Arsenal continue to look “sick”, says Robert Pires, with a Gunners legend admitting that the club need to find “the right medicine” in their next managerial appointment.
Struggles in north London have seen Unai Emery removed from a role that he ultimately failed to convince in.
The search is on for a suitable successor, with several prominent figures considered to be in the frame.
It remains to be seen in which direction Arsenal will choose to head, with there much work to be done on and off the field at Emirates Stadium.
A 2-2 draw with Norwich under the interim guidance of Freddie Ljungberg further highlighted that fact, with serious issues needing to be addressed.
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World Cup winner Pires, who formed part of the Gunners’ fabled ‘Invincibles’ squad back in 2003-04, admits as much, with the Frenchman fearing for the long-term health of a fallen giant.
He told Canal Plus when asked for his take on Arsenal after a seeing them held at Carrow Road: “This was a complicated and difficult game, stressful even sometimes.
“The bottom line is that the team is still sick.
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“Freddie or someone else, they are going to have to find the right medicine.
“They are going to have to be patient but this is a little bit what has been happening since the start of the season.
“We are weak, we are not calm. When you are lacking confidence, you take less responsibility. You try fewer things.
“I think going forward things look very good, but defensively, and Freddie knows this, with Per (Mertesacker), a lot of work is required.”
Arsenal did show some fighting spirit against Norwich, as they had to hit back from falling behind on two occasions to claim a share of the spoils.
The Canaries missed a number of gilt-edged chances, though, and could have made life even more miserable for the troubled Gunners.
As things stand, with there no indication as to how long Ljungberg will remain at the helm, Arsenal sit eighth in the Premier League table – seven points adrift of the top four and in need of a spark from somewhere.