Paul Merson has slammed Arsenal insisting the combination of Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger couldn't help the Gunners if their defenders can't do the basics right.
Mikel Arteta's side are in the midst of a transitional period and their flaws were laid bare in their north London derby defeat.
A defensive lapse cost them a goal in their 2-1 reverse on the road and looks to have ended any faint hopes they had of qualifying for Europe.
And Merson has hit out at his former side insisting that their back four should first concentrate on keeping clean sheets.
He said on Sky Sports: "Against Spurs, I don't care if you've got Pep Guardiola sitting on Jose Mourinho's lap, on top of Sir Alex Ferguson's lap, on top of Arsene Wenger's lap and all four of them are one manager.
"If you've got a defender who can't pass the ball five yards to another defender, you are in trouble.
"When the manager puts on a training session and you're doing five-yard passes to start off with, everybody is moaning: 'What the hell are we doing this for? Who can't pass the ball five yards?' But that is why.
"It's concentration, so you can keep on doing it without even thinking about it, like you're brushing your teeth in the morning.
"Footballers are so obsessed with pass percentages. Defenders want 88, 89, 90 per cent pass completion, but they're all five-yard passes to each other! Who cares? Honestly?
"There are so many stats now, and players are scared of them, so try to play the easy ball!
"All these players should care about is keeping clean sheets: that should be like scoring a hat-trick for a defender. You want defenders who think that way."
