Mesut Ozil is a problem for Arsenal claims former coach

Unai Emery has insisted that despite trying to get the best out of Arsenal star Mesut Ozil and use his experience to help the team, it was impossible.

The Spanish coach left his role as manager in October 2019 after a disastrous string of results, and has since been replaced by fellow Spaniard Mikel Arteta.

Emery has talked a lot about his time in charge of our club since leaving, with him yet to find another job, and he has most recently been talking about Mesut Ozil.

The 31 year-old has most recently come under fire for turning down an agreed wage cut to his monster contract, despite the financial implications that the suspension of football has had on our club, but there have been a number of issues with the German in recent years.

Ozil has been labelled lazy on the pitch, and his importance has been questioned in detail in regards to the wages he receives in comparison to his hard-working team-mates, but Emery was no different in wanting to get the best out of his players, with Ozil being top of that list.

“In pre-season I told him I wanted to help recover the best Özil,” Emery stated. “I wanted a high level of participation and commitment in the dressing room.

“I respected him and thought he could help. He could have been a captain but the dressing room didn’t want him to be. That’s not what I decided; that’s what the players decided.

“Captains are ones who have to keep defending the club, the coach, teammates.”

Clearly despite what is said publicly, his Arsenal team-mates do not worship the ground that Ozil walks on, and the fact that his stance on his wages must also highlight that he is not convincing his team-mates completely.

The Spanish coach continues that he tried to help Ozil on a one-to-one basis, before claiming that the German wasn’t willing to work on his failings, nor take any credit for his struggles.

“I spoke a lot with Özil.” Emery admitted. “He has to be self‑critical too, analyse his attitude and commitment. I tried with all my might to help Özil.

“Throughout my career, talented players have reached their best level with me. I was always positive, wanting him to play, be involved.

“Sometimes they were better, sometimes worse, like all players. Sometimes he wasn’t available because he was ill or his knee hurt.

“Watford was his first after the robbery, and I put him [straight] in. I was always open to talking, he was always in my plans, but he had to do his bit. And there were things I couldn’t control.”

I know we have a number of fans of Ozil on the page, and you will try and sugar-coat some of his failings, and I for one try not to bash his wage stance given his amazing work with charities amongst other things, but surely some of you must realise that his team-mates clearly are not wholly happy with his input? And nor should us as fans be. He is allowing his exceptional talent to be wasted.

Patrick

Tags Mesut Ozil Unai Emery

35 Comments

  1. Well he is obviously not a problem for the current manager is he? Arteta has started Ozil every game in the EPL. Sort of sums up why one manager is still unemployed in my mind.

    1. Ozil for me is a player of paradoxes. On one hand he’s our best CAM, yet dissappears when we need him most. He’s very technical, but doesn’t display it as often as we’d like. He’s a leader, yet he’s never lead as decisively as one would hope. He’s both reveared and disliked, a legend with fewer and fewer mythical magic moments left in him. He’s been incredible at times and terrible at others But I think it is time we started to talk of him in the past tense now….

      1. Emery however (going against the general trend I expect) was and is a great manager. The lines are very fine in football. We should not forget he presided over Arsenal’s best ever start with a new manager. And he was whisker away from a champions league spot, which in my mind would have changed everything (more belief in himself, from the players, from the club, from the fans, and more money to buy his players! ) Listen to how often Arteta mentions belief….without it you get nowhere, and with it you can achieve superhuman feats. It was all a matter of 1 point; one side of that point was a sacking, humiliation, and total chaos, on the other side, momentum, money, belief from fans, players, the club and in himself, who knows what would have happened had we got that point but my suspition is things would have been very very different for him and Arsenal. I’m happy we have Arteta, but I think Emery has had unfair treatment, he is not the clown fans have made him out to be.

        1. perhaps i should exchange ‘1 point’ for a ‘win’ either way, my point still stands 🙂

  2. If there’s one player holding arsenal back it’s OZIL.
    I’m throwing a party when he’s finally gone.

      1. Hang on Phil, let’s remember this article was supposedly about Emery not getting on with Ozil, when in truth it was all about trying to cover for the failure of Emery himself.

        Once again, Ozil has behaved in a typical “Arsenal Way”, keeping his views private and not trying to cause any rift between himself and Emery – while this sacked coach has decided to re-write history with his, it seems, amazing success at our club…blaming everyone but himself for the toxic atmosphere, the empty seats, the threat of relegation, not playing his best players when available and selecting a team who were scared of Watford!!!

        It seems that Emery felt he had done an excellent job and some fans agreed with him…remember the time we went five games unbeaten when he played…. Hmm…. that’s it, Ozil, Ramsey, Auba and Lacs – the only time he manged to win five in a row in his disastrous eighteen months in charge.

        Now it seems that GoonerP has decided Emery’s words have disclosed how the other players feel about Ozil, while completely ignoring what Arteta, our current manager has said about him as an important player for his team.

