Arsenal: No, Unai Emery should not tailor to Mesut Ozil

There is a great debate rippling through the Arsenal fan base at present regarding Unai Emery’s treatment of Mesut Ozil and whether he should adapting his system to Ozil or whether Ozil should be adapting to the system. Well, I think that the latter is far more important. Here’s why.

The Mesut Ozil fanboys really have been out in full force recently. After Arsenal lost to West Ham United on Saturday with Ozil not even in the 18-man matchday squad, putting in what I described as their ‘worst performance of the season’, those who seemingly support Ozil more than they do Arsenal were exceptionally critical of Unai Emery’s selection choices.

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This week, that criticism has led to an interesting debate surrounding Emery, Ozil and his treatment of his star man. The foundational question is this: Should Emery adapt his system to fit Ozil into it or should Ozil adapt his style of play to fit into Emery’s system?

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Speaking on Sky Sports this week, Tim Sherwood aptly summarised the former’s argument:

"“Surely he has to get Ozil on side? He’s one of his best players. You can’t burn bridges with a player who is on £350,000 a week and is sitting there doing nothing. You have to get him on side and get him on the pitch and do his best to make the team better.”"

Essentially the arguments go something like this: Ozil is the best midfielder in the team with a creativity that irreplicable by his replacements; Ozil is the highest-paid player in the squad by some distance; Ozil provides a unique influence in possession that is absolutely necessary given the other options Emery is using.

To an extent, they are right. Ozil is a unique player that brings an irreplaceable quality to the team. But that would be to completely miss the point of Emery’s being at the club. While the top four was a target for this season, the primary focus was ‘progress’, with the long-term project the first priority of the club.

Let me put it another way. Emery’s job is not about making Arsenal the best they can be now; Emery’s job is about making Arsenal the best they can be in two or three or four years’ time, and then to sustain that excellence over an extended period. And for him to do that, his system that the players are learning and beginning to execute must be prioritised over all other things, including the personnel that executes it.

If Ozil does not fit into the system that Emery wants to employ, then it is up to him to prove that he can. How much he earns, which was determined not by Emery but a previous regime, has literally nothing with whether he deserves to be in the team or not. The fact that he cannot be easily replaced this season does not mean that he should be playing either. Emery needs opportunities to see what this current crop of players can offer him, and that includes those who could succeed Ozil if the German playmaker is sold in the summer.

So no, Emery should not tailor to Ozil. For this project to work, the system. and finding the right players to execute the system properly, is the most important thing. If Ozil doesn’t fit, it is up to him to make sure that that changes, not Emery.