Gunners lack guile

Arsenal legend Nigel Winterburn feels Arsene Wenger needs to bring in two or three "mentally strong" players if the Gunners are to have any hopes of winning silverware. Arsenal were second best in both legs of their Champions League semi-final against Manchester United - their second last-four defeat this season - and speaking to Sky Sports News, Winterburn thinks it's time for Wenger to delve into the transfer market. "From Arsene Wenger's point of view he's going to have to revaluate his squad and have a look at where he can strengthen," said Winterburn, who made 440 appearances for Arsenal. "Last season Arsenal were top of the Premier League until February, then fell away. This season they were poor at the start, came back strong and deserve credit for reaching the semi-finals of the FA Cup and Champions League. But when it comes to the next step, which is winning things, they've come up a bit short. "Most people have been saying for a season and a half that Arsenal need another centre-back to compete with Toure and Gallas. I'd also like to see a big, strong midfielder playing alongside Cesc Fabregas. "That would give them a massive lift and I don't think they would then be far away from challenging the top three. They're a lot closer to them than people think but there is a fine line between winning and losing, and at the moment the fans aren't very happy about that." Arsenal will again compete in next season's Champions League after last weekend's 3-0 win at Portsmouth confirmed a top-four finish. However, they are now four years without a trophy and until they end this barren spell, Winterburn thinks they'll struggle to progress onto the next level. "Arsenal can't keep going on about potential," he stated. "The one thing this team needs is its own identity, and by that I mean a trophy. "Everyone talks about Highbury and all its tradition; that's because all the teams there won things. It's a new team, a new stadium and they need a trophy. I don't think the fans would care what that was. "People are going to say that they're too young and when they come up against the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United I would have to agree. I think they've shown in the second half of the season that they are good enough to beat a lot of the teams in the Premier League, but they need to take the next step. To do that they need two or three mentally strong players, who can lead them through the difficult periods in the big games."