arsenal for six years and when I was there, we won the league and the Cup and we got to the final of the Champions League, which we lost to Barcelona. So I do not think I made a mistake with my choice of team," he said.
Wenger has been Arsenal coach for 13 seasons and Pires has nothing but praise for his style of man-management.
"Wenger is a person who gives you a lot of confidence. He used to talk to me a great deal. When I arrived, I had a very difficult first six months, because it was a different country and they played different style of football."
"Physically it is very hard in England. I spoke to Wenger and I felt good about my game and played the football that I know how to play," commented the midfielder.
However, Pires admitted that Wenger was also the reason he had decided to leave Arsenal to join Villarreal as a result of what happened in the 2006 Champions League final between Arsenal and Barcelona.
Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was sent off after just 18 minutes of the game and with Arsenal needing to bring on substitute goalkeeper Manuel Almunia, Pires was the outfield player who had to make way.
"My biggest disappointment was playing only 18 minutes in the Champions League final. Wenger killed me when he took me off, for that reason, I could not stay at Arsenal and I moved to Villarreal. The final was played in Paris. All of my family was there and I really suffered. Also we lost the game. That night was very tough," he admitted.
Villarreal may be struggling to return to the top four in Spain, but they have qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League, where they face Greek side Panathinaikos, something that gives Pires hope that his team can progress further.
"Once again, I think that Manchester United will go all the way this year and then there could be a surprise ... Why cannot Villarreal get there. It is very open once again," he said.
(Xinhua News Agency Feburary 10, 2009)
