Mesut Ozil has given his clearest indication yet that he’s ready to commit his future to Arsenal, although the German admits his decision could be influenced by whether Arsene Wenger signs a contract extension at the end of the season.
The Gunners have been in negotiations with the 28-year-old for quite some time with the player’s current deal, signed when he moved in a club record deal from Real Madrid in 2013, due to end in July 2018.
Speaking to German publication Kicker [translated by the Guardian] about his future, Ozil – as was the case with Alexis Sanchez recently – underlined that he’s happy at the Emirates and hoping the board sort him out with a suitable deal.
“I am very, very happy at Arsenal and have let the club know that I would be ready to sign a new contract. The fans want that I stay and now it is just down to the club.”
Eager to stress that money isn’t the decisive factor in negotiations, Ozil added: “The club knows that I am here most of all because of Arsène Wenger.
“He is the one who signed me and he is the one whose trust I have. The club also knows that I want to be clear what the manager is going to [in the future].”
The midfielder also took a potshot at Thierry Henry after the Frenchman claimed that Arsenal’s star duo were holding the club hostage.
“Everyone has a right to say what they want but what they have to say doesn’t interest me,” continued Ozil.
“Ex-players or other people who have a view don’t know what is actually being said between me and the club.”
But Piers Morgan says Wenger is bad??
“The club knows that I am here most of all because of Arsène Wenger.”
HA
HAHA
HAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA
The WAGNER AHHT mob should have this stamped in their living room walls.
Of course the reason why Ozil joined for Arsenal was because of Wenger, who’s surprised about that?! I suspect the conversations went something like this: Ozil: Boss, will I be guaranteed a place in the team? Ancelotti: Not if you don’t pull your weight and neglect your defensive duties. I’m here to win our 10th CL trophy. Ozil: (gulp) Oh ok. Next day:- Wenger: We would love you to join Mesut. I think you’re a top top player. Ozil: Will I be guaranteed a place in the team? Wenger: Look, you will play no matter what. I can assure of… Read more »
Özil, the outstanding creative midfielder in the business, a World cup and twice FA cup winner, came here “because of Arsène Wenger” and is willing to spend his prime here for him as well.
Suck it up.
(Something tells me that you may be able to understand this sort of language!)
Rolled my eyes so hard at this comment.
Morgan is a dunce. Although I really respect Wenger and thank him for all he has done, but we need to move on. It’s not going to change and we need fresh ideas. Arsenal is bigher than Wenger, Ozil and Sanchez combined.
Good God ! A voice of sanity. Have an up tick.
Well said Mesut. Anybody else starting lose a little respect for Thierry?
Not only is Henry undoubtedly one of our top 5 players of all time (the best player we’ve ever had in my own opinion) but he’s a massive fan of Arsenal. He’s naturally gonna be frustrated. I don’t agree with a lot of what he says but it does represent the views of many of our fan base and he’s encouraged to say negative things about us in the press by media outlets to increase viewership. Most of our squad knows him personally and a few of our players probably know him quite well, so I don’t think his comments… Read more »
Massive fans don’t fuck off to Barcelona. Massive fans don’t willfully become wankers for a TV paycheck.
Henry is an Arsenal legend on the pitch. Off the pitch, he has behaved like a cunt since he left for Barcelona.
Anyone who refers to TH14 as a cunt, is a cunt themselves in my view.
All the hate towards Henry? Really?? Some disrespect ex gooners who were sold to direct rivals in post Highbury. Although not right but the many years of not winning the league and the frustrtion of seeing them do with other teams can be somehow understood. But Henry? Thierry Henry the King Henry? Well I dont know much about you people but Thierry I know is a biggest fan a player could be. He stayed at club after CL final although club was willing to cash in. He renewd his contract with mounths before his transfer so Arsenal was paid properly.… Read more »
You dont even know the story of his transfer and are mad at your made up facts! pffft
Renewed his contract? Of course he did, after holding us hostage for a massive sign on fee.
So what he wasn’t that good anyway. Even Giroud stats are nearly as good. Henry is just overrated. Period. Wenger win those tropies not Henry
@Rashwho Henry overrated? I bet on my life itself that you havent seen the man play. I bet you havent even watched a classic Arsenal match replay. And I guess you havent even watched a Youtube clip of one of your clubs best ever Legends. And if you believe winning all he won in Arsenal shirt was only for Wenger let me tell you this, while he won a Champions League and couple of la Ligas on his last couple of years in Europe. Wenger is yet to win another league without this man.
I am of the opinion that Pires is a genuine fan, unlike Henry. You can still see him around supporting the team, I myself had the pleasure of meeting him in Monaco, sitting in the stands like a regular fan supporting his team, not in the VIP section, not in the spotlight. He left because he was heartbroken, Henry left because his CV had some gaps in it (and a convenient bigger paycheck in Barcelona). It has been painful to see Henry behave like he has during the last few years, I am just irritated at how some push the… Read more »
@Bob’s Mexican Cousin I had to sign up just to point out how right you are mate.
