Mesut Ozil surely knows how to divide opinions among Arsenal fans; some believe he is well beyond his best, others believe he still has a lot to offer, while some others believe he lacks the passion to play at the highest level again. Whatever you may think about Ozil, watching him rant angrily after our game against Brighton may change your perception against him. Ozil exhibited his anger at losing the game; who he was directing it at, I can’t say.
I have written several times on how I wish our players could show more passion and put their all into winning games. I and many other writers have wondered why Arsenal players seem to lack motivation on the field of play. A lot of Arsenal players, play as if they are not interested in what is happening on the pitch as long as they get paid at the end of a pay week. Passion is all the players need to win games; unfortunately, they seem to lack that at the moment.
However, it was a thing of relief to me when videos of Mesut Ozil walking away from the field, angrily, appeared on the internet. I felt so happy, not because I have not seen him angry before, but because I expected such a reaction from a player who knows he was earning so much and dishing out so little. Good one Ozil but…
If only Ozil had channeled such annoyance to his style of play, maybe he may have won a lot of fans to his side these past few seasons. Maybe if Mesut had directed his annoyance to the players who are not doing well on the pitch, maybe results would have gone our way. Maybe if Mesut had yelled or screamed at his fellow midfielders, maybe they would have played their hearts out in every football game. Maybe if Ozil, being one of the senior players in Arsenal, had shown this passion on the field of play,the other players would have woken up from their slumbers. Maybe if players like Xhaka, Auba and Laca had shown more passion on the field of play, we won’t be in this situation right now.
So, before you accuse me of trying to make you admire Ozil because of one crazy moment on video, please ask yourself how many of our players have exhibited such level of annoyance, especially after losing a game. I remain an Arsenal supporter for life!
We shall surely rise again, with the players showing the right attitude.
Sylvester Kwentua