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The Spanish coach left his role as manager in October 2019 after a disastrous string of results, and has since been replaced by fellow Spaniard Mikel Arteta.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