Arsenal players are too quiet on the pitch, claims Stoke City midfielder Charlie Adam

"I don't see that type of player who gets to that stage where they want to have a go at somebody to try and gee them up and get them going"

Stoke City's Charlie Adam challenges Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez during the 2014/15 season (Getty Images)

Stoke City midfielder Charlie Adam has claimed that Arsenal’s players are not vocal enough on the pitch during matches and that their squad lacks motivational leaders.

Arsene Wenger’s side have been heavily criticised after a week which saw their hopes of Champions League qualification dented by Barcelona and their Premier League title hopes a defeat to a youthful Manchester United side deflate their Premier League title hopes.

Speaking in the aftermath of the defeat at Old Trafford, Sky Sports analyst Graeme Souness said the Gunners’ performance ‘bordered on being a joke’ while former player Ray Parlour was one of many pundits to claim the squad lacks leaders.

Adam told BBC Radio Five Live’s ‘Monday Night Club’ that Gunners’ players rarely ‘gee up’ or ‘dig out’ their team-mates. When asked to identify which Arsenal players were most vocal on the pitch, he said: “Nobody. Because they have so much of the ball, there's not really anybody.

“There's players on other teams, where if you do something wrong, you see them get dug out.

“If I'm beside Glenn Whelan and I do something wrong, he'll dig me out, it doesn't mean he doesn't like me, it's just that he knows you're better than what you are, and sometimes you need that, you need that rollicking to spur you on.

“Playing against Arsenal, I don't see it. I don't see that type of player who gets to that stage where they want to have a go at somebody to try and gee them up and get them going.

“Sadly, it's missing,” added the former Rangers, Blackpool and Liverpool midfielder.

Arsenal, who entertain Swansea City at the Emirates on Wednesday night, are five points behind league leaders Leicester City and three behind rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who they face at White Hart Lane on Saturday.