Exclusive – Don’t blame Mertesacker! Arsenal’s tactics are the problem, claims McLintock

Arsenal legend Frank McLintock has told talkSPORT Per Mertesacker is not the man to blame for the defensive troubles and instead feels the problem is with Arsene Wenger’s tactics.

The Gunners have conceded 25 goals in the Premier League already this season with the German international looking particularly shaky and receiving plenty of criticism, despite his World Cup winning heroics in the summer.

And given his pedigree, having excelled at Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga and on the international stage before a switch to the Emirates in 2011, McLintock believes French boss Wenger must work on the structure of his leaky backline.

He told the Weekend Sports Breakfast: “Per Mertesacker has got more than 100 caps for Germany so he must be a blooming good player so maybe it’s the way Arsenal play as well.

“Mertesacker hasn’t been good this year, definitely, and maybe that’s the affects of the World Cup but I also think the tactics are bad.”