Former Gunner urges Mikel Arteta to build Arsenal around this one player

Arsenal should build their new team around Mesut Ozil according to Jermaine Pennant.

Pennant who played for Arsenal in the early days of his career believes that Ozil has the talent and technical ability to lead this Arsenal team.

The German has been inconsistent over the past two seasons and he has become one of the most divisive players at Arsenal.

However, he remains one of the most talented players in the Arsenal squad and on his day, he can dictate any game from midfield.

He was used sparingly by Unai Emery earlier in the season after the Spaniard was left unimpressed by his lack of application.

However, Freddie Ljungberg returned him to the starting XI and Mikel Arteta also seems to trust him.

Pennant believes that Ozil is enjoying a new lease of life under Arteta and he has urged the former Manchester City assistant manager to build his new team around the German.

“They should build it [the team] around Ozil – he’s got a new lease of life,” the ex-Gunners winger told Talk Sport as cited by Goal.

“When he first came he was a fantastic player; he was getting assists, scoring goals and everyone was raving about him.

“Then Arsene [Wenger] left and Emery came in and things went a little downhill for him. So now he’s got a new lease of life and hopefully, Arsenal fans will see the Ozil from when he first came to the club.”

Well, it seems knowing nothing about football is now an attribute to being a pundit. If there is one player Arteta should never consider building any team around, it is Ozil.

Give it a couple of games and the Ozil we have become accustomed to will soon return. Alternatively, we may get extremely lucky and manage to offload the playmaker in January.

29 Comments

  1. Ha ha. ROTFL LMAO LOL

    Another Ozil joke

    But this joke will get a bit old after a few more.

    Try a new joke to keep things fresh and funny

    Try a newv

  2. Jermain Pennant, yes that lad is a sage. What hole did he crawl out of to give us all his words of infinite wisdom.

  3. “A couple of games”
    He’s had the past 3.5 seasons to prove himself

    He proved himself in 2015-16 then completely stopped performing and got lazier and lazier.

    I blame Wenger partly for that ridiculous salary too

    1. Wenger had no say in the Ozil salary saga, did you not hear/read?

      Pennant may just be happy to have his voice heard but he has a good point and I believe Arteta sees what most fans don’t, the reason he took Ozil off in the Bournemouth game so he’d be fresh for the Chelsea clash. He is, arguably, our best player currently and can start to revert to his creative self. We can only wait and see; if the strikers were clinical, he could easily have had 3 assists at Bournemouth. Let’s support our players for the push we crave.

  4. As improbable as it may be Ozil just might for whatever reason start to show a bit more of his old self under Arteta. His main issue has always been mentality. He might have declined in some aspects but his vision is still intact. Unfortunately for Arteta I think he’ll learn the the truth about some of our players the hard way. That might cost him some of the results.
    I’ll be interested in seeing how Ozil performs against Chelsea tomorrow though I’m not lying when I say I expect an average performance.

    1. I hope Ozil gives a great performance against Chelsea followed by one against utd and also actually score a goal. I wont be holding my breath though. Go on show us what you have been keeping hidden for the last 3 years!

  5. Pennant’s comments regarding Ozil only reinforce this misconception that it was Emery’s arrival that led to the fall of Ozil.

    The truth, is that the fans anger towards Ozil started, and reached boiling point, during Wenger’s reign. Wenger’s refusal to consider Ozil’s form, meant that he was undeservingly ever present.

    We saw a better version of Ozil under Wenger, but he still wasn’t performing consistently enough, even back then, to be starting all of the time. Ozil’s new contract, and insane pay raise, just compounded the fans feelings towards him.

    Those who dared to criticize him, have been proven correct, although it wasn’t exactly a difficult prediction. Ozil has cost us millions, and has become a disruptive influence within the club. If only his off the pitch activities mirrored what we see on the pitch.

    1. Wenger was stubborn when it came to benching players he really liked even after they performed poorly. Then again it was during his reign that saw Ozil sign for a huge pay rise.
      One might also say the Arsenal squad lacked quality and didn’t have a proper alternative to Ozil so he had to be played. As opposed to the media narrative which tries to make it seem like Emery hated Ozil I just think he didn’t suit his system so he used him sparingly especially against the small clubs.

  6. Jermaine Pennant in his brand new career as a stand up comedian is coming down your way soon. Go to see him. Best laugh you will ever have!

