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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Stephen Killen & Charlotte Coates

Liverpool legend Graeme Souness believes Arsenal will have to 'wait for success'

Graeme Souness believes Arsenal will have to 'wait for success' if their process is to put faith in young players at the club.

The former Liverpool midfielder engaged in a debate with Roy Keane and Micah Richards about the Gunners ahead of the new season.

Sky Sports pundit Souness compared Arsenal to Liverpool and highlighted how it was 'men against boys' when the two sides have recently come head-to-head.

Former Manchester United captain Keane recalled how Mikel Arteta's side 'blew' their opportunity to finish in the top four in the Premier League and qualify for Champions League football last season as Tottenham pipped their rivals to fourth spot.

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Arsenal have a side filled with younger players such as Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe as Souness said: " Is the process faith in young players? If that’s your process you’ll have to wait for success.

"I think they were predictable. I think what you get with young players is that inconsistency, it’s a hard long season, I can remember going back a few years, when they played against Liverpool they played against a team of men and if you’ve been across the course over time you become battle-hardened and I don’t think Arsenal have any of that in them and it’ll be a slow process.

"I don’t know what process you’re eluding to but it’ll be a slow process for them."

Keane spoke of Arsenal's failed pursuit of Champions League football last season: " Of course, I couldn’t agree more I think this was their opportunity. They blew it, they got into a great position, four, five games to go in the season you think they’re in pole position and they blew it.

"They couldn’t get over the line. They were poor, the Newcastle game was a real blow to them where they never turned up and the manager was quite critical of them after the game, some of the players were – senior ones – so you wouldn’t be putting any bets on Arsenal to finish top four next season because the other teams, Man United will better – you’d of thought. Tottenham will be stronger, you can’t see it, big setback."

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