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Arsenal: No, Mesut Ozil does not replace Jack Wilshere
By Josh Sippie
Arsenal are handing off the long-held No. 10 shirt to the man who always wanted it – Mesut Ozil. But this has nothing to do with replacing anyone.
The media frenzy that surrounds Arsenal is always going to be a circus. Any non-story that carries some discernible (or indiscernible) connotation is exploited for click-bait and everyone starts to form their own theories about what every little thing means.
The latest news story to hit this circuit of ridiculousness is the number switch of Mesut Ozil. Ozil has been after the No. 10 shirt for some time, as it has always been his number, but Jack Wilshere, as the official club darling, never gave it up.
Now that Wilshere is gone, Ozil is snatching the number and, of course, that must mean that Ozil is replacing Wilshere, right?
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That is what the media outlets want you to believe. That Ozil is becoming the heart and soul of the club that Wilshere once was, but that is so far from the case that it’s not even funny. Well, I guess it is funny, in a stupid kind of way.
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Wilshere and Ozil could not be much more different. The only similarity that they share is that they are both midfielders, but let’s be honest, that’s where the comparison ends.
Wilshere was the emotional center of this club for so long. He was on the books for nearly two decades and the belief was always there that he would do something special for this club, no matter how long it took.
But the one thing no one ever questioned about Wilshere was his dedication to the cause, yet that is the only thing people question about Ozil. Just another reason why they are not in anyway related beyond a number, but it’s the biggest reason.
I can hear the media spinning this already and I’m trying to ignore it. Ozil got the No. 10 because it’s what he is used to having. He is replacing Wilshere in the same way that Granit Xhaka is replacing Francis Coquelin. Meaning he isn’t.
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There are far more important things to be dealing with now other than who may or may not be “replacing” anyone within the team itself.