LONDON -- Arsenal legend Ian Wright says the current squad lack the same winning mentality as the 1998 Double winners.
Wright can still recall a crucial point in Arsenal's remarkable 1998 title run when -- much like the current Gunners -- they were well behind the Premier League leaders and seemed out of contention.
Arsenal, who had been 12 points behind Manchester United going into March, ended up winning the league by one point -- giving Arsene Wenger his first title at the club, but it was down to then-captain Tony Adams' motivation.
"I remember with three or four months of the season to go, Tony Adams calling a meeting and telling us that he needs four months of pure, 100 percent dedication from all of us," the former striker told ESPN FC at an event to launch the Barclays' Spirit of the Game trophy competition.
"That means no going out, no drinking, no nothing. Just pure footballing. And we did it. The boys ended up with [10 wins] on the spin, and we won the league."
Having been top of the Premier League in mid-January, Arsenal lost their lead and now sit 11 points behind shock leader Leicester City. But, while the scenarios might be similar, Wright insists the lack of an Adams-style leader in the current squad raises serious doubts about whether they can replicate the 1998 run.
"Whether or not the players in this dressing room have got that mental strength, I don't think they've shown that this season," Wright said. "There are games that they should have won. And as we've seen with Leicester, 1-0 is good enough. And there are games where if they could have done that on a few occasions, they'd be a lot closer."
Fan support has been an issue for Arsenal this season, with growing discord about Wenger's future at the club as his side's season crumpled in February and March. But with Wenger's job seemingly safe until the end of next season, Wright said it was crucial the supporters unite behind the team for the run-in.
"The fans have got every right to show their discontent because with the team we have and the quality we have, we should be doing better," he added. "But at this stage, when you're in the title push, you need the fans and everything they bring. But at some stage you have to give them something back."
And, regardless of what happens during the rest of the season, Wright thinks Arsenal must do something to strengthen their spine in the summer.
"They need to buy a couple of players," he said. "We're not talking about just going out to spend the most money you can. They need to buy some players who are going to bring the right mentality into a dressing room that needs a little bit of leadership. That's what I think is needed right now.
"In each department we need a really experienced player with a different kind of mentality than the players we've got right now. Because I'm not sure how much it hurts when they lose. And for me, if they don't win the league this season and I was in that dressing room, the way I played, I would be very disappointed.
"I wouldn't have a very good summer, because I would feel that it would have been an opportunity to do something which was missed.
"You don't find a Tony Adams every day, or a Patrick Vieira or Dennis Bergkamp. I could go on forever about the players I played with. But you've got to find players who have an attitude of winning and who know what winning feels like and who want that continuously."