Mesut Ozil has been axed from the Arsenal first team this season as he struggled to meet the demands of Mikel Arteta.
The German was left out of Arsenal’s team registration for the Premier League and the Europa League this season, making him ineligible to play in either competition.
He had some chances to play for the Gunners when Arteta became the club’s manager.
The Spaniard gave every player in the team the chance to prove their worth to him and was not concerned with their status under the former manager.
Ozil did look like he was a player that is capable of putting in the hard work in those early days, but with time it became clear that he was holding the team back and Arteta dropped him.
He hasn’t played for the club since March, and he has likely played his last game for them.
Arteta has repeatedly defended his decision, but Jack Wilshere isn’t having any of that, and he claims that there might be more to it.
He was asked if he was surprised to see the German left out at Arsenal, and he said on ITV Football Football Podcast as quoted by Mail Online: ‘Yeah I am, because I played with him and used to love playing with him and really, really enjoyed it. He’s one of the best I played with.
‘So yeah, I am surprised, but there’s obviously something that we don’t know.’
‘A player of his quality – I reckon he could get into any team in the Premier League, that’s my opinion, and to not even have the opportunity to be able to compete for a place is difficult to understand.’
This guy needs to stop talking about Arsenal perhaps. Pretty sure he has a career he needs to get back on track. I know he’s a fan favorite for one good game at 19, but we’ve had so many midfielders better than him and I dont get why his opinion matters so much sometimes.
RSH, you can’t have watched many matches during the time of Jack at our club, if you only remember one good game when he was 19.
Perhaps it’s his opinion and what he’s saying, that is bothering you?
Aren’t we all entitled to say what we want?
I agree we have had better midfielders, but not that many he views should be dismissed – plus he always gave 100% to the club and is a real Gooner… remember him singing “What do you think of Tottenham” while celebrating in front of thousands of fans while celebrating one of our cup wins?
A Gooner through and through in my opinion.
RSH, Whether you agree or not with Wilsheres opinion – and I do not – he is fully entitled to give his opinion and to claim he had just one good game at age 19, shows your own personal bitterness and not any dispassionate proper thought on this matter.
To be clear, I do think he brought most of his so called “badluck” with injuries on himself by both his younger lifestyle AND his tendency to dive recklessly into 40/60 tackles against tough men, while being merely a physical shrimp himself.
But though he failed to make the most of his one time great potential , your comment says rather more about you than it does about him and to your detriment too!
I will take Wilshere back anytime. I was sad when he got injured and mad when he did not take care of his body but deep inside he was always loyal to the club.
I guess he speaks the truth about Ozil and the truth hurts.
The writer said Ozil was holding Arsenal back. These are very strange times.
And that’s why Arsenal took off (to the bottom) once Ozil let go. What a bunch of non sense.
Rubbish write up Ozil was holding Arsenal back. Arteta gave him chance just like he gave everyone else oga writer can you name one player in this team that played better than Ozil during that time. What you don’t know you don’t know.
no one holds Arsenal but Arsenal louzy overall management making no sense off & on pitch.
There’s nothing behunf Ozil but greed of owner who wants to get rid of a wage he offered in first place.
Reality, we are precisly missing a player as Ozil and Partey behind him finally allows him to play his game with his back covered.
We missed Partey fo secure back and allow attack to be lounged by a Ozil.
Seems that we do it all wrong in a very stupid & embarrassing way.
We have a complete squad first time in a decade strong, but no top coach, an assistant in his first experience who was giving a ferrari yo learn how to drive instead to go learn elswhere in a clio first as everyone does.
What?
To the writer who wants to sum Wilshere career at arsenal to just one game at 19.
Since that game his career was riddled with peculiar injuries that ended many careers but for all the midfielders we had during that time his qualities brought a different dimension to our play. Rosicky goal against Sunderland was similar to the Norwich game he scored am sure you did not watch that.
It is quite obvious you are much like those “Wenger out” bandwagon championed by Piers Morgan outrightly oblivious to the skewy activities going on the club.
Jack has his heart and legs cut out for the club and his opinion is tangible to the feelings of the true fans so yes his voice counts. I wish the lad well in his career a true Gooner!!!
Ozil situation is crazy.. But I’m going to stop here before ozil besmirchers like this author come for my head. Thumbs up Jack! A true gunner
Do you care to name who is holding the team back presently. I bet if Jack said Ozil is rubbish and deserves his exclusion you will call him a legend.
There is more to this story than what people think, he’s a great player a perfect no 10…OK the game has moved on and no 10s don’t have the same impact they need to be like a number 6 or 8…but Ozil is a quality act and should be in the squad he can change a game….just my opinion.
Have always heard this insinuation of number 10s don’t have impact anymore bla bla bla…. And am tired of this wrong assumption….just because Liverpool chose to make their full backs as their no 10s doesn’t mean every club should do that like Arteta is trying to do…. Guess what…. That masterclass from Liverpool wasn’t intention….Klopp only stumble on it and since it was working why change it…. But this season,it looks like it’s not gonna work…. Trust Klopp to find something new unlike our rigid Arteta….. Check all the top teams in Europe and tell me which doesn’t have a number 10 apart from Liverpool….man city has de Bryne,,,,man utd……Fernandez,,,,,, Tottenham……ndombele/ lo Celso,,,,,,Chelsea……kai havertz/ziyech,,,,,,,Bayern….. Thomas Muller……..even Atalanta has Papi Gomes…..etc…. So enough of this assumption of no more number 10s,,,, it’s just their application that’s different for every other team which has to do with the coach….. And btw that…. Since we love club rejects at Arsenal…. There is currently a quality club reject that can solve our creativity problem in Ericsson since we won’t use Ozil…. Arsenal should be going for that guy in January…. But trust me we won’t….we probably waiting kepa at Chelsea or rudigar and Azpilicueta…..
Spot on,Dammy.
Klopp philosophy is no different to anyone else the players you named above are modern day no 10s apart from a few and some are number 9s or 11… the box to box player’s are not the old number 10s the old number 10 would sit in the middle of the park creating and making openings for the runners the game has changed which is a shame..and im not a Liverpool fan im a charlton fan….to answer you question Ozil is a creative midfielder not a box to box player’ but you still need that quality…..