Arsenal: The Mesut Ozil situation will go on and on and on

Arsenal have had a Mesut Ozil situation ever since Unai Emery arrived, and that situation is likely to go on and on and on and on.

There aren’t many weeks in recent memory where Mesut Ozil hasn’t been in or around the Arsenal news for some reason or another and this last fortnight has been no exception. It feels like everyone has had their say on Mesut Ozil being completely isolated from the squad and seemingly being forced out by Unai Emery.

This has got the feel of something that’s going to drag on and on.

I must admit I am on the fence with this one. On one hand, I can see Unai Emery’s point of view. He has never tolerated Ozil’s lazy attitude during games and if it has reached a point now where he’s putting minimal effort in training why wouldn’t Unai Emery pick someone else who is more deserving of a spot in the starting XI?  We have other players in the squad who can play in the No. 10 role in Dani Ceballos and Joe Willock.

On the other hand, in most games we are crying out for creativity in the centre of midfield. Ceballos and Willock have shown glimpses of promise in their few appearances but they are not at the level that Ozil can be. However these creative moments seem to be getting fewer and farther between from Ozil.

I’m seeing and hearing some ridiculous comments around the whole situation, one being that Unai Emery is the worst thing to happen to Arsenal for the simple reason he has dropped Mesut Ozil. Why would you berate a manager to that level when he is doing his job? What message does it send out to the younger players in the squad like Willock and Emile Smith-Rowe when they see Mesut Ozil underperforming on most weeks and then finds himself in the squad the next match?

Players like that are going to think they are never going to get a chance. The people saying this are clearly Mesut Ozil fanboys and in my opinion not proper Arsenal fans.

Another one I have heard is that Mesut Ozil is the best player of the Emirates era.

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… No, I’m sorry, not for me. He’s no better than Santi Cazorla and he’s certainly not better than Aaron Ramsey. I would agree on ability he is better than the two but when it comes to passion, he doesn’t even come close. I would also argue that we have seen more memorable moments under Cazorla and Ramsey than we have under Mesut Ozil. Ozil is definitely the biggest signing we have made of the Emirates Era, but the best player? Not a chance. He certainly could have been the best if he didn’t phone in 50% of his performances.

I’m not picking sides on this one, I haven’t been a fan of Mesut Ozil since he signed his bumper contract and decided to coast by, and I’m not yet a fan of Unai Emery. I would agree that I would rather see Mesut Ozil in a starting XI then three defensive midfielders, which seems to be Emery’s favourite set up, but as I mentioned before, there are other players who can play in that creative role if given the chance.

Mesut Ozil has come out recently and said that he has no intention of leaving Arsenal before 2021. I don’t deny that Mesut Ozil has some love for the club, but I feel that he loves his bumper wages a lot more as its unlikely that he will get that much at any other club now.

Unai Emery has also come out today and said that he has seen improvement from Mesut Ozil in training and if it continues he could play himself back into contention. I would take that with a pinch of salt as Emery’s opinion of Ozil seems to change on a consistent basis, so only time will tell.

One thing is for sure: There doesn’t seem to be a set resolution to this ongoing situation and it seems this is going to go on for the foreseeable future.