Dubai: Former Arsenal striker Tony Woodcock wants the Gunners to find their killer instinct in this Saturday’s FA Cup final against Aston Villa at Wembley.
The North London club finished third in the English Premier League (EPL) and qualified to the Uefa Champions League for an 18th consecutive season this year.
But Woodcock says retaining the FA Cup to secure only their second title in 10 years still isn’t enough for some fans, who want to see Arsene Wenger’s side compete with more conviction next season.
“Arsenal are big favourites and should go out and take the game by the scruff of the neck to show people that they really deserve to be FA Cup winners,” Woodcock said on the sidelines of a guest appearance at Girders in the JA Ocean View Hotel in JBR last week.
“Villa have got a great chance to rescue their season and put themselves back on track but, let’s be honest, if Arsenal play Villa ten times, you’d expect Arsenal to win nine.
“Arsenal need to be mentally strong, pick the right team and play with the determination of really wanting to pick a trophy up, not by saying ‘if we play well enough we’ll fit into place and win’.”
Woodcock, who scored 56 goals in 131 games for Arsenal from 1982 to 1986, said the club lacked that killer attitude and fans were losing patience with the side as a result.
“The big problem with Arsenal is that, when everything appears to be going well, they suffer a big disappointment.”
He used the club’s recent 1-0 loss at home to Swansea City following a ten-game unbeaten run as an example.
“They could have been [EPL] champions over the last few years if only they had got their act together.
“Finishing inside the top four for 17 years is a great achievement and it brings a lot of money to the club, but we don’t seem to be ironing out the small problems that could take us from being good to great.
“We make top four and the FA Cup final and play some nice football, but there’s something not quite there that they could just change by taking the game by the scruff of the neck, to really dominate and become a force.
“I think that’s the difference between Chelsea and Arsenal, its men against boys. Chelsea know what it’s like to win and want to win and there’s a structure there that enables them to win, but with Arsenal it’s a little bit hit and miss.
“It’s a small margin and we are not too far off, it just needs a few big players in the right positions. But that’s not easy when you’ve got a structure where you don’t pay over the odds and only 10 or 12 clubs in Europe can attract the best players. It’s a tricky one, we are not too far off but not everyone is content.
“If you are going to come out and say you are going to challenge for the title next season you have to stay true to your word, not sit back and see what happens.”
