Ozil has not improved as many would have hoped despite Arteta replacing Emery.
Arsenal fans will probably remember the cheeky comment from Mesut Ozil about a month ago, and you can still see it in the video below…
What’s changed for Ozil under new manager Mikel Arteta? “Under Arteta I’m playing” was his rather pointed response, a dig at previous boss Unai Emery for freezing him out the way he did.
😂 Mesut Ozil describing the difference between Arteta and Emery: "Under Arteta I'm playing." #afc pic.twitter.com/emX6SaVxLJ
— Gilles (@_Grimanditweets) February 10, 2020
Sadly for Ozil, that is pretty much the only change we’ve seen from him under the new regime. Despite getting more opportunities in Arteta’s side, and despite the style of football looking far more suited to his game, he’s still not really influencing games the way we would like.
The German has played 12 games under Arteta, all of those starts, and yet he has just one goal and one assist to show for it in that time. His goal was admittedly a thing of beauty in a flowing team move against Newcastle that he played a fine part in, but this was a 4-0 victory against a poor Magpies side. His solitary assist was his header down to Alexandre Lacazette for the winner against West Ham – hardly the kind of defence-splitting pass we’ve come to expect from him when it comes to creating goals.
Ozil will turn 32 next season and on this evidence we’re highly unlikely to see an improvement from him any time soon. Arteta seems almost the ideal manager for him and has given pretty much everyone else in this squad a lift. That Ozil has failed to feel the benefits of all this is pretty damning.
This is not to say he’s been awful in recent games, but he’s a high earner and still a big enough name that Arteta might feel compelled to try building a team around him, but that just isn’t justified at all.
Unless we see a rapid improvement between now and the end of the season, this is surely Ozil’s last chance to show he deserves his place as a starter and top earner at an ambitious Premier League club. Finding a buyer for him now might not be easy, but it’s crucial for our progress as a team to move on and find someone more reliable to build around in that area of the pitch.
Ozil must be thrilled to be starting- it’s better than sitting on the bench
It doesn’t alter the fact that he hasn’t been nearly good enough and his ludicrous salary makes my blood boil. It has made it impossible for Arsenal to sell him and he appears to be quite content to wait until May ‘21 to wave goodbye and be another £18.5m better off in the process
What has his salary got to do with it. He is either good enough for Arsenal of he is not. I am amazed at the never ending comments about Ozil by fans who think they know better than the manager and the club as to his value . The reality of the situation at Arsenal is that if these fans are to be believed probably 50% of the current squad are not good enough either. As fans/supporters we are not in any position to know or understand the internal running of AFC . However I am fairly certain that they have carefully considered every aspect of Ozil’s value to the club, both from a financial and footballing point of view. It is nonsense to say they could not get rid of him they just chose not to.
I stand by my comments
In your last sentence do you know if Arsenal want to keep him?
patH, absolutely true in every aspect of your post….we are told time and time again, that Arsenal want to sell Ozil, but I have never seen it anywhere that remotely resembles an official site.
The reason nobody has approached the club, is that they haven’t made any official announcement that they want to sell – whether anyone would/could be interested in him, is purely hypothetical.
If, indeed, they wanted to get rid of him, they could just pay buy his contract out, but kronkie is too shrewd a business man to do that.
MA’s answer to the question is so to the point, it beggars belief that a negative article can be written.
Sorry, MO, s answer to the question
I should have written why buy up his contract?
I’m not trying to spend Kroenke’s money for him. He spent it and in many cases not wisely but as that is his prerogative
If Arteta has a vision for him I have to admit I don’t see it even if you can
Because some are saying they want him gone, but nobody wants him or can afford his wages – if that’s the case, kronkie can do just that and buy his contract out…of course that wont happen, simply because MA does see him as a part of his vision, something that you don’t see – while I trust his judgement on the players he selects, which includes Mesut Ozil.
Why pay his contract?
Because it is a legally binding contract, entered into by both parties.
That is, of course, if one doesn’t see him as an asset to the club and wants kronkie to just get rid of him.
Once again, people spending kronkies money as if it’s their own and not seeing the points made by patH.
To the author, Mark Brus.
I see you have taken over Admin’s mantle of ‘Ozil Basher’.
He has already done this topic to death to the extent that I, and others, are sick to the back teeth of it.
Your article is no different. You might as well tell us that ants crawl, birds fly and fish swim . . .
. . . and mediocre writers just re-hash old articles.
Hopefully you’ll find another topic in the near future.
Why not do like Madrid,they were ready to wave off the fee for Bale but would have recouped/saved a fair amount on his wages and free a space,our squad needs trimming down big time!