  7. So for you so called experts out there you don’t see any collarations between ozil performances and wenger departure and the arrival of Emery and his treatment of ozil on top of his personals problems at the same time, injuries, attacks, being pushed out the team, constant substitution of the team….. no playing Time,.i wonder hiu he us still here, don’t say money he could make much more in a midtable team which doesn’t win trophies like arsenal,😂😂😂😂

  8. why would you want to build a whole team around an inconsistent and unreliable player? what happens when he’s not feeling like it? when he’s “sick”? or when he throws another tantrum?? the age of building teams around a specific player is over, build the team around a philosophy and certain culture, build a squad that fits that philosophy instead of a squad that fits around one player and becomes dependant on him

  9. Don’t mock Ozil. Nominated for player of the World Cup tournament in South Africa at the age of 20 in 2010. Played every game in the World Cup in 2014 and is a World Cup winner. Also German player of the year 5 times. We can keep on going with his pedigree and maybe some arsenal fans should acquaint themselves with this and show some respect to a player of this calibre
    Ozil plays off players around him. He is not a dribbler or solo player. He does not hold onto the ball but distributes it to players around him to keep attacking momentum. If these players don’t have the skills to read the pass or have the desired ball control whatever he tries to create comes to zero.
    Hopefully we as a team can improve our basics of ball control and passing and we may see an Ozil at his best.

    1. Or the other question could be, How many of the team in that final for Germany are still “world class”?
      Answers on a snowflake please.

    2. Gunner since 1971, I say that is nonsense and I am a Gunner since 1958! Have you not learned in your long stint as a supporter that ALL players must give 100% all the time or the team fails? Those who float around, coasting jogging, waiting for the ball and who do not any more – unlike 2010 and the World Cup before last, (as if “ancient history” has anything to do with today!!) even make assists, as he used to YEARS AGO. Nor does he score. In fact, he is an unreliable, bone idle, ineffective player nearly every game he deigns to play; when not faking illness, injury. Unlike you, I concern myself with today, AKA THE PRESENT, and IN THE PRESENT ERA, OZIL IS A USELESS WASTE OF SPACE. Get real man!

  10. Mid term report.
    Leno. Developing very well right now. Future captain.
    Martinez. Promising.
    Bellerin lost form can’t defend cant cross.
    AMN. Arrogant-too casual.
    Chambers tries hard but too slow lacks class.
    Socritis Greek Wrestler. Mustafi. Useless. Luiz. Reckless.
    Mavro. Who? Holding. Tries hard always injured.
    Saliba. No data yet.
    Tierney. Always injured. Showed glimpses of quality.
    Kolasinac. Bosnian/German wrestler but can be sold at a good profit as he was free.
    Xhaka. Slow as a wet week. Be gone when Hertha offer a couple of mill more.
    Torreira. A real trier but not quite good enough. Stay till his asking price is met.
    Guendouzie. Tries really hard but limited. Will do for now. Will yield a good profit. Willock. OK youngster, English, can be hocked (Chamberlain 40 m) to buy a quality player.
    Ceballos. Hardly played. Loan probably not renewed.
    Saka. Plenty of potential. Martinelli. Huge potential.
    Neslon. Kind of average but would still yield 20m plus if sold as he is English.
    Ozil. Huge salary which no one will pay. Probably let go for loss in summer.
    Mkhitarian. Another on big salary.Let go for loss in Summer.
    Elneny. Another Jan/summer sale.
    Lacazette. To be let go sooner rather than later.
    Aubameyang. Top class poacher but at 31 must be let go in the summer.
    Pepe. Hugely expensive buy. Too early to know.
    ESR + Nketiah. young and promising.
    To summarize.
    The team is now a top 6 candidate when playing well a top 9/10 team on other days.
    A huge clear out is required but getting players to leave
    and buyers to stump up the cash is a challenge.
    Top 6 is the goal and EL final is possible.

    1. AGU EMAN, Wow! You have finally written – and about time too- a post that makes sense. I see much sense in general in your comments, though do not agree 100% but , in general you have written sense. Now you have proved you CAN do so, please write sense more often. I did 100% agree with your comments about our “defenders”.

  11. OT: West ham sack their manager, unai Emery favourite to take over. Now imagine if we lose at home to a manager we sacked.

  12. God, no wonder we do so badly, every arsenal supporter at the moment is so negative it runs off on everyone including the players. Your so bloody depressing, it’s a surprise we have any supporters left and they haven’t all jumped of bridges. We were so used to seeing magical football that now anything but beautiful is not acceptable. It’s down to us fans to bring some faith back to the players, get behind the team and stop bloody moaning all the time. Come on arsenal, come on boys, let’s give them blues a leason.

    1. You’re right Robert, the one thing the team needs right now is unconditional support from the fans. We have a rookie manager, lying 12th in the table and confidence is low. Now is the time to support ALL the players.

      That said, I think we will win tomorrow. COYG!!!

  13. Building a team around an inconsistent 31-year-old who even if he becomes more consistent is going to struggle even more physically than before, is something you’d actually expect Jermaine to say, bless him.

  14. Ozil did look rejuvenated v Bou to be fair, he was the best player on the pitch, not the greatest of games but with everything going on over the last while and with us away, it was a fine performance with a lot of top ball-work from Ozil. He looked hungrier, hard to say if it will remain or improve but let’s wait and see before we cut him down so soon. Arteta has said a lot of good things on the matter, that is, if you’re one of Ozil’s most devoted of fans.

    Arteta’s trying to set the mood, so we need to let him. I like a lot of what I’ve read this-morning, he seems to mean it.

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