Arsenal: Mesut Ozil rallying cry step one in a two-step process

Arsenal fans have been left frustrated with Mesut Ozil, but his recent rallying cry may be the first step in finding what he has lacked for half a decade.

I, like many Arsenal fans, have found myself frustrated with Mesut Ozil more times than not. Between the lack of consistency and his mystery illnesses, between the perceived lack of enthusiasm and an unwillingness to adjust, there is just a lot to shake your head at.

But the base of this frustration stems from the fact that we all know how good he can be. So to some extent, seeing the best of Ozil only once, maybe twice a month, feels like we are being cheated to some degree. All we want is to see Ozil at his best.

I made mention not long ago about how Henrikh Mkhitaryan had taken an excellent first step towards righting a thus-far wrong season by stating his own determination and ambition. I wanted Ozil to do the same and now, he has.

Ozil penned a lengthy article on Arsenal.com, covering who he is as a player, from his origin to where he is now. The article culminated in the comparisons he has garnered to Dennis Bergkamp.

Ozil did the smart thing, side-stepping such comparisons, before establishing that he wanted to be a legend in his own right. Then he added, in words that I actually find rather inspiring, “I am Mesut Ozil, and I’m not finished yet.”

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What better response to all the criticism, to all the hardship, then to hear him stand up and say, ‘this is who I am, and no, I’m not done’? I fricking love it. If words could translate to hard stats, Ozil would have like, three goals and five assists from that sentence alone.

But that is why it is only step one. Because step two involves getting over all the things that have hampered him, and that arguably hamper him now more than ever. If Ozil continues at the trajectory that he set for himself, he is finished. It’s that simple. But if he “is not finished yet” as he says, then it’s time for him to buck up and find something that he hasn’t had in his entire five years at this club – consistency.

It’s not asking much. I’m not asking him to run around with a wide smile, chasing down each individual ball carrier like he’s Matteo Guendouzi. I, and probably every other fan out there, just want to see some damn consistency out of the guy. That is how he can back up his words and show us that he isn’t finished yet.

What Ozil wrote was a wonderful read. And it’s inspired me to look forward to the next time he takes the pitch. But the magic of what he wrote will be lost rather quickly if his performances on the pitch stay the way they’ve been.