Legendary Arsenal manager George Graham has warned current boss Arsene Wenger to solve the defensive crisis that is crippling the team.

Graham was in charge from 1986 to 1995 and built one of the best backlines English football has ever seen.

But the current crop have dropped far below that standard conceding eight against Manchester United and four to Blackburn Rovers.

Per Mertesacker and Andre Santos were bought to bolster their defence just before the transfer deadline, but Graham insists they should have been signed earlier in the summer.

“The defence should be better, I don’t think it could get much worse,” he told BBC Radio Five Live

“I think they left it a bit late to bring in all these players. Two weeks of the season had gone by, and he’s not had time to work with the players he’s brought in.

“Especially among the defence. They’ve not had enough time to work with the back four.’ It’s been generally known they had to shore up the defence.

“Some of their attacking play is still the best in the league, and even at the weekend against Blackburn some of their possession play was fantastic.

“But again the old problems defensively cropped up and they lost 4-3.”

Now Graham is waiting to see whether Wenger has recruited wisely, suggesting the new arrivals have plenty to prove.

“Wenger’s been there for 15 years, this is probably going to be the toughest period,” Graham added.

“With the quality of the players, we don’t know how good they’re going to be. Some of the players he’s brought in, the fans don’t even know who they are.

“In the past he’s brought in players, good players, that he’s turned into world-class players. Now the jury’s out.

“Can the players he’s brought in recently turn out to be as good as those from the past?”

“Everybody knew they (Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri) were on the way out way before the beginning of the season.

“I would like to know who was responsible for the approach to the new season.”

Reports have surfaced that Ricky Alvarez could be on the move from Inter Milan in January.

The Argentine, who chose Inter over offers from Manchester United and Arsenal, was left in the stands for Saturday’s 0-0 draw with AS Roma.

TMW says if things do not improve, Alvarez’s agent, Marcelo Simonian, will seek a move away for him when the transfer market reopens.

A loan switch is likely, though a permanent deal cannot be ruled out for the ex-Velez Sarsfield star.

Simonian admits Alvarez still has many admirers in England.

Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis has made it clear the club will not sack manager Arsene Wenger, despite a poor start this season.

The Gunners lie 17th in the Premier League table, just one point above the relegation zone at the moment.
Saturday's 4-3 defeat to Blackburn at Ewood Park confirmed their worst start to a season since 1953.
Gazidis has made it very clear that the solution is not to dismiss the Frenchman, and believes the 61-year old will turn the club around.
"Arsene Wenger is not broken," he claimed. "To see him portrayed as an idiot is damaging - not to him or the club but to the game.
"[Sacking him] is a route we are not going to go down.
"He didn't suddenly become a bad manager or out of touch. That's nonsense.
"If we get into short-termism we will do more damage to the club. He's frustrated but very, very focused on putting things right and is as positively engaged as ever to drive the club forward.
"The club is not in crisis. There's no division in the club. We work together."