Almunia calls for experience

Gunners keeper wants manager to add to squad

By James Dall   Last updated: 10th July 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Almunia calls for experience

Almunia: Urging Wenger

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Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia has urged manager Arsene Wenger to 'work harder' to add more experienced personnel to the squad.

Wenger has been criticised for relying too much on youth and has come under pressure to break his usual spending trend by buying big-name players this summer.

To date, the French tactician has landed Belgium defender Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax while he reportedly remains in the market for further additions.

A defensive midfielder is said to be high on Wenger's list of priorities, but it seems he will lose out on Fiorentina's Felipe Melo, who seems set for Juventus.

Almunia, 32, is eager to lift the Gunners' first trophy since 2005 and is hopeful Wenger will complement the current crop of talent at Emirates Stadium ahead of the new season.

"It's great to have a young team but youth doesn't give you titles," the Spaniard told Champions magazine.

"To go a step further players need to demand more of themselves, be more professional, braver in big games.

"We need the manager to work harder to get what we need, the club to make an extra effort to make us more competitive. We need more than youth."