Arsenal: For Mesut Ozil, support is key to finding top form

They way in which Arsenal has stuck up for and stood by its star player, Mesut Ozil, during times of rumor, controversy and criticism is key to unlocking his confidence.

Arsenal star player Mesut Ozil has been described in many ways over his professional career. Focusing solely on his time at Arsenal, he has been equally praised as a brilliant creator and critiqued as a lethargic under-performer. And it has come from all angles. Fans, media, management and even politicians have voiced varying opinions on Ozil as a player and as a person.

One perspective that has remained consistent is the messaging coming from the club itself. Since his signing on deadline day in the summer of 2013, the club has supported its star player and done everything in its power to keep him happy.

The support has been there from day one, as Ozil stated in an interview at the time of his transfer:

"“At the weekend, I was certain I would stay at Real Madrid but afterwards I realised I did not have the faith from the coach or the bosses. I am a player who needs this faith and that is what I have felt from Arsenal, which is why I have joined.”"

This summer, Arsenal’s highest paid player returned from a disastrous World Cup stumble with Germany amidst personal attacks from all sides. The club itself was about to embark on what looked to be one of its most turbulent Premier League seasons in decades. Given the controversy that he has faced over the following months – even stretching back to last year’s contract negotiations – it was debatable how Ozil would respond. Fans were understandably skeptical.

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Then two things happened: new head coach Unai Emery made it a point to praise Ozil in one of his first press conferences, stating his tactical importance in the team, and he established Mesut Ozil as one of his “band of captains,” further cementing his importance to the squad.

On top of that, Arsenal fans overwhelmingly showed their support of the player in the aftermath of his dispute with the German FA. And when German manager Joachim Low recently stopped by London Colney to chat with Ozil about avoiding his calls, the club seemingly denied him a face-to-face meeting with the player.

What we’ve seen over the past month and a half have been the performances of a player who is feeling that love from his club and its fans. I mean, Mesut Ozil actually smiled after his goal against Watford! It’s been awhile since we’ve seen that kind of joy spreading across our playmaker’s face.

There will still be matches when Mesut Ozil is not at his best. Opposing teams target him, attempting to limit his space and mark him out of games. They direct their attackers toward his side of the pitch in an attempt to take advantage of his poor defending. But Unai Emery’s tactics in recent matches seem to be aimed at protecting Ozil so he can be more effective in attack.

So fans shouldn’t get too down on our German maestro. He is a player that thrives on positivity and support. We’ve seen what he can do when he’s happy. That 2015/16 Premier League season when he collected 19 assists and led the team to second in the table was his most joyous in an Arsenal shirt. This season, with three goals to his name so far – two of those in the league – we might get a glimpse of the happiest Mesut Ozil we’ve seen yet.