Arsenal boss Unai Emery has leapt to the defence of Shkodran Mustafi after their defeat to Crystal Palace.
The 27-year-old was targeted once again for his questionable defending in Arsenal's 3-2 defeat to Crystal Palace last weekend, prompting another wave of criticism for a player greatly maligned following his £35million move from Valencia in 2016.
“I want every player to have big confidence," began Emery, ahead of Wednesday's Premier League trip to Wolves.
“You can take confidence from training and from playing but above all when we win together or individually put in a big performance. Also, we need our supporters to help us. I know we are the actors, and the actor needs to be strong.
“First, when we win they are telling us we are the best, we have a record, we have a possibility to be third in the table – OK, that is good, but it's the moment when we can take the balance in the middle.
"Because when we aren't in this position in the table or aren't individually also putting in good performances and the criticism is coming at us, it is the moment to have balance.
“I want to protect the players. Mustafi is a very good player, a very good centre-back, he has the habit – usually he is doing the tackle and going to ground, using anticipation against the opposition.
"He can win one, win two, win three, win four – but if he loses one he is the picture and if he concedes a goal he is the big picture. For example, Sunday was the same and happened with him.
“I have spoken to him: 'You are young, you can improve and you need also to work hard because you have a big quality for a centre-back.'
"For example, at Watford [in last Monday's 1-0 win], he was the best of all the players, he won all of the balls in the air with his head, that is a very good statistic for him. On Sunday against [Christian] Benteke it's more difficult to win every ball in the air but it was 50-50."
Emery continued by explaining Mustafi is at his best when Arsenal adopt a 3-4-2-1/3-4-1-2 shape rather than a 4-2-3-1 system they have often used this season.
“When we use three centre backs, we protect them more," he said. “You can anticipate, and you can lose one [tackle] but we have two who are covering.
"When we have only two, if you lose the anticipation, there is only one behind. That is happening a lot with Mustafi, but I want him not every time to do the tackle on the ground.
“Sometimes you need to stop, sometimes you need to stay with the player because sometimes we concede a penalty because you want to anticipate.
"You have to be clever in your mind about what is the moment to go (to ground) and what is not the moment, but that is part of the process.
“He is young, he is improving and Sunday he is in the big picture because of the second goal. Who is in this picture? Mustafi – but it's not his mistake.
"The mistake was tactical because we need to protect him with two centre-backs against Zaha. I protect him because I believe in him.
“He needs to improve things tactically, decision-making, but he has good quality and needs confidence. Now, maybe he has lost a bit of confidence.
"But my work is to help him. I am going to say to our supporters, 'Help our players.' But I know we need to take the criticism and be strong as players, as a coach, as a team, as a club. We receive criticism in some moments but it's our work. We need to improve knowing that."
Emery insisted there were no plans to sell Mustafi.
“We need him," he said. “Now, we need him. We need [Konstantinos] Mavropanos, we need every player. I am going to use every player to help us.
“We need to focus only for the next match, the training, the next match, to protect them and take confidence. My work is to help them to do the best in the 90 minutes, with the videos, with the tactical preparation."
