At the weekend, while we all celebrated our win over Man City, a JustArsenal reader felt the need to point out how we got to the final without Ozil and his 350,000 pound a week wages. That same person didn’t comment when we produced another away performance on Tuesday, without any creativity, while a World Cup winner was sat back at home.
You see I don’t care about anyone’s personal agenda. What I do care about is us being 10th in the table. I’m sorry, that is unforgivable. We seem to be patting Arteta on the back for talking about standards, yet let’s make this clear. Arsenal are going to finish outside the top 6 for the first time in 25 years so that means not one decision has been justified.
Sacking Mr Wenger (Would we be 10th? Would Rambo be here? Would Ozil be better?), the choice of managers since, player recruitment, or this idea that you freeze out a player if he earns too much, not one decision has made us better. I can say that because not one Gooner predicted back in the summer we would just about finish in the top half, so people in power at the Emirates have to question how this has happened.
I’m sorry until we are told Ozil has a poor attitude, isn’t trying in training or his behaviour is bad, I don’t understand the ridicule or mockery he gets.
Because he’s being overpaid? How’s that his fault? I have to watch worse talent play in his position just because Stan Kroenke wants to save more money.
I’m sorry at Villa Park my concern is not our owners finances, it’s getting a result. If we are then walking away without a shot on target, I have got a right to ask why we are paying someone who has proven he can assist, but is not even in the squad.
Oh, while we are at it, you do realise Ozil is not the only player on hundreds of thousands of pounds a week. You know, his peers, those laughing before Aston Villa scored, they are not on minimum wage.
I have a right to expect a coach (who also gets well paid don’t forget) to get the best out of his resources, to train, to teach, etc.
We can’t sell him till the summer. It’s not like he’s not still getting paid, so we may just as well use him while he’s here.
Don’t get me wrong the midfielder isn’t perfect, but I know when confident, with an arm round his shoulder, he will create. I don’t know that about the likes of Willock.
In the wins against Liverpool and City I agree you can’t trust Ozil to track back and follow those type of tactics. Yet in games where we have possession, I still would trust him more than anyone else to find that killer pass
Arteta might have achieved pushing him closer to the exit door post-Lockdown by freezing him out. That means nothing to me if we are failing on the pitch.
Unless someone is doing better, or you intend to buy a better replacement, the only person benefiting out of this is the owner.
Just remember Ozil was good enough to play before the pandemic. The fact we have lost 4 out of our 9 League games since means it hasn’t worked. Yet some seem to be congratulating our boss for helping their agenda and not focusing on us dropping points.
When chasing an equaliser who’s more proven, Ozil or Reiss Nelson? That decision could be the difference between rescuing a point or not.
Ever since he refused a pay cut (his legal right) he’s been ghosted just because a Billionaire wants to reduce his overheads. So, the plan is to make him so miserable he feels forced to move his family away from the City they love. All he’s done is honour his contract that Arsenal CHOSE to give. That’s quite nasty when you think about it.
Aubameyang must be thinking the same? Sure, gooners are begging him to extend his deal now, but how does he not know he will be in his teammate’s shoes in a couple of years. Suddenly he will be accused of being someone in this thirties being overpaid with zero resale value.
Look at Arsenal’s accounts and it’s easy to work out what their issue with Ozil is, and it’s not that he’s not as good as one of our worst midfields in history. It’s the fact we are running low of money, and with it not certain when fans are allowed back into the Emirates or will there be a second spike, the German ‘s salary is a heavy weight round our neck.
That’s not his fault though. No one could foresee a pandemic, while potentially not being in Europe is mismanagement from the club.
So, I understand the need to get him off the books and, for the man himself, he deserves more respect than some of our toxic fan base.
Yet at least for one more League game he’s still an employee of Arsenal so if we are lacking creativity, give him potentially one last game.
If you don’t and we have no shots on targets again, well that’s unforgivable…
Dan Smith