Quite right but nobody seems to want our most highly paid footballer by all accounts
As fa as I am aware Ozil has never been made available for transfer by the club. If I am wrong, would someone please inform me. Ozil’s agent has always said that Ozil has never been offered by AFC to any other club and has every intention of seeing out his existing contract. So why do we all not give the Ozil saga a rest.Like it or not he is here to stay.
um, why would the club ever announce they are trying to rid a player? When was the last time this has happened? Unless it is obvious their contract is up, or they are forcing a move. Arsenal has really never played the antagonist when it comes to getting rid of players. I would the say the clubs stance on Ozil can’t be determined because they don’t say much. What does seem clear is they are fine with the contract being run out.
RSH, cast your mind back less than a season, when Mustafi was officially placed on the transfer list, or when the likes of Jenkinson name was sent out as being available.
That’s why the Official website is the place to find things out, they circulated the Mustafi details, along with other available players like Jenkinson.
Agree on the assessment that the club are fine to let the contract run out, Ozil has made it abundantly clear that he intends to honour the contract as well.
I dont remember the club saying anything official at all about Mustafi. When someone is placed on the transfer list, it comes through media. There are obviously leaks to the media, but then Ozil would also fall under that umbrella of being heavily rumored to go at a point.
RSH, I can assure you this happened and why I remember it so clearly.
UE declared that mustafi needed to find a new club, as he had limited opportunities at ours and it folowed the loss at The Emirates Cup game pre season.
I used it to show the difference between the argument at the time, when fans were saying the same thing about the club wanting to sell Ozil – that never officially appeared on
the website, but the situation regarding mustafi did.
Clubs also send out official lists of players who they are willing to discuss regarding a transfer to other clubs – this would be where the media start their never ending speculating from, I would guess.
Has it occurred to you, Siamois, that the club actually don’t want to sell him?
Madrid have officially said they want Bale to go, have you seen anything official from The Arsenal?
Of course you haven’t – plenty from a section of the fan base, bug not a shred of evidence that the club are willing to let him go.
Perhaps that is because Ozil has stated on numerous occasions, that he has every intention of seeing out his contract, or it could be because MA sees him as a valuable part of his vision….whatever the reason, going on and on and on about his earnings, what he contributes to the team, how many assists he makes, what other clubs do, his relationship with the other players are just smokescreens.
Everyone agrees the salary is ridiculous and a major blunder by the club itself, but as patH so PERFECTLY pointed out, they will have done their homework and we, as fans, need to get on with it and support Arteta.
Just sell the guy. He is just causing confusion in the team. Well performing players want to earn more than him, and that can be justifiable. Players want better wages as compared the the wages of Ozil
Oh great, another new month another useless and pointless article about Ozil.
Nothing you guys have to say about him that we don’t know.
Recycling articles about him is tiring and depressing to TBH
Here you go again, spending kronkies money as if it’s yours, Siamois and Top Gunner.
Why not let MA decide who is worth playing week in and week out, while we challenge for the CL positions?
I just don’t understand why kronkie is more than happy to pay him that reported grotesque salary bothers you _ I suggest you read and digest the excellent response from path, because that sums it all up for me.
Just another stocking filler for the site _ same old same old tirade.
To pay one player so very much more than almost all other players was a mistake in my opinion by the board. Messi and Ronaldo, and a few more world players is one thing but to smash the wage structure is something I don’t understand. Decisions were made because our position in the top 4 was becoming precarious and the failure to stay in it has put the club under severe financial pressure. Ozil cops it because he is the highest earner. There are several others who are unworthy of their salary. I can’t imagine Kroenke is happy stumping up vast sums to a handful of players who haven’t been delivering but those contracts were offered and accepted
MA has limited choices anyway as to who he can play. It’s not a squad of super stars
And will he refund the wages he took under Unai’s regime for the statement of playing?And what has he done new under Arteta? That one goal against the Magpies and that too a useless one as we were winning the match? Produce goals when needed.What was he doing when we lost the EL game? Just because he was somewhat decent some seasons ago, does that mean he is decent today? Real Madrid knew he was not worth keeping, that is the reason they got rid of him when he was young enough to compete for a few more years, in contrast Ronaldo left late.And if was of worth then, why no other major clubs were after him? Rubbish remains rubbish!Fact!
Well, as UE reportedly took his £12,000,000 from the club, after playing him, dropping him, playing him, making him captain, dropping him etc etc etc, perhaps your anger should be directed at him?
