Arsenal: Unai Emery should not have to decide which Mesut Ozil he prefers

Since Unai Emery has overtaken the Arsenal helm it has become ever apparent that he will have to choose between the “hard working” Mesut Ozil and the “Assist-king”.

Mesut Ozil, the man who is slated by Arsenal fans as well as rivals more often than any other. The reason for this perpetual criticism comes down to the expectations associated with the German talisman.

When the play-making superstar was purchased from Real Madrid in 2013, the Gunner’s fan base was overjoyed. Despite the initial jubilation, since joining, there have been many complications within the man himself that neither manager, thus far, has been able to overcome.

Mesut Ozil: The hard worker

The most difficult hurdle to overcome within the “obstacle-course” that is Ozil, is his work ethic. At times it seems as though he is uninterested in the game that is at hand and is unwilling to track back to support our shaky defense.

There is this strange common misconception that Ozil was a hard worker prior to joining the Gunners, but those claims are untrue. He has always preferred to stay in the attacking half of the pitch, often neglecting defensive expectations.

Nonetheless, against Chelsea, despite his poor performance and his failure to provide his strike force with any genuine chances, the German covered more distance than any Arsenal player, according to SkySports.

After coming off in around the 66th minute in a game when he tracked back defensively on numerous occasions, he looked absolutely shattered.

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Mesut Ozil: The “assist-king”

Since Arsenal signed Ozil from Spain, he came with a reputation of being a lethal creator. Statistically one of the best providers in world football, the German international has failed to impress many upon his arrival to the Emirates.

Nevertheless, this is not the fault of the former Madrid man. There is essentially no point in having a player on £350,000 a week if you’re not letting him do what he does best. Emery should not  have to choose between the “hard-working Ozil” and the world renowned “Assist-King” because Arsenal’s No. 10 should not have to be something in which he isn’t.

Ozil should have enough defensive support and a solid enough foundation behind him to only come back when it is an absolute necessity.

Emery has a very difficult job at hand with the proper management of Ozil being an essential factor to the Gunners quest for the top four. The pair’s alleged “bust-up” recently has lead many to believe that they have an estranged relationship already.

Notwithstanding the reported scuffle, both Emery and Ozil must learn to coexist and try to better comprehend each other’s expectations going forward if they want what is best for Arsenal. Time will tell if Emery can get the best out of Mesut Ozil again.

There is an undeniable transition occurring within the current infrastructure of the reds of London and there is no saying that the German will play any part in it.