Paul Merson insists he’d ‘do a BETTER job’ than Edu as Arsenal’s technical director as he hits out at the state of his old club… and claims he could manage both Soccer Saturday duties and the role!
- Paul Merson backed himself to ‘do a better job’ as Arsenal’s technical director
- Gunners technical director Edu has found himself under fire since season start
- Arsenal have made their worst start to a campaign for 67 years and sit bottom
- The abysmal spell comes after the club splashed out around £150m on additions
- READ: CHRIS SUTTON – Sorry Arsenal, you haven’t got much for your £150m
Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson has backed himself to ‘do a better job’ as Arsenal’s technical director Edu as he slammed the state of his old club.
The Gunners have started the season in abysmal fashion, losing their first three games of the Premier League campaign to give them their worst start to a season for 67 years.
The dreadful period in which they’ve lost 2-0 to Brentford and Chelsea as well as being on the receiving end of a 5-0 thrashing by Manchester City, comes after splashing out around £150million this summer.
Paul Merson (L) has backed himself to ‘do a better job’ as Arsenal’s technical director Edu (R)
Manager Mikel Arteta has come under intense scrutiny while former Gunners midfielder Edu has also come under fire as technical director at the club.
Merson, who scored 78 goals in 327 league appearances for Arsenal between 1985 and 1997, is the latest to slam his former club.
‘Tell you what I’d do a better job [than Edu]. I’ll tell you now, I could do both [Soccer Saturday and Director of Football], if you’re successful you play on Sunday’s,’ Merson said on Sky Sports News.
Arsenal have spent around £150m this summer, on the likes of defender Ben White (above)
‘I think their season starts when they start when they come back from the international break.
The fixtures coming up are winnable games, or they will have to win them there’s no doubt about that.
‘Mikel Arteta will have till the October international, if they haven’t done anything by then he will be under pressure. When you spend that kind of money, these players have to perform.’
Arsenal rounded off their summer spending spree with the £19.8m arrival of Takehiro Tomiyasu from Bologna on deadline day.
Arsenal landed a deadline-day deal for Bologna and Japan defender Takehiro Tomiyasu
Prior to the last-minute deal the Gunners have seen Ben White (Brighton, £50m), Martin Odegaard (Real Madrid, £31.5m), Aaron Ramsdale (Sheffield United, £25m), Albert Sambi Lokonga (Anderlecht, £15m), Nuno Tavares (Benfica, £7m) and Mika Biereth (Fulham, undisclosed) walk through the door.
Despite the new faces Merson expects his former side to finish mid-table as he claimed ending the season in fifth or sixth would be a surprise.
‘At the moment, Arsenal are middle of the table. If they come fifth or sixth I think they’re pulling up trees, 10th is about right,’ he added.
Arsenal prop up the Premier League table and face 19th-placed Norwich following the upcoming international break.