It certainly seems as if MA, while bringing us out of a relegation battle, has seen the value of Ozil and his reported salary (do you know the clauses in it by the way?) doesn’t seem to bother him in the slightest…it’s the performances that MA looks at isn’t it?
So, when we lose a game, it’s down to Ozil, when we win a game it’s not down to Ozil?
Seriously, take a step back, be sure enough of your views to use your own name and take comfort in the fact that kronkie is paying his grotesque wages and Arteta is playing
him because he rates him so highly.
If you go to the games, just join in the chanting and songs that Ozil gets every game and chill!!!
Only one more season before you get your wish – unless he is offered an extension – sit back and enjoy!!!
Ken , reading your several Ozil posts on this thread I am sorely tempted to take up swords again with you for the umpteenth time. But then I thought, “what’s the point”!
So from now on when I see an Ozil thread and your name at the head of a post I will not even bother reading it. All your Ozil posts say much the same and always have and no doubt always will, until that future glorious day when his contract mercifully expires.
Strange as it may seem to you Jon, I also know exactly what your posts regarding Ozil will say, so I wouldn’t bother reading them either, a waste of time and, as you say “what’s the point”?
I was told that glorious time was July 2019, but it seems it has been extended to the end of the 2020/2021 season, at least it seems to be glorious in the eyes of Mikel Arteta, who keeps selecting him for every game!!!
I’m tempted to ask you why, but I know you won’t accept the premise of my question!!!
Missed this little gem of wisdom from the poster who hides behind the Ozil monicker:
Rubbish remains rubbish? – Unless you recycle it…just as Mikel Arteta is doing. FACT!!!!
As for no other club in for him, know your history about the player, The Arsenal was the club he wanted to play for due to our style of play. FACT!!!
Your last paragraph isn’t remotely relevant to what we are facing today
The question that was asked was why no other club wanted to sign him when we did (12.39 pm) – my last paragraph has everything to do with that question, while your statement above has nothing remotely relevant to the original question and answer, so what is your point exactly?
I actually don’t care anymore.
You have your opinion,
I have mine
Exactly and one can respect anothers opinion even if one doesn’t agree with it.
Ken, there’s another one which applies to data” Garbage in: Garbage out” So we churn garbage results due to the garbage……And the boy loves to play for us because he gets paid to do nothing or should I say 1 goal per season. Arsenal are nose diving because we sustain such rubbish. In the past we never paid over the top and we had decent results on and off the pitch. Garbage should remain confined to the dumps only.
😂🤣 that screen name of yours
I am tired of the ignorance behind these comments. As athletes age they get slower but naturally smarter. Ozil is playing deeper now, especially given how poor the defence is, and the midfield with it. He oversees the link up from back to forwards who are far more mobile. I saw an assessment recently that showed that he is still involved in 30% of our goals since Emery left. Scoring and assisting are not the only thing he does. Ozil also still ranks among the top shirt sellers and subscriptions internationally. He is an asset. Is he completely worth his salt. I do not know – but he is not a liability.
He his not a liability. I agree with you
What is this obsession with Ozil? Is he the only player in this Arsenal team?
Can you guys please leave him alone? His salary is what pits you against him. I know. But then, he didn’t write that in his contract all by himself.
I think some people here envy the man. That’s the only explanation for always looking to write about him at the drop of a hat….
Good article again. A topic with Ozil. It seems like Arsenal, who open the purse, is still happy to pay his wages than saving space and Arteta, who selects the player, is also happy to play Ozil in the 1st 11, and I’m also happy to see him play.
But, many fans and oh Mr. Emery want to get rid of Ozil. This is what I see.
‘his ludicrous salary makes my blood boil’ arsenal has a manager and owner. they make decisions based on many variables. some of them might not necessary be football related.
Do you get overpaid now and then for something you are not good at? Ozil is in a career, Kroenke did not just throw that contract on ozils footsteps. there must have been a reason football related or not, but one this is for sure. its because he deserved it at the time because otherwise with the Imminent loss of sanchez and add that to ozil plus how under performing we were then, fans would have gone to meltdown. By keeping Ozil Arsenal averted complete strike from the fan base, so now that everything has calmed down we forget why Ozil was give the contract he got. if he had decided not to renew the contract coupled with us finishing outside the top four plus loosing sanches, arsenal would have been a wreck and because he was a valuable player then, and thats why fans were appeased by him signing a contract extension at all cost, he would got a massive fee being a free agent i know that. lets keep to the end of our bargain with no hard feelings people, its nothing personal its just business. Or pay the lad his contract and let him leave. he does not force his way to the 1st 11, emery proved that.