Bacary Sagna has claimed that Arsenal are run like a circus ahead of their Premier League clash with Manchester City.
The former France right-back made more than 200 appearances for the Gunners between 2007 and 2014 before moving to City.
And he has a strong opinion on how the club is currently being run, with the team in a state of turmoil as they languish ninth in the Premier League, seven points short of the Champions League spots and only seven clear of the relegation zone.
Arsenal are currently in the market for a new manager, having sacked Unai Emery at the end of November, while interim boss Freddie Ljungberg has failed to have a positive impact, picking up just a single point in Premier League matches against Norwich and Brighton.
“It's a big circus at the club, you don't really know who's leaving and who is making the decisions,” he told Sky Sports. “It seems like the players lack confidence. You can't blame them because they don't know who is going to be the next manager.
“It’s a tricky situation for the club.”
The 36-year-old, who recently hung up his boots after a spell in MLS with the Montreal Impact, does not forecast an easy fix.
“First of all they need to find a good manager and stability in the club,” he said. “Because in past years they always have players leaving at the end of seasons and it's been a long time since they kept the same group of players.
“You still have great players in Mesut Ozil and Nicolas Pepe and even the defence.
“I think it's more like a lack of confidence why the defenders aren't performing.”
Manchester City assistant manager Mikel Arteta has emerged as the favourite to become the Gunners’ new boss, while out-of-work Carlo Ancelotti and Nice head coach Patrick Vieira are two other names thought to be in the frame.
Ancelotti is the favoured option of former Highbury favourite Emmanuel Petit, who has spoken of his belief that the club needs an experienced winner to get itself back up the standings and into the reckoning for major trophies.