Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has responded to the criticism aimed at both him and the club after their poor start to the season.
The German international, who was marking the fourth anniversary of his arrival at the Emirates with the post, has taken aim at club legends who have been aiming heavy criticism at their former club in the opening weeks of the Premier League.
“During the last couple of days my DFB (German national team) team-mates have been asking me about how everything is at Arsenal at the moment,” Ozil wrote on Facebook.
“They claimed to have read about the current crisis through the media, as pundits and former players are commenting on a daily basis.
“I’m writing this text together with people that are close to me, and we’ve got something to celebrate. Although no match was won, or trophy was lifted today, Arsenal and I are celebrating our anniversary!”
“We have achieved a lot in our four years together. Three of the 13 FA Cup victories have been accomplished in the past four years, with the other ten taking 75 years for the club to win.
“This is in addition to our three Community Shield wins. After all, six titles in four years is quite something.
“However, this only makes myself and the team even more disappointed for not playing a role in the title race at the end of last season - this is something we hope to change this year.”
The former Real Madrid man has himself been the subject of more criticism than most in the Arsenal side, and has told former players to start acting like legends and support the club.
“Personally I’ve had to accept a lot of criticism during my time in London,” Ozil continued.
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“‘Too expensive, too greedy, bad body language, and lacking fight’ - this is what people have said about me.
“Some of these comments are made by those who do not know me, some are made by former players - both successful and unsuccessful during their time here at the club.
“Although criticism is something that all football players have to deal with, I nevertheless expected legends to behave like legends - my advice to these former Gunners: stop talking and start supporting!”
Ozil will return to Arsenal duty when they host Bournemouth at the Emirates next Saturday.