Arsenal: Mesut Ozil hardly the key to title competition

Arsenal’s search for a title after missing out for so many years is dependent on people like Mesut Ozil, according to Garth Crooks. Wrong again.

Arsenal finally got the best out of Mesut Ozil against Everton, as the German maestro put in one of his best performances ever in his time with Arsene Wenger. He created eight chances, a season record, and notched a headed goal and a slick assist.

It was enough to get Gooners hopes up that Ozil may have turned a corner yet again, but only time will tell. And while we wait for time to tell, Garth Crooks decided to have another go at the Gunners.

After bashing those who bash Ozil, Crooks went on to finish with a rather strong sentiment. His words, via the Evening Standard:

"What is clear is that if Arsenal start dispensing with players like Ozil then they can forget about titles."

I tend to lose track of all the things Garth Crooks says that I want to laugh at. But here we have another one.

While he didn’t explicitly say that Ozil is key to any competition the Gunners hope to mount on the title, it can be inferred, and this is a prospect that makes my head spin. If Ozil was the key, why then has he had all this time and never pushed the Gunners any closer to a title than they were without him?

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I agree that Ozil can have a huge part to play in any success Arsenal hope to find, but they have proven that they can be just as effective without him.

In fact, Ozil is so dependent on those around him, that you could go so far as to say that the Gunners don’t need Ozil so much as they just need more players around him.

Whenever this squad plays with urgency, with a passion and a desire to win, they look fantastic. Where that comes from is still up in the air and seems less likely to be uncovered than the arc of the covenant.

That said, in the search for determination and inspiration, seeing Ozil shovel out a world class performance once a month doesn’t strike me as inspiring for anyone.

I can’t really fathom what Crooks is going for here. Losing players like Ozil cancels out any hopes of a title? Transfers happen all the time, big time transfers too. Arsenal are even in that game as of late. How does selling a world class player and buying another change anything?

Next: 5 Things Learned Against Everton

I want Ozil to make this form last. Obviously I do. There is nothing quite like seeing Ozil in prime form. But to say that he’s so important to the club that they won’t challenge for the title without him? That’s a bit over the top.

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