        But we know it’s all nonsense Phil, because Jon, bless him, always tells us that it is complete humbug when the players actually say how important Mesut is and what an influence on the players he really is – wasn’t the latest one Leno, just a few days ago who said just this?
        His praise of the man was immediately met with shouts of derision about never believe what they say.

        Still, if everyone is is happy to take the words of an embittered, failed and sacked manager over our current manager, his first team keeper and every player signed recently who cites Ozil as one of the reasons they joined the club, who are we to say it is two faced when it comes to believing one thing and ignoring another…depending on if it suits your point of view?

        Arteta has complete faith in Ozil and visa versa – a marriage made in heaven that will bring success to the club, something UE just couldn’t do, whether he played him or not!!!

        1. Well Ken- it just shows how touchy the subject is. I’ve just had a perfectly worded post removed because AdM took exception to it. There was nothing in my post that was anything other than fact, but the Karma Police removed it for a reason only they will know. Hardly entices open discussion does it?

          1. Phil. I think we have done that argument to death. Why reopen old wounds? Let’s just move on shall we?

          2. Phil, what I really do not understand (sorry Pat, but I have to make this observation) is that posts are only deleted at certain times and when certain people are around.

            Pat, as an example, what happened to your second instalment of Jack Wilshere?

            Jon and I made two sensible and relevant comments and it then vanished? I really do understand that you have to keep the site fresh and up to date, but this was up and down in about ten minutes.

          3. Phil Though as you know, I disagree with you , Ken and some others on Ozil,if this site did not KEEP constantly regurgitating basically the same old Ozil articles in the first place – for want of SOMETHING ELSE to write about(please God!!) – then that would stop Ozil arguments.

            I have tried telling ADs Pat / Martin exactly that , so MANY TIMES, but it falls on stoney ground. So the obvious conclusion is that the Admins wish us to comment on an article THEY WRITE but not to air different opinions from each other!!!Which rather makes the whole point of a fan site meaningless I’d say. Agree?

            1. Jon, there are hardly any Ozil articles at the moment but that is simply because there is very little news about him. Now that Unai Emery has given a new interview and his own insight into the situation, then we will comment on it. Don’t tell me that a brand-new interview with our ex-manager is “regurgitating basically the same old Ozil articles”
              Get a grip man!

            2. And your second point. I do not just make you comment on OUR opinions, we constantly accept opinions from our readers (including you) and they are posted whether I agree with them or not.
              If you want more different opinions than the 5 or 6 writers on here, then I emcourage MORE readers to make their own articles for discussion…

  3. I don’t even have the energy to talk about ozil anymore, all I keep saying to myself is one more season.

    1. And in games where he wears our shirt till contract ends, quite possibly none at all or at worst a mere handful . Mostly because I DON’T EXPECT MUCH FOOTBALL PLAYED BEFORE NEXT JUNE ANYWAY. I DON’T DOUBT IT WILLSTART BEFORE THEN BUT UNTIL A VACCINE IS FOUND AND WIDELY AVAILABLE, THE DANGER WILL REMAIN TOO HIGH FOR MOST FOLK TO TOLERATE IT.

      1. So that’s why you offered a bottle of bubbly Jon – knowing the party wouldn’t take place anyway!!!

        Don’t worry Jon, I’m taking your advice and not believing anything coaches, players or admin say anyway!!!!

        1. Ken,please read my reply to Phil above – which is actually for the ears of the Admins rather than him – and please give me your views on what I say. I am desperately trying to aid/ persuade the Admins in steering this site away from tedious old over used topics, in favour of fresh ideas but they cling like limpets to the old and rehashed, which will ultimately kill this site.
          Without fresh blood,in almost any living thing , human or literary, lethargy and boredom sets in and it dies. I have even seen this with theatre companies too, incredibly. One of lifes certainties.

          This is what I mean by lack of deep thinking and leadership. If I ran this site I’D CHANGE SO VERY MUCH AND MAKE IT INTERESTING TO A FAR WIDER GROUP OF PEOPLE. BUT I DON’T!

          BTW, Ken, I don’t even like champers and certainly don’t stock it even though I often refer to it , metaphorically, for effect. And I only wish your second sentence were a serious one but the exclamation marks tell me otherwise.

          1. Jon,
            If you have any “fresh ideas” and “Fresh blood” that will improve the site, then please email me directly for discussion. But I will say one thing. If you were in charge and stopped publishing transfer rumours and “tedious old over used topics”, you would decimate the wider readership of JustArsenal. I assure you my Lord…
            Pat

  4. The funny thing is that Arsenal play better football with Ozil on the pitch, and his absence can be easily seen. Until we get another player who can match his talent or slightly below, we will move on smoothly

    1. WELL BLOW ME DOWN, in drLangzhu, we have someone who must actually watch our games with an open mind and observes what is happening – could he be Mikel Arteta in disguise, or one of the players even?

      With an observation like that drLangzhu, there is hope in the footballing world of Arsenal fans – thank you!!!

        1. Sue, if Ozil DOES go at the end of next season, I expect us to be premier league champions, win both domestic cups and win the CL the following season – after all, we are told that we’ve been playing with ten men so far this season, carrying a passenger who gets a 2 when marking players performances, someone who UE wants to blame for all his mistakes and is branded a disgrace for wanting to know where the pay cut money is going to be spent.