Pires, Wenger, Bould… bleed red and white. Henry is basically a very gifted mercenary for me at this point. Where would he be if AW did not have the patience and faith in him that he did? Who else (and how soon during his career) would have given him the chances that he got at Arsenal?
Henry owes absolutely everything that he has become to The Boss and The Arsenal. He should be showing more respect.
Martyparty
If you had been a professional footballer in Henry’s position, would you have stayed?
How many if us, even if we love the organisation in which we work, would not leave for a better offer?
If Henry had stayed, he would not be a European Cup winner would he?
Enough said?
He was, of course, a great player and is probably a genuine fan. But he gets paid (a lot) to say interesting things on TV, and that means controversial and provocative statements, not dispassionate analysis.
Depends what you mean. It doesn’t dent his legacy as a player with us. As a pundit, I never thought he was up to much anyway.
We will not win the league again under Wenger. We are stuck in a systematic routine of losing (at the exact same times of the year mind you) and this rut will only be fixed with a fresh face in charge and new ideas. Please give me one solid reason if you disagree with me.
Firstly, a “systemic routine of losing” makes very little sense when applied to Arsenal under Wenger. I won’t bother rolling out the stats, but that makes little sense. If you judge Arsenal only on the basis of winning the premier league trophy, then yes, it looks a bit shabby lately, but we are building up to it: this season is not over, and there is a lot of football left to play. Secondly, this idea that Wenger has no new ideas is patently absurd; he’s changed formations, tactics, and players numerous times over the years — has he largely settled… Read more »
With old age comes stubbornness and arrogance too.. while he’s a great manager; he is far from perfect. A missing CL trophy on his CV is a testament to his obvious weaknesses.
What a hot load of cum. The results speak for themselves…perennial 4th place finishers. This fan base needs to demand better
I dont pretend to be aware of going-ons in the club and I am sure most of us would not either, so if we look at known facts. 1. This team is a Arsene team, meaning he has almost complete control over who and how he plays and has been the case for the last 10 years or so at least. 2. Leicester won the league with far less talented team last year but Arsene has not managed to do that, after the last set of the players who had character, providing steel, most(not all) of them bought by the… Read more »
Leicester winning the Pl was an anomaly. So many things have to be right for that to happen. I truly believe we have improved year on year.
Because demanding better will do anything, to a board that doesn’t give a donkey’s left nut what the fans think. In my opinion, there’s a damn good reason why fans are not listened to, and its because well, we’re quite shit at this. If we were better, we would be paid to do it. Or even paid to write about it like the fantastic staff on this site. Let’s grab a little perspective–I have no problem with discussing whether Wenger should stay or not, or whatever, but unless there is really a crucial incentive to intervene with club affairs (i.e.… Read more »
“Anybody else starting lose a little respect for Thierry?”
Not yet, no.
Henry is a club legend and always will be for his part in many club achievements, but he did leave Arsenal for Barcelona, so I still hold a grudge towards him for that. I know I’m being silly, but that’s partly why I don’t care what he says about the Özil and Alexis contract sagas. the other reason I don’t care about his critiques is the way he tries to sensationalise to please his employers.
Exactly. It’s like criticising Mezut for spitting in the soup after he took a shit in it in 2006.
Punditry seems to subtract 50 IQ points to any individual.
Respect Thierry a huge amount for what he helped us achieve whilst he was a player for us. Thierry clearly has a lot of love for the club and for Arsene. However, I do wish he would stop talking nonsense about matters that do not concern him. It’s fine for him to discuss what we do on the pitch in regards to punditry – he was paid to do so. Much like Keown, Dixon, Wright and Winterburn are, but the ongoings behind the scenes, need to stay there else it becomes divisive. Anyway, more pertinent to the article, this is… Read more »
I guess you have lost your mind
Yes man. He is the reason we didn’t win the Champs League in 2006.
https://youtu.be/CiEEI77fVEI
Watch this
His abilities as a player aren’t being questioned by anybody. Just so you know.
Anyone remember his last few years… dithering over the contract and then committing and then flying away? Henry is a legend. That doesn’t excuse him from making mistakes. In his current job as a pundit he will talk shit from time to time. At those points you have to remember this is precisely why he is at Sky and not on the training pitch at Arsenal.
Indeed. Henry has a new job now. It is the 2nd time he has chosen another employer over Arsenal.
He will forever be an Arsenal great, but everybody needs to step back and take his comments with a huge pinch of salt.
Wenger was right to make him choose between punditry and being an Arsenal coach.
Will that make a few more fans want Wenger to stay?
No
I still think we need a change at the top. Much more important than a single player. Look at what Klopp’s managed to achieve at Liverpool with pretty modest means – and imagine what an ambitious new maestro could make – not only of our thicker wallet – but of the tainted and sizeable squad wenger – to his absolute credit – has assembled (but seems unable to get the best out of). Sell Ozi if he feels that way, and give the new gaffer an extra £30 mil to play with. That’s how I feel. (Granted I’m a little… Read more »
*talented* not *tainted* haha
So what exactly has Klopp ‘achieved’ so far? Apart from losing to Bournemouth and Burnley? Oh, and that magnificent 0-0 draw at home to Plymouth….
