Tony Adams furious with stand-in Arsenal assistant Per Mertesacker

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Tony Adams has blasted Per Mertesacker for leaving his role as Arsenal’s academy director to assist Freddie Ljungberg.

Ljungberg was appointed interim head coach after Unai Emery’s sacking and he immediately saw Mertesacker step in to assist him with the first team.

The towering German was alongside Ljungberg on the bench on Thursday night as Arsenal were shocked 2-1 at home to Brighton, who had gone into the match on the back of three straight Premier League losses.

The club’s board are clearly thinking in the short-term as they look to enjoy a bounce effect from replacing Emery, but Adams has questioned Mertesacker’s decision to leave the club’s youth set-up.

“Per Mertesacker is the academy director. The club have taken him out of his role,” Adams told Premier League Productions.

“He’s got to do the recruitment for the future of the club. We’ve got to produce players. That’s more important than what’s going on today on that football pitch.

“You need to build the future of Arsenal Football Club, Per Mertesacker.

“That’s what he’s got to do, concentrate on that. Go and find the players, go and sort that out. You can’t take him out. What’s the academy doing at the moment?

“How long does this continue, did it really affect [the first team]? I think I’ve made my point.”

 

 

Adams was asked about Mesut Ozil, who was filmed shouting at Alexandre Lacazette after the game.

“I don’t mind that actually,” Adams added. “There’s a little bit of spirit there. I don’t mind that. Maybe he should have done it before the game. Before the game and take that attitude on to the pitch. The game’s gone now, it’s all over.

“If he’d got the frustration out before the game and say ‘I’m really going to go and run around and do my stuff today’. He’s frustrated, obviously.”

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