Opinion – Is Ozil just becoming an annoying distraction?

Is Ozil suddenly becoming a distraction?

Ozil has been in the news for all the wrong reasons recently; some weeks ago, he was seen talking angrily to a teammate after a game where we didn’t do well. Then just in our last game, he was seen acting angrily to being substituted. Ozil has also been vocal on certain issues on social media, much to the surprise of many people. With all these happening around Ozil, one can only ask if he is not becoming a distraction at this period where Arsenal should be focused on reviving their season.

Arsenal fans are not the happiest fans at the moment and it is quite understandable. Everybody is not happy at the way things are going and a scapegoat seems to be made out of everybody and anybody at the moment, and so Ozil’s actions or reactions could read into many meanings by fans; especially as the fans believe that Ozil is not giving his best to the club on the pitch.

Yes, we are all angry but should we channel our anger towards our players? Should we allow every little thing our players do get to us? To be honest with you all, I am quite sure Ozil has not given his best to Arsenal in recent years, but then all of our players seem to be guilty of the same offence. Ozil has gotten to his prime and I feel Arsenal should take a bold step and sack him at the end of the season. Let us forget the “no club can afford him” story and just release him at the end of the season. He needs to be paid off, so that we can move forward from this Ozil talk.

Ozil is suddenly becoming a distraction and I wish we cannot make it so. Whatever he does should be seen as irrelevant and not worthy of getting at the fans.

I am Arsenal and I know our form is just temporary and with time, we will pick up and start winning games again.

Sylvester Kwentua

29 Comments

  1. Honestly to be frank ….,I hardly noticed what Ozil did when he was substituted…I watch the game but was too concerned about our decline,or too angry at the players collective and at the board and Raul ,Edu and co.
    The truth must be said ozil’s time at arsenal fc is long over….
    I see playing ESR regularly as us doing the no 10 position justice…fabregas was younger when we started playing him just that he had older ,better midfielders around him to play with.
    I just can’t wait for performance to move upwards…

  2. I would play ESR ahead of him. Seems full of energy and determination. Exactly what we need. Also tracks back, and that’s what our poor defense now needs – all the help they can get.

    LB and a CB are a must next month. Tierney is out until March, and Kolasinac is injury prone (injured atm).

  3. I’d just stick him in the reserves for the entirety of next season. He’s a world class talent, so our youngsters could learn a lot off him.

    1. Ozil would give bad examples with his quitting attitude and his mockery on social media. I predict Ozil and his clicks at Arsenal would gang up on Arteta, if Arteta dares to bench one of them

      Ozil should have received an official warning letter from Arsenal after he insulted Emery on social media. Arsenal shouldn’t let those quitters’ mentality to infect the youngsters

      Arsenal do not need flowery words and nice speeches from their players. Arsenal need real actions and sacrifice from the players on the field

    2. Third Man JW, Much agree with your post and anything as long as we do not have to carry this 5 year long lazy passenger for another single game. You say “He’s a world class talent”. I WOULD SAY “HE ONCE WAS , A LONG TIME AGO, A WORLD CLASS TALENT”! All world class players without exception, work ferociously hard. So that alone rules Ozil out from that now false description. He is either too arrogant and/or too lazy to put in the necessary work,and as one of an increasing and welcome number of realists on Ozil, I have long stated exactly that, both loud and clear. Though it is depressing how many, some even older and very long standing fans, simply refuse to see what their perfectly good eyes OUGHT to tell them.

  4. Some of the fans at the emirate finally sees what some of us have been saying for sometime that Ozil is finished, the excuse that some keep making for him is that each time his on the field the fans always sings his name but on Sunday when he was substituted the fans booed him, which means they are now seeing what Ozil is and has been for over 2 years now, a finished footballer, he may be a good man but he’s definitely done with football. The fact that Freddie said after the match that he needed more energy on the pitch and that they will deal with Ozil later is enough to know that the guy is finished, I mean Freddie is our legend so for him to say such things am sure he knows what’ he’s talking about. So the answer to your question is yes Ozil is becoming an unnecessary distraction not only that he need to be moved somehow if not he will infect the team with that same quitting attitude of his.

  5. Hope Arteta does not include Ozil in his match squads and not also playing for the reserves. The man just brings negativity and non Arsenal attitudes to the young players and so should be avoided at all costs. I was a fan of Ozil even in the beginning of this season, but he has shown enough not to merit the Arsenal shirt. ESR is a wonderful replacement, full of energy and runs to track back and help our defence. I am sure by now Arteta knows enough about Ozil and certain other lazy senior players not to include them in the Arsenal squad and go for youngsters who are passionate and committed to the Arsenal cause and who can be moulded to be the Arsenal way.

