Jens Lehmann names three Arsenal players who are failing Arsene Wenger

If there is one thing Arsenal supporters agree on at this stage of the season, it is that they are desperate need of a squad overhaul in the summer.

While some sections of the Emirates faithful believe Arsene Wenger is the primary cause of their recurring woes over the past decade, surely even they must concede their current crop of players is not up to scratch.

Calls for the French to bring down the curtain on his 21-year career at Arsenal have reached fever pitch since his side was dismantled 5-1 in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie against Bayern Munich.

The pressure on his shoulders has only grown since the Gunners suffered a repeat scoreline on their own turf in the reverse fixture – a result succeeded by a hollow 5-0 FA Cup win over Lincoln then a 3-1 loss to West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League.

Now sitting in sixth-place, Arsenal have crashed out of Europe in humiliating fashion and conceded precious ground to their rivals in the race for a top four finish, all in the first three months of 2017. 

Their downfall has coincided with an alarming slump in individual performances from star players, prompting former Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann to level the responsibility at them rather than the manager alone.

The German has accused Alexis Sanchez of sulking, Mesut Ozil of being soft and Shkodran Mustafi of not meeting the quality required of an Arsenal defender.

“They talk about Sanchez being a big player — but if you are sulking, you can’t be a big player,” Lehmann, a member of the Gunners’ Invincibles in 2003-04, said, as per The Sun.

“You must be a big player mentally — not just be good at dribbling. “There’s always a question with Ozil — how much can he contribute when it gets tough?

“It’s not Mustafi’s fault someone has paid £35m for him. If someone buys me for £35m, the next day I’m not a better player. 

“He is giving everything. But sometimes the team concede five, so he has to ask himself if it’s good enough?”

The trio was expected to play a key role in ending Arsenal’s 12-season wait for a Premier League title, and Lehmann feels their failure to do so should deflect some of the blame from their manager.

“All these guys when they came to Arsenal were happy to join. They should not forget that. “They can’t just turn around and say, ‘The manager is c**p — it’s his responsibility’.

“That’s not possible if you have character. They’re good players, they have character — but they need to show it! “I haven’t seen Arsene criticise them. It’s payback.

“Their next game against Manchester City is a good occasion to do that. They owe him.” 

 One would think Arsenal – who have suffered defeat in four of their last five league outings – simply must pick up three points after the international break to have any hope of clawing their way back into the top four.