Arsenal: Mesut Ozil situation is exactly as it seems

Arsenal and Mesut Ozil are in the midst of a messy divorce, but no need over-analyzing it. This situation is cut and dry, and it has been for awhile.

I’ve spent way too much time digging into Mesut Ozil‘s tumultuous stay at the Emirates, but I want to dig a bit more here. As Arsenal continue to move further away from the German maestro, the Ozil fanboys are getting more and more irate, but you have to get to the truth of the matter here, and that’s that there is not more to this situation than there seems.

Many have hypothesized that Emery is trying to make an example of Ozil, that he personally doesn’t like Ozil… this that and the other. But with Raul Sanllehi coming out and backing Emery’s decision making with Ozil, any room for interpretation has been thoroughly dismantled.

This is all you need to know: Arsene Wenger gave Ozil a huge deal and then left. Unai Emery does not field players like Ozil, but he understood how hard it would be to move that kind of contract with such unstable results.

In turn, Emery tried to make the most of it. He gave Ozil opportunity to make it and every time, Ozil was unconvincing. He didn’t stand out. He couldn’t even stand out in the midweek competitions when in the middle of a swath of youngsters.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

Ozil struggled enough under Wenger, but Wenger loved the kind of player Ozil was. Continuing to struggle under Emery was never going to breed similar results. And this was not helped on by the fact that Emery needs to succeed, and fast. If he had unlimited time like Wenger did, sure, maybe he sticks with Ozil.

Be he doesn’t. he needs to show progress. He needs to show a quick turn around. And that won’t happen if he relies on Ozil, who is notoriously unreliable.

Don’t act like Ozil didn’t have a chance. He absolutely did. More than I thought he should have had, honestly. But Emery just doesn’t like what Ozil brings to his club. It’s unfortunate. We hate to see Ozil treated like this. But Emery is in a state of self-preservation as well. And unlike Ozil, Emery can be fired.

Obviously you don’t want this kind of thing at your club. No one is rejoicing in this happening. But don’t try to make more out of it than it already is. It doesn’t need any help.