Former Arsenal star Emmanuel Petit said on Monday that parting ways with Arsene Wenger would be “the biggest mistake” but admitted that the London side are suffering from a crisis of confidence.
Arsenal were knocked out of the FA Cup on Saturday and are staring at a seventh successive year without winning a trophy.
In an interview with the BBC on Monday, Petit, who helped Arsenal win the Premier League and FA Cup double in 1998 and won the World Cup with France the same year, said: “That would be the biggest mistake.
“Arsene is still the solution. The players have to look in the mirror, be honest and ask questions of themselves.
“They are playing like they don’t know what’s going on; they don’t know what to do on the pitch. Mentally, they are very weak.”
Wenger has been criticised for allowing his best players to leave and not strengthening the club enough through new signings.
The club sit fourth in the Premier League, 17 points behind leaders Manchester City and were humbled 4-0 at AC Milan in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
Rumours are growing that Wenger, who has been Arsenal manager since 1996, will be moved “upstairs” into a directorial role at the end of the season.
Petit admitted the Frenchman was suffering “the worst moment of his career” and said the problems stemmed back to last season’s Carling Cup final, when they were upset by Birmingham City.
“Birmingham was the crucial point,” Petit said. “From then on, the players started to lose confidence in the policy at Arsenal.
“Arsene built success based on experienced players and big characters. All of a sudden he decided to completely change it, put confidence in young players.
“For five years they were close to winning something but they didn’t and that’s why they have to change the policy.
“They have to bring in more experience and big characters. They need leaders. But you cannot sign big players if you are not in the Champions League.”
The departures at the end of last season of Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona and Samir Nasri to Manchester City – were particularly damaging, Petit said.
“How they managed that was terrible,” Petit said. “Nothing was controlled. Everything was done so quickly without thinking.
“Every year they’re selling their best players. Arsenal are not a football academy – they’re one of the biggest clubs in Europe and need to get back to that level.”
