Arsenal icon Tony Adams has blasted the club’s decision to name Sir Chips Keswick as the new chairman – and claimed he would have been a wiser choice.
Keswick replaces Peter Hill-Wood, 77, who stepped down last week for health reasons after over three decades as chairman.
At 73, Keswick – full name John Chippendale Lindley Keswick – is a mere stripling in comparison to Hill-Wood.
He has been on the club’s board since 2005 and is the former chairman of Hambros Bank and a director of the Bank of England.
“Chips is a great guy but not a very imaginative choice by the owner – and he is 73,” said Adams, who won four league titles, three FA Cups and the Double during a 19-year career with the Gunners.
“If they just wanted a figurehead, they should have gone for me. It would have been a better visionary decision than Chips.
“They should be lining up the new manager. Chief executive Ivan Gazidis is in a tricky situation and could do with some help.”
Adams, 46, retired from football in 2002 with many expecting the former centre-back, who collected 66 England caps during his career, to make a successful transition into management.
But largely unsuccessful spells at Portsmouth and Azerbaijan outfit Gabala followed.
Wenger is credited by many with extending Adams’ playing career at the top level but the Frenchman has not guided Arsenal to any silverware in the last eight seasons and Adams reckons they are still a long way off achieving such goals.
“It’s time that Arsenal won something again, even the FA Cup or League Cup. But I can’t see it, to be honest,” Adams told The Sun.
“They are still not good enough in certain areas of the team. And they are miles off the title.”
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