Brazil boss Menezes critical of Luiz
442 Staff - Thursday 01 March 2012, 10:41
Chelsea defender David Luiz has attracted criticism from Brazil boss Mano Menezes following a below-par performance during Tuesday night's 2-1 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The flamboyant centre-back struggled to contain Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko on the night and was at fault for Vedad Ibisevic’s equaliser.
A late own-goal saw the World Cup 2014 hosts edge past their European counterparts, and Menezes was critical of the former Benfica defender, who has come under fire following a series of inconsistent performances for the Blues this season.
"Individually, he was not up to his usual standards, and he knows that," Menezes said in the Daily Star. "We had a chat after the game and half-time.
"He lost concentration because of a mistake, which is normal in the life of a footballer. He marked a player who is very difficult to mark.
"[Edin] Dzeko likes a physical battle. David [Luiz] accepted this type of battle and lost out twice in individual tussles."