Arsenal: So, Mesut Ozil mess extends beyond Gunners

Mesut Ozil was dropped for Germany’s game against Sweden on Saturday in the World Cup. The mess surrounding the midfielder extends beyond Arsenal, then.

Mesut Ozil is a marvellous footballer. As soon as you read that sentence, it is fair that you immediately make judgements about my judgement of the Arsenal playmaker. Such is his decisiveness as a player, whenever a statement is made about him, an evaluation of the person making that statement quickly follows. Where you stand on Ozil is seen as some barometer of footballing perspective.

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Throughout his time in north London, there has been a tension surrounding the German international: Is he the nigh-on lazy individual that lacks competitive spirit, resolve, fight and desire or is he merely misunderstood, the quiet and understated facilitator that flourishes in the cracks and is so easy to overlook?

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It is a debate that does not really have an answer. There are points of emphasis for both sides of the argument; both viewpoints boast a degree of credence that portrays them to be true. Perhaps, to some extent, they are. Unlike what most people would have you believe, they are not mutually exclusive. The two can coexist, both attributing a certain degree of validity.

Nevertheless, while many of the off-pitch criticisms are difficult to verify — how would you even go about evaluating a player’s commitment or competitive edge or fighting spirit? –, there is still a large swathe of fans that have a range of opinion regarding his on-pitch influence, especially in those big games that he often has a tendency to go somewhat quiet in. And it seems as though the Ozil ambiguity is not restricted to his domestic play.

Ozil was dropped by Joachim Low for Germany’s second group game against Sweden on Saturday in the World Cup. The Germans, coming off a worryingly lapse and loose display against Mexico, needed a victory. The pressure was on. And Low, in this must-win cauldron, turned away from Ozil, one of his most trusted players throughout his tenure.

Clearly, then, the doubts regarding Ozil’s influence extends into the German ranks. This is surprising. Throughout his time at Arsenal, one of the arguments that his proprietors have used is to highlight his performances for Germany where he is surrounded by more accomplished, complete players, is provided with the right environment and platform to play as the ‘luxury’ player that some believe him to be, and generally flourishes. Not so more, apparently.

Arsene Wenger spent much of his time altering the team to get the best out of Ozil. He started on the right flank, he moved into a central position, the one that many think is his best, and has, this past season, spent most of his time in a drifting right-wing role opposite a more advanced left winger who ensures that width is maintained on one of the flanks. None of the positions have exclusively gotten the best Mesut Ozil.

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It remains to be seen how Unai Emery will handle the situation. It remains to be seen if he will handle it all. The Mesut Ozil may be too big for him to even consider. But what is certain is that Ozil is not just a conundrum for Arsenal, he’s one for Germany also. There is a common denominator here. Perhaps that is telling us something.