Arsene Wenger has claimed that Mikel Arteta should find a ‘compromise’ to accommodate Mesut Ozil into his Arsenal team.
The German has been frozen out of his side since the Coronavairus pandemic hit, with the 32 year-old not picking up a single minute of competitive action since the season restarted in June.
The exile worsened for Ozil when he was completely left out of the club’s playing squad for the Europa League and the Premier League when the transfer window closed in October, and he is now only eligible to play in domestic cup competitions until the new window opens come next month.
While many have been in uproar over the decision, something that has strengthened as our creativity has stuttered in recent weeks, a number also believe that the manager will have to reconsider his stance come January, and Wenger claims the manager will have to ‘think about’ how to do just that.
“He [Ozil] was not difficult to manage. He was a guy who had a special quality as a creative player and needed to have fun.,” Wenger said to ESPN’s CaughtOffside Podcast.
“He is an artist and these guys are a bit more sensitive. They need support and an environment that pushes them to give their best.
“You have two ways to see a football team. You get everybody to do the same – the same intensity of work, the same defensive work – or you find a compromise.
“You have a more creative player in the team who can do less defensive work but you build a team around him who can compensate for these deficiencies. That is what you have to think about.”
Can Arteta overcome the team’s struggles before the window opens to back-up his decision to overlook Ozil? Will the Spaniard be brave enough to reverse his decision next month?
Patrick