Arsene Wenger has questioned whether Mesut Ozil can handle criticism, after the Arsenal midfielder was blasted for his performance against Spurs last weekend.
Ozil spoke out against the negative reaction during the week, and said he would not change his 'body language' or his 'style of play' anymore. He also dismissed claims about the honesty of his performances, and insisted that he has the right attitude for his role in the team.
The Arsenal manager however, seems unsure about Ozil's ability to absorb such criticism. Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of Arsenal's clash with Man United this weekend, he said:
"I don't know, I'm not sure (if he can cope with that responsibility). I think he embraces the challenge to play big games. Does he embrace the challenge to be criticised? I'm not sure. Does he like to be criticised? I'm not sure.
"He needs (tough love). We had some good conversations with him but he has not necessarily had time to write (about them) in a book, so you don't know about it. I don't tell you what I tell them.
"At the end of the day, you want all your players to be at their best in every single game so, when they don't achieve that, of course you are frustrated, but we all played football (against Tottenham).
Following Arsenal's 2-0 defeat to Tottenham last weekend, there were reports that Ozil kicked a dressing room door in frustration after being selected to undergo a random drugs test.
When asked about Ozil's conduct at a press conference, Wenger said he suspected that the German player's reaction was fuelled by the outcome of the game, rather than the request to do a drugs test.
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