Arsenal: Has the Mesut Ozil ship sailed?

Mesut Ozil is yet to play a minute for Arsenal this season. Has his ship of revitalisation and rejuvenation already sailed or can he finally deliver on his inordinate ability?

You would be fair in questioning Mesut Ozil’s commitment to Arsenal during the six years he has been at the club. While his performances have produced some spectacular moments, his languid, often lazy-looking style could be interpreted as a lack of desire for the cause. In reality, only Ozil will know how hard he is actually trying.

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But while there is a great debate regarding his overall application, there can be no questioning of his unique qualities, especially when he has the ball at his feet — this is where the Ozil dichotomy reaches its climax. How much do you accommodate a lazy player for those special moments?

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This week, Ozil’s former teammate Per Mertesacker was asked about the fans’ frustrations with Ozil. His response perfectly illustrated the tension that exists between a desperation to see him flourish and the reality of him repeatedly floundering:

"“Yeah [I understand Arsenal fans’ frustrations with Ozil] because probably they don’t understand him. I know how to take him and how to try to pinch him when needed. But ultimately it has to come from him if he wants to go to the next level. But he can deliver. He loves playing football, it doesn’t come across so often. He is a genius in terms of what he can produce with the ball and you can see that in every training session. Once he gets the ball, he’s rested. He thinks he plays in the park. He can deliver that ball that no one else can deliver. He has got that magical sense.”"

Last season, Unai Emery gave Ozil rope. Emery asked him to adapt to the new style that was being implemented. He didn’t. The German did return after a mid-season, injury-hit hiatus to close out the year with surprising effort and industry, although his production was not at the same level as previous seasons, but Emery predominantly chose to move on from the club’s highest earner.

Nevertheless, precisely because Ozil is the club’s highest earner, he is still at the club. Arsenal could not sell him this summer, despite their best efforts, and given that he has at least has the talent to win games and dictate attacks in a way few other players in the world can, it makes sense to try and use him, right?

As Mertesacker’s comments illustrate, there is a curious genius to Ozil that is worth tapping into, however frustrating his mentality and natural inconsistencies can be. But it is also relevant to ask whether the ship has already sailed? Has Emery already enough?

Ozil will be given chances at some point this season. He is too good to not be. But can his genius override his laziness? He will not be handed too many opportunities to prove it can, because if the ship has not sailed yet, it is certainly on its way out of the harbour.