Arsenal: Mesut Ozil undoubtedly a great player, but that’s not the point

Arsenal and Mesut Ozil are destined to part ways after a rocky tenure, but despite the criticism, it’s just sloppy to say that Ozil isn’t great.

Arsenal had a brief honeymoon period with Mesut Ozil, 18 months after he joined, and it looked like the world was right there, ready to be conquered. And yet, slowly but surely, the honeymoon ended and Ozil proved to be the wrong man for the job at hand – lifting major silverware.

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I have been highly critical of Ozil during his tenure in North London because I’m not a fan of his limited capabilities. I don’t like to see someone who refuses to track back, gets down on himself, and too easily disappears. It’s why I still think Eden Hazard is overrated. He is a ghost master.

But I have never denied that Ozil is a great player. He requires certain prerequisites to be successful, which is a shame, but I think you just need to look at last year to show what he can do even in less-than-ideal circumstances.

He scored 12 goals and notched 12 assists. It’s a step down from 19 Premier League assists the year before, but still, he made the most out of his capabilities in a league that hasn’t been all that friendly to him.

Then you have guys who come out an blatantly state that Ozil is not a great player. Not only that, but that he “never was.” This is what Ray Wilkins has had to say on the German maestro. Leave it to Ray Wilkins to force me to come flying to the defense of Ozil.

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Not great? Ozil didn’t just win a World Cup, he was instrumental to that World Cup. He was part of – a big part of – arguably the most lopsided semi-final match in World Cup history when Germany slaughtered Brazil 7-1 in Brazil.

He has been a key piece of the best team in the world – Germany – for years now and he figures to continue to be.

You don’t accomplish those things without being great. I agree with Wilkins that we use the word “great” too often, but Ozil is quite literally the greatest creator in the world of football. Continuously.

That alone makes him great. If you are the greatest at a certain aspect of the game, you are great. Because that’s a pretty big aspect.

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So why do I criticize Ozil so much? Because I want a more versatile player rather than a one-trick great. But do take note – he’s damn great at what he does.