Arsenal lack backbone and are further away than ever from winning the Champions League, writes Rio Ferdinand

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Rio Ferdinand13 September 2016

Arsenal are further away than ever from winning the Champions League and it’s because they have never really replaced the great spine from a decade ago.

There is no one in this side that can match players such as Sol Campbell, Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry.

Those were guys that had big personalities and were men when they went into the changing room.

They demanded the highest standards off each other and I just don’t see that in the Arsenal team at the moment.

Just look at the only Arsenal team to reach the Champions League Final in 2006. Okay, Vieira wasn’t there then but they had Gilberto Silva in midfield, a player who had won the World Cup and was part of the Invincibles’ side two years earlier.

That team was blessed full of winners, people who knew how to go out on the pitch and get the job done.

In all of those people there was a steely ruthlessness that I don’t see from the 2016-17 side.

Sometimes it is down to recruitment. I remember speaking to Sir Alex Ferguson a few years ago and he said it’s more than just buying a player, you’re buying a human being. So you need to find out about them, what they’re like before the deal takes place.

I’m not saying Arsenal don’t have good guys now or good players but you need people in the dressing room that will upset the applecart sometimes and ruffle a few feathers. When people are not pulling their weight they need to be told in no uncertain terms to sort themselves out — that ‘your performances and way you’re applying yourself will affect me winning trophies’.

Arsenal in training ahead of PSG

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In top teams, players won’t accept that kind of attitude. I just don’t know if there is that nastiness in the Arsenal changing room.

Yes they have good footballers but you need more than that. Loads of teams have good footballers.

But it is the mentality of the squad that can help you get through tough times when you need it most.

Consistency comes with people who apply themselves properly and don’t take any rubbish.

You saw that with Chelsea at the weekend. In previous years they would have shut up shop and beaten Swansea 2-0 rather than drawn 2-2 but maybe they are still getting used to a new manager.

Arsenal don’t have that excuse, Arsene Wenger has been there a long time. They have lost in the last 16 of the Champions League for the last six seasons. That tells you everything you need to know, they just can’t get past a certain level.

If I was still playing in the competition for one of the big teams, I wouldn’t see them as a direct threat to winning it, not at all.

They will have moments in the season where they will do well but I just can’t see them doing it regularly.

Of course, they have some top players but you need more than that in your make-up if you’re going to get over the line to win things in a hard gruelling season. You can’t pick and choose the weeks where you want to do well, you have to turn up and perform throughout. They don’t have enough of those players.

To be fair it’s not just an Arsenal problem. All the English clubs have been outshone by Spanish, German and Italian sides in recent years. It will be good to see some improvement. Who knows, this could be Arsene Wenger’s last crack at the competition given he’s in the final year of his contract.

When you have people doubting you, there is no sweeter feeling than proving them wrong. I had it as a player near the end of my career and loved lifting the Premier League title in 2013.

This could be great fuel for Wenger but it is a big ask for him to turn it around like that. He has won a lot in his career and the Champions League is the one thing that’s missing. But if they’d been good enough they would have done so by now, so there is no point crying about it. They have to just go out and do it.

Photo: Michael Regan/Getty Images
Michael Regan/Getty Images

Facing Paris St Germain in their first game tonight is another step up in quality for them.

Looking at the group, you would think they’d progress but at the same time if they lose in the French capital it will put them under a lot of pressure.

Arsenal are away from home, which makes it harder and they shouldn’t underestimate Basle, who have a lot of experience at this level and are very tough at home.

Rio Ferdinand is part of BT Sport’s Uefa Champions League coverage. Watch his blog after the match on btsport.com

BT Sport is the only place to watch all four major football competitions in one place, with exclusively live coverage of the Premier League, Uefa Champions League, Uefa Europa League and Emirates FA Cup.

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