Rio Ferdinand thinks Arsenal players are going backwards under Arsène Wenger, and says he can’t see any progress at the club.

Arsenal drew 0-0 with West Ham on Wednesday, just a few days after drawing 1-1 with Southampton, in a poor run that sees them with just one win and three goals from their last four away games.

Ferdinand was speaking to BT Sport after the match, and said: “If I’m an Arsenal fan I’m sitting there and asking the question ‘where is the progress over the last few years?’

“Tell me where the progress is with this side because that’s what you look for year in and year out. You look for progression within a football club, within a team [and] I don’t see it.

“I see players going backwards. I don’t see players improving dramatically under this regime and that is the worrying part for me. 

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LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 13: Arsene Wenger, Manager of Arsenal looks on prior to the Premier League match between West Ham United and Arsenal at London Stadium on December 13, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)

“And when you look at this Arsenal team and the history of Arsenal, even Arsene Wenger’s early tenure at the club it was about trophies, it was about winning and competing for titles, for leagues.

“They are not doing that now. They are fighting for one or two positions in the Champions League.” Although Arsenal have been competing for trophies in the last four years, it’s generally just been the FA Cup.

The Premier League title hasn’t ever really seemed like a possibility, even when Leicester City were shock contenders, and the Champions League isn’t even a competition the Gunners are in this season.

To an extent, you can understand why the League Cup results haven’t been better, since Wenger stubbornly insists on using it mainly to blood young players.

Even in the later rounds, that still tends to be the case. For example, Theo Walcott started the 2007 final against Chelsea before he’d even turned 18 or scored a goal for Arsenal.

But in the league, there’s no excuse for the consistently poor performances of the last few years, and this season in particular.

The Gunners have spent money, they have a large squad with hardly any injuries, but they have one goal and no wins in two matches against Southampton and West Ham.

That has to change, because right now Ferdinand is right: the team are playing even worse than they were last year.