          In two seasons time Sue, there will probably have to be another scapegoat that the fans will blame and I just hope that individual is as strong in character as Ozil has been in the face of this blind hatred.

          1. Haha me too, Ken… and quite possibly even better our Invincible season 😁
            Jeez, when you put it like that, you realise just what that poor sod has had to deal with, and not from other fans but his own!!!
            I seriously wonder if another will have to deal with all of that (unless of course Iwobi returns 😂)… as I can’t see us dishing out another 350k a week, can you? And let’s face it, that was his downfall…..

          2. You are quite correct Sue, the reported £350,000 a week was his nemesis, but the most ridiculous thing about that is, it was the club that offered him that obscene salary – he accepted what the club thought he was worth.

            Now, we ALL know he isn’t/wasn’t worth that kind of salary, what footballer is?
            No one has ever claimed he is still a world class player either and Ozil himself probably would agree, I certainly don’t see him like that anyway.

            But no-one has taken the time to ask him, either in interviews or via his facebook/twitter pages.

            Instead, we have people on here, who take every opportunity to treat him as the worst thing since kronkie and gazidis, calling him all the names under the sun and yet…when one of his team mates reacts to the same kind of hate, by calling them out, they react like hurt little boys, showing horror that a player has the audacity to act in the same way as they do.

            I do not condone Xhaka for his conduct, in the same why I do not condone the incessant, pointless, hate filled way our so called fans treat one of our own players.

            Remember as well Sue, the attacks on him and his family, the scapegoating of him by the German FA on top of what he endures by a section of the club’s fans.

            Yet we are told he is spineless, lazy, mentally frail, dross and inept – I would love to see how these “hardmen” fans would be able to cope with this kind of pressure in their lives and the disgusting treatment given out by the keyboard fans – probably in the same way as they did when Xhaka called them out, hurt and upset, poor little snowflakes!!!

            End of rant Sue, sorry but I just hate bullyboy tactics, always have always will – here’s to the trophies rolling in when he leaves!!! COYG’s

          3. Ken, you can rant all you like! 👍
            One thing I do like is when you use those words, to quote others – lazy, spineless, mentally frail and dross – yes those words we’ve seen used so often on here!! It does bring a smile to my face – good for you, Ken!!

            Well in that case we ought to get a bigger cabinet 😆

  5. Not saying players words are not right but I have never see a teammate talk bad about his teammate.

    If Leno was asked about the performance of Mustafi, do you think he will criticise him?

    Fabregas saying only him Nasri and Van Persie is the only player having the winning mentality was after over 15years. Do you think he will say that when he was still there with them?

    Gilberto Silva saying Elneny was next to Viera, does that mean I should believe that just because he his a legend?

    All this people know how to play ball than us but we see them play. Some think they play better but we know when some don’t play better.

    Arteta has been a revelation but does that mean he’s perfect since he was here?
    Martinelli play better and score under Emery but was benched most times under Arteta even when Laca was not performing.

    So many Legends talk tactics about what a coach should do to his team but put him into that team and you see them fighting relegation.

    So I don’t give a f*** what Legend or fellow footballer say, I stick to my opinion and what I see them play.
    There job is to play, mine is to enjoy it and if you don’t impress me, I come at you.

    As for Emery, I don’t take his word for anything cos if he made Ozil and Xhaka, Mustafi, Luis play the little they are playing under Arteta, I don’t think he will have a problem.

    But can say the same with Guendozi, and Martinelli under Emery

  6. Bobs, your logic makes sense, IF one applies that to all discussions, which happens on here.

    Why is it suddenly seen that we should take on board Emery’s views regarding Ozil, but are then lectured about being naive when quoting players who praise him?

    Your are absolutely right when you say you believe in what you see and make your opinions accordingly – that is what I do as well and fight my corner as you have done.

    On your point regarding players/coaches/managers not speaking badly about another colleague, I hesitate to agree with you.

    For example, how many times was Ozil’s performance in training criticised by raul and emery?

    I also believe that players are able to deflect a question regarding their views on another player if they are not happy with him – they really don’t have to come out with such glowing statements as Leno did…or Gnarby has recently done also.

    Good comments though and enjoyed your reasoning, hope you feel the same regarding mine.

  7. Nothing we didn’t already know, honestly. One more year of him and he’s gone anyways, so it’s not even worth my energy even more to rant about how poor he is.

  8. Emery is blaming every body for his failures at the club but himself. He should have looked at his tactics and consider the wrong or late subs he made during mathces. Pick the team and surround him with players that will bring the best out of the midfielder.

  9. Its not Only about Ozil. Ozil, Xhaka, and Torreira cannot protect the defence. No ball interception in the midfield. When is time for counter attack, they are too slow to pass the ball quicker.
    There are lots of contract disputes because other players feels that they should be paid like or better than Ozil. As long as Ozil is still in Arsenal books, there won’t be any significant improvement in the team

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