  6. EMERY saw it and we blamed EMERY for not playing him now you can see for yourselves WHY EMERY did not play him useless the quicker we dump him the better it will be for Arsenal

  7. most of the comments about ozil over the years have been stupid but what is true is that he is not a leader and needs a certain kind of team to amplify his skills .. we have shown glimpses of that team over last few years but fundamentally we are not anymore the kind of team that can benefit from his skill set and his weaknesses are becoming more apparent… so (albeit reluctantly) i do think it is time for him to move on from arsenal as we rebuild but i hope we will find some creative AM to replace him … and its not Willock or Smith Rowe or Ceballos and it was never the hapless Ramsey who was so beloved of too many on this site

    1. Agree with you on this. We need a complete overhaul of our midfield. Willock, ESR, AMN etc… are just not good enough.

    2. they haven’t been stupid, they’ve been correct. This has been ozil for at least a couple years now yet fans and club have kept rewarding and applauding him as if he created the club himself. He should’ve been moved on a long time ago. The clubs excuse of fans rebelling if we lost sanchez and ozil over the course of a few months is ridiculous. It’s their job to make the right decisions and not just do what will make people happy. Handing a lazy player a giant contract has done more damage than just letting him leave for free.

  8. I totally believe Ozil should be kept out of the team, he just offers nothing and can’t even pretend to be trying. Many believe our number one problem is defense but I think it’s our midfield that ails the most. Get a proper number 4 and number 10 and leave the youngsters to fight for number 8.
    Get a Ndidi like DMF and leave Toreirra as back up. Get a Santi like CAM and let Willock/Guendouzi/Cebalos be the back ups and leave ESR/Willock/Cebalos to battle it for number 8.

    I believe with some consistency in our backline, they will will improve as a collective unit. Afterall, each one of Bellerin, Chambers, Holding and Tierny have shown some brilliance at some point

  9. i am quietly wondering to myself, as i read the comments regarding ozil, where are his spokespeople who come in here with every excuse possible , they are extrememy quiet. and knowing one or two of them, from this site, i find it very hard to believe that they are being silent.every excuse in the world has been brought up by a few windbags here, and these are the same people who claim to know football inside ouit, and , of course, they have been following the arsenal longer, than anybody else on here, so what they say and think are law, but , only in their own minds. as soon as ozil is sold on , or, given away for free, i dont care either way, our club will become a far better place. i wont quite call ozil evil, but, he is a leech , and a bum, he is bleeding our club dry. not only that, and ,perhaps , more importantly, his attitude stinks. the younger players are looking at his behaviour, so, i ask, is this a good example for these younger players to be involved with such a down and depressing figure such as ozil. they are learning from him except perhaps greed and stubborness. so he is no example to the future of our club. get rid of this rotter called ozil, and soon we will see the fun and entertainment, and smiles, back at out club. ozil is like a cancer, he is destroying the club from the inside, get rid .

    1. Well said. I always stuck by Emery’s decision to banish him, even when results were going sour. The man offers nothing and I knew he’d offer nothing when he came back. Arteta shouldn’t let him back in the team. It’s beyond time he gets out of this club. Horrendous, poisonous attitude that nobody can defend any longer, that is why the usuals have gone silent.

    2. So Gerry- according to you the whole problem with our Team,Results,Performances,Management,Finances etc etc etc is all down to Mesut Ozil.I take it that’s what you are saying? Being on a Golf Course 3or 4 times a week unfortunately prevents me from being able to reply every time I would like to but that’s my problem and I have to live with it.
      Nobody put a gun to Ozil’s head and told him to sign that contract.Or perhaps they did because the Club obviously felt they could not afford to lose him.Dont blame the player for accepting an offer that was too good for him to refuse.
      In regards defending the player, it’s something I continually do.The reason? I love skilfull attacking footballers.We should as supporters be blessed to have such a sublime footballer at our club.But I’m also frustrated that he is unable to perform to his abilities.With the talent Ozil has we should be getting more from him.His best days at Arsenal we’re with Cazorla, Coqulien, Arteta in midfield with him.Why is that possible with a forward line including Walcott, Giroud and to a lesser extent Podolski? With Aubamayang, Lacazette and Pepe we SHOULD be getting far more from Ozil than we are.Of that there is no doubt.
      So, you asked where the Ozil fanboys were, well I’m still here PAL and still confused as to why managers and coaches have failed to allow Ozil’s undoubted talent to realised.
      Some on here continue to spout workrate, which is utter utter bollocks.The player works to find space.He was not bought to be a headless Flamini.Some, well one in particular, has called him out continually for being lazy.I obviously cannot name him as he will probably cite some form of legal rubbish of what he will do if I do, but that’s just the war Jon Fox is.When he is able to answer questions that are put to him that completely contradict half the rubbish he writes will be the day to remember. But it’s ever so easy to trumpet gob comments like he does, it’s just typical he goes skulking off into hiding when he is continually found wanting for an answer that ridiculed him, which is quite often.
      So, yeah, I’m as frustrated as everyone with how poorly Ozil is performing.But I’m also totally amazed that the Coaches and Managers still cannot find a system where this very talented player is able to produce his best form on a consistent basis.

      1. YOU REMIND ME OF CORBYN, STILL STICKING TO HIS PUERILE NONSENSE HOURS AFTER THE COUNTRY REJECTED HIS FANTASY NONSENSE. INABILITY TO SEE THE PLAIN AND OBVIOUSTRUTH IS NOT MY PROBLEM BUT IT IS YOURS, PH”O”L. Presumably Phil, your near namesake is playing golf today and still busily avoiding reality!

        1. Jon-a little like you advoiding answering simple questions. Are you sure it’s not you who is a politician.If not it’s never too late

      2. listen to yourself, he is very good yet coaches are unable to find a system in which he would flourish. Agood player would fit in any system and suit any coach. Maybe he is not that good anymore. Maybe the continually evolving game of football has left him behind. There is no space for midfielders who only tiptoe around waiting to be handed the ball, in the modern game no matter how talented. look at his opposite number against city, while I hate to make such a comparison the difference between him and deBruyne was stark. He has run out of excuses he doesn’t deserve to be wearing an arsenal shirt.

  10. I said it last season we are a terribly unbalanced team. Who play with less than 6 players on the park. During the weekend game against city. KDB said the whole front line except martineli where not assisting the defence. Ozil made the midfield work tiring. I loved Ozil I. His first 2 years and before that but I said last season he was our worst attacking midfielder. Iwobi was keeps and bounds better, Miki was better but they refused to play them in the number 10 position just to accommodate Ozil who still did nothing.i fear for our new manager whoever he may be because the same crop of players will send him packing. Auba is an amazing talent but offers nothing but goals, xhaka is terrible, Socrates terrible, mustafi, Ozil, bellerin. We need to strip this team apart and start from scratch. All through this season it has been the kids picking us in every game. So why not just play them once and for all. I rather see my u23 lose 0:3 to man city and gain experience than this sorry lot. I digress we need to get rid of Ozil in January. People may not like it but we have to sell either Auba or lacazette. Xhaka must leave and Luiz is receiving his pension at arsenal and a stipend from chelsea as well. Pepe is talented but needs to be coached properly else we have another gervinho on our hands, willock needs a loan, guendouzi needs to bulk up he falls like a park of cards. Nelson should be sold.

    1. Owen.G, I must assume that your comment is sarcasm at its best 😖😖. To assume otherwise would lead to all sorts of other uncomfortable questions…..

  11. Ozil isn’t trash thou he’s lazy, but all the same I’d strongly say he needs to be paired with someone capable of playing short short attacking MF passes like Grealish(AstonV) or Maddison(Leicester). Or someone with the MF work rate of Jorginho(Chelsea).
    I’d prefer Ozil alongside Ceballos honestly, with some person like Ndidi(Leicester) or Kouyate(Crystal Palace) managing DM IMO. He played with accurate MF in his first two seasons and was awesome. I believe he still hasn’t delivered his all and all yet and he needs to.. But selling him sooner is a good option aswell..

  12. Ozil is annoying and a distraction, a bleeding expensive one. Probably the worst value for money player this club has ever had in its entire history (even worse than diaby and like ozil he never played for us much)and he and his family will be dining out on that for many a decade.

  13. I have said it many a time ozil should not be playing for this club, he’s a disgrace and gives out a bad vibe to youngsters,this season is gone regarding top4 so I say play the Young kids for the rest of season they can’t do any worse than the lot we usually see playing….

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