Arsenal hero Emmanuel Petit has questioned Arsene Wenger's transfer policy.
Arsenal face Liverpool on Sunday knowing they need to win to keep up the pressure on Manchester United.
Petit said: "I tell him (Wenger) that it's been more than 10 years since he's been with Arsenal and he's built the majority of his successes on the experience of the players he had in his possession.
"There was Steve Bould, Adams, Keown, Winterburn, Dixon, Seaman, just English players. We had 60-65 percent English players but we were all between 27 and 32 years of age.
"He then banked everything on youth to format them in the image he wants to make of a team.
"I think there's also a big problem within this squad because to reach your objectives you need a competitive spirit. What does that mean?
"It means that in the good and the bad times you have to be able to get back up, so that you don't crumble.
"In the sprint finish, they've collapsed a bit. I think that, before the elimination against Barcelona, the Carling Cup final against Birmingham was where the real rupture happened, where they really gave this final away on a plate.
"Although they have made a lot of progress this team when you see the youth on display.
"With an average age of 23, compared to practically 27, 28 for Barcelona, you realise that they're the only team in Europe which has such a low average age and still gets pretty impressive results - even if there's no trophy at the end of it."
