‘We Thought Those Days Were Gone’: Gary Neville Questions Arsenal Patience with Arteta After Five-Year Trophy Drought
Gary Neville praises Mikel Arteta’s staying power at Arsenal despite lack of silverware
When Arsenal bowed out of the Champions League last week and all but surrendered their Premier League title hopes to Liverpool, it marked the fifth straight season without a major trophy under Mikel Arteta. And for one of the most high-profile managers in England, the fact that his job remains seemingly secure drew a mix of admiration and disbelief from none other than Gary Neville.
The former Manchester United full-back, now a regular pundit for Sky Sports, offered his candid thoughts on Arteta’s tenure ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Anfield, suggesting the Gunners are displaying a level of patience rarely seen in modern football.
“It’s a great achievement to not win a trophy in five years and still be the manager of a Premier League team,” Neville quipped, with the sort of sharp irony that’s become his trademark.
But while the comment might sound like a dig, it was also tinged with a certain respect.
Arteta’s Arsenal: Patience, Progress – and Pressure?
Arteta took over in December 2019 with the promise of restoring Arsenal to the top of English football. To date, he has lifted just one major trophy – the FA Cup in 2020 – along with two Community Shields. But the bigger picture, Neville argued, is that Arsenal’s evolution under the Spaniard has earned him more rope than most.
“We thought those days were gone where you can have this kind of patience being afforded to you,” Neville said. “Ordinarily, if you don’t win a trophy in that amount of time, you’re under huge pressure. But that tells you they see something in what he’s building.”
Indeed, Arsenal have certainly improved from the post-Wenger chaos. They were title contenders last season, falling just short to Manchester City, and pushed Liverpool this year until injuries and a lack of depth derailed their campaign. Yet, the Gunners have also failed to deliver when it mattered most – particularly in Europe, where their exit to PSG highlighted some glaring issues.
Arteta himself admitted in his pre-match press conference that the team had “gone backwards” in the Premier League, a rare show of public honesty that didn’t go unnoticed by Neville.
“I’m glad he said that,” Neville remarked. “Because the Champions League run masked a bit of how poor they’ve actually been in the league these last few weeks. They’ve tickled our backs a little bit, but they’re 13 or 14 points off what they achieved the season before. That’s a significant drop.”
£750 Million Spent – But Just One Striker?
Arsenal FC Training Session And Press Conference – UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Semi Final Second Leg
Neville’s biggest criticism, however, was not aimed directly at Arteta but rather at the club’s recruitment strategy. He highlighted a lack of attacking firepower as a fundamental flaw in the current squad.
“They’ve signed one striker in seven seasons,” Neville said, shaking his head. “That’s ridiculous. You spend £750 million and you only buy one proper striker? That’s not good enough. And that’s not on the manager – that’s the club.”
It’s a damning statistic, especially for a club of Arsenal’s size. While Gabriel Jesus was brought in from Manchester City, he’s more of a false nine than a traditional goal-getter. Eddie Nketiah has shown flashes but lacks consistency at the top level. The need for a prolific, world-class centre-forward has never been more obvious.
“They’ve left Mikel Arteta so short,” Neville added. “You can’t challenge for the biggest trophies without a top striker. It’s that simple.”
Midfield Gaps Still Unresolved
Neville also flagged midfield as another area of concern. While he praised Declan Rice for his performance in the Champions League tie with PSG – “he’s great at receiving the ball on the back foot” – he was less enthusiastic about others.
“Partey’s not great at that part of the game,” he noted. “And they still don’t have a deep-lying midfielder who can dictate play under pressure.”
Rumours continue to link Arsenal with Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, a player widely seen as a missing piece in Arteta’s tactical puzzle. But as Neville pointed out, potential signings won’t help them this season.
What Comes Next?
The Gunners still have a shot at finishing second in the Premier League, but it would be scant consolation for a team that had genuine ambitions of going all the way. If they fail to end the campaign strongly, the conversation around Arteta’s future may begin to shift.
Neville, for now, remains cautiously supportive – albeit with a few caveats.
“I think it’s a good thing that he’s still in the job,” he said. “But football is cruel. Eventually, if you don’t win, the questions come. That patience only lasts so long, even at Arsenal.”
As they prepare for a crucial clash at Anfield, Arsenal fans will be hoping their side can finish on a high and head into the summer with some momentum. But the message is clear: while Arteta has been given more time than most, that clock is always ticking in the background.
Whether it’s Neville or the fans in the stands, everyone knows that next season has to deliver something more tangible. Because in modern football, you can only go trophyless for so long before even the most loyal of projects starts to wear thin.
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