Arsenal: ‘Devastated’ Mesut Ozil Must End Grouchiness

Mesut Ozil has stated that he was devastated by Arsenal’s humiliating loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League. He must end his grouchiness for the good of the team.

It has undoubtedly been a tough time for Arsenal and many of their players. Just three wins since February 11th, two of which came against non-league opposition in the FA Cup, losses against Watford, West Brom, and Crystal Palace, and now major questions asked regarding the future of the manager, the desire of the players and the very infrastructure of the club, has seen the club and the fans toil through an almighty struggle.

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Perhaps, though, of all their failures in recent weeks and months, none were more humiliating than the successive 5-1 losses to Bayern Munich, consigning them to the second worse aggregate loss in Champions League knockout history.

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And that is the viewpoint of Mesut Ozil, who took the loss especially badly. In a serialised release of his book, Ozil revealed that he was devastated after the dismantling at the hands of the Germans, stating that it was one of the most humiliating defeats that he has ever suffered:

"“The devastating loss at Bayern Munich this season is undoubtedly one of the darkest hours of my footballing career. It’s in the top five of the most humiliating defeats I’ve suffered. The fact is, we all failed. We were all bad! We played a game that held a mirror up to our faces. It was a performance we can’t just brush aside. No, we have to learn our lessons from it. We all have to ask searching questions of ourselves and accept responsibility for the defeat.”"

They are certainly understandable comments. And they are more than justified given the insipid failure of Ozil and his teammates. However, what is not acceptable is his reaction since the loss. Rather than, like he claims in the above quotes, to ensure that lessons are learned from the defeat, Ozil has proceeded to mope around, shrugging his shoulders and lacking any semblance of fight or desire when on the pitch.

Worse than falling short in the quality department is failing to show the character to respond to failures and difficulties. While there is a time for sadness and regret, ultimately, individuals and the teams must use struggles as motivation for their future endeavours.

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That is far from what Ozil has done. His grouchiness has been unbearable and unhelpful. It is now time for him to toughen up, knuckle down, work hard and try to put right the embarrassments of Bayern Munich.