Former Arsenal defender Mikael Silvestre has stated his belief that Arsene Wenger is not ruthless enough with his players.

He admitted that his ex-boss was not ruthless enough with his treatment of players and hinted that this has cost them an opportunity to earn Premier League success over the past decade.

“I think on some occasions, and I’ve been experiencing this with Arsene Wenger as a manager, he was not ruthless enough with the players,” Silvestre said on ESPN.

Silvestre, 39, retired from professional football at the start of 2015 and made 43 club appearances for the Gunners between 2008 and 2010. He added how Wenger perhaps went too easy on himself, while suggesting a more aggressive approach would lead to more success.

“(He was ruthless to) Me included, you know. You miss points and in the end those points can cost you the title and trophies. That’s his personality as well, he’s respected and loved also because he’s nice.

“A lot of stuff has been said about  whether he should stay or go, from the critics to the press to ex-players. I think if he shows the same aggression to the players in the dressing room, he’ll be able to push them to win some trophies.”

Wenger ended speculation about his future by signing a new two-year contract at the club, ignoring previous calls to resign from disgrunted supporters, after last month’s FA Cup final win over Premier League champions Chelsea.

These comments from a former professional reaffirm the previously suggested opinion that Wenger’s nice personality is not best for the club going forward. After a poor run of form or a forgettable defeat, for instance, how is Arsene able to motivate his players to bounce back and recover from adversity?