RTÉ Soccer analyst Eamon Dunphy believes that Arsenal's transfer and recruiting policy is to blame for them finishing outside of the top four this year, rather than manager Arsene Wenger.
Arsenal missed out on qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years on Sunday as Liverpool held on to beat them to the final qualification place.
Wenger has come under increased criticism and pressure from supporters this season, with protests from the terraces including a match boycott and fly-by aeroplanes carrying banners.
However Dunphy believes that replacing Wenger would not solve Arsenal’s problems and instead points to a lack of muscle in the transfer market in recent years, which has led to some mediocre signings.
"I respect Arsene Wenger like everyone who reflects on the whole span of his career, but it doesn’t look like the club is going in the right direction," he told 2FM's Game On.
"This is the first time in 20 years that they haven’t finished in the top four and they bought badly.
"They’ve been unlucky with injuries, Santi Carzolla and Danny Wellbeck have been injured for most of the season.
"It’s hard to make an argument that a man who has been as great as he has and has built the teams that he has, should be sacked.
"But it’s hard to see Arsenal finish in the top four next year because they don’t spend the kind of money on wages or in the transfer market that you need to keep up."
Dunphy believes that kind of money that’s being pumped into the likes of Chelsea and the two Manchester clubs has seen Arsenal drop further and further behind.
He claims that the Gunners need to spend as much as their rivals to become competitive again and that Wenger is often ‘scratching around’ when it comes to signing players.
"He’s been in that position for several years and he’s described himself as the victim of financial doping, which he in a way," Dunphy said.
"It’s the policy of the club rather than the ability of the coach that’s the problem. He [Wenger] has to scratch around in relative terms.
"Pep Guardiola spent £170million last summer and what did he get? A lesser placing that Manuel Pellegrini and he got them to the semi-final of the Champions League.
"It’s difficult to take the results alone, you’ve got to take the background and circumstances and I think a change at Arsenal would not work very well unless there’s a change of club policy.
"My view would be there’s no point in changing Arsene Wenger because you’re unlikely to get someone as good or better. You’ve got to change the policy of the club.
"Are they in the market to compete with Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea or are they not?
"If they’re not then there’s no use blaming Arsene Wenger."