Wez, don’t be a prick. That’s the sort of answer you would give to a Liverpool supporter, not a fellow Gooner who wants to get involved in constructive debate.
None of us are happy about it but the facts are Klopp’s team came to our stadium and banged 4 goals past us and they are current looking down at us on the table.
If Wenger goes, and he will at some point, I’d love to see Klopp take over. Not that I think he will.
We have this Hasenhuttl feller in the pipeline now and he might be here sooner than we think. I wonder how long it’ll take for him to become the scapegoat for the “manager put” crowd?
“Klopp’s team came to our stadium and banged 4 goals past us.”
Well, without Koscielny, Mertesacker, Mustafi, or Gabriel. Chambers and Holding (in his first top-flight appearance ever) in the center. No Alexis, Ozil, Giroud, Perez, or Welbeck.
By the way, I like Klopp for his enthusiasm, his obvious love of the game and respect for its traditions, for the way he treats his players and, apparently, his staff. Good man, good football mind. I hope Liverpool finish just behind us, in second.
Not sure calling a fellow Gooner “a prick” is engaging in constructive debate either, Spinner.
If we’re judging Wenger on trophies won then it’s fair enough to judge other managers on the same grounds. Klopp has won nothing at Liverpool……yet.
That’s very kind of you spinner. The fact remains that Klopp has yet to win anything, so to sight him as the answer to all of problems is a little premature. I like Klopp a lot. I also like what Wenger has done and what he continues to do, which is to bring us world class football in a world class stadium and attract world class players. He has given us a lot to be proud of, in terms of his commitment and desire, and a club ethos that really is second to none. We are a class apart from… Read more »
What has Wenger achieved in 12 years?
Emirates stadium without a sugar daddy while staying in the Champions League longer than any other PL team. And a couple FA cups.
Getting knocked out of the CL every season in the round of 16, might be achievement in your eyes but it’s pretty shit for Arsenal FC.
But then again you always struck me as person with low expectations.
If you want to conveniently cherry pick the years you want to judge a club by you have to be serious about all of the conditions affecting those years.
Selling players and making the CL every year balanced the ledgers without having to take a much much larger hit to player funds. You don’t have to like it. It’s simply what was.
Ok. Finances are much better so what’s the excuse now for underperforming and underachieving?
I don’t want the next manager to come in and publicly claim 4th place is a trophy. Wenger did it and you gullible lot believed him.
You’re right, Spinner. We should win every game all the time. Just like all the other teams do. They win everything all the time and because we are Arsenal we should beat them comfortably every time. Nothing less is good enough.
Imagine Arsenal had that 0-0 draw at home to Plymouth……’what are people complaining about ? So what the team selection was a gamble. We’ll still win the replay anyway & don’t you realise Arsene played the YOUNGEST TEAM EVER IN ARSENAL HISTORY’ in that game. No other manager on earth would do that. What about those players development ? You won’t be complaining when we win the CL with those players…’ etc etc
spinner at least get your fact right, Wenger never said 4th place was a trophy, it might be the headline some media outlets and stupid bloggers ran with, but he never actually said 4th place was a trophy. Next thing you will be telling us Bendtner actually said he was the best striker in the world. wenger pointed out that 4th place was more important than either of the domestic cups, and in case you missed it, Man Utd, Man city, spurs and Liverpool managers have all agreed with that. Wenger also pointed out that ideally, if you can’t win… Read more »
Eduardo, I know you’re a Wenger fanboy but no need to be downright dishonest. You lose any little credibility you still have left.
Wenger said that 4th place was a trophy several times.
Here’s a couple of different quotes of him saying it:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2012/feb/19/arsene-wenger-arsenal-fourth-place
http://metro.co.uk/2012/10/25/arsene-wenger-champions-league-qualification-is-a-trophy-for-arsenal-608518/
Feel free to apologise to me at any time, Pinocchio.
I’d happily sacrifice Ozil to get rid of Wenger!
If you ever need to illustrate the concept of insanity for someone, you could do worse than quote this.
Me too.
Any player who plays for a manager and not the club and clearly states the same about his commitment is in my view disrespecting all the Arsenal supporters.
I support Arsenal first and then Arsene because he is our manager.
There’s is something very wrong within the club culture if its any other way.
John C, I would happily sacrifice you. For anything. Even a pig.
On second thoughts, I would happily sacrifice you for nothing.
Klopp is getting similar results with a similar budget than wenger. The difference is there isn’t a s***storm every time they lose points. And they don’t even have European football interfering with the fixture list.
I too think that we should move on from wenger to for example Allegri but to claim that Klopp is doing so much better is just believing the media hype.
Liverpool spent loads on their squad.
Klopp not buying many more doesn’t suddenly make their squad cheap…
Yeah he bought Mane with a lot of money, Karius, that CB and Wiljnadum (or whatever his name is). They also have big money signings in Firmino who cost about as much as Alexis if I recall correctly. Lovren, Clyne, Moreno weren’t cheap . And Milner on ridiