Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has publicly criticized Arsenal star Mesut Ozil, claiming the German playmaker isn't even trying hard at the Emirates.
Furthermore, according to the 40-year-old Englishman, Ozil “took the easy option” of swapping Los Blancos for the Gunners last season, whilst also blaming lack of leadership at Arsenal as playing a key role in the German's inability to take the English Premier League by storm.
Writing in the Evening Standard, Scholes said: "Over the years, the big players who were really ambitious – Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie – have all left.
"They left for the simple reason that Arsenal are not in it to win league titles any more.
"Those players have realised that if they want to win championships then they have to move elsewhere. It’s why I think Mesut Ozil took the easy option joining Arsenal.
"Since he has been there you cannot doubt his quality but at times he looks like he is going through the motions, however much ground he covers.
"He needs a leader around him to get him going. At Real Madrid he had a chance of winning league titles. At Arsenal that is not on the cards."
The Red Devils legend joins a long-list of famous names to bash the former Real Madrid ace for his disappointing work rate. Despite making a stellar start to life at Arsenal, the 26-year-old, after sealing a club-record £42.4m move to north London, has failed to live up to his hefty price tag. Many now wonder whether he was just a waste of money.
After spending three months on the sidelines between October and January with a serious knee injury, Ozil appears to have cemented his place in the starting lineup with some strong performances since his comeback. The 5-0 win home to Aston Villa and the 2-1 victory over relegation-threatened QPR, on Wednesday, pop into mind.
Nonetheless, this has not and, most probably, will not spare the World Cup winner from being slammed if he puts in another below par display.
Scholes did not stop there, however. The 11-time English Premier League winner also took aim at Arsene Wenger's ambitionless Arsenal, hitting out at the side for what he sees as a club satisfied with a top-four finish each season.
"It is hard when you have a recent history as successful as Arsenal were under Arsene Wenger in his first 10 years at the club. Hard in that you will always be compared to great teams of the past – as the current United team are just finding out now.
"My issue with Arsenal is that I don’t think they are striving to be like the great teams of theirs who used to battle us for the league title. They seem happy to finish fourth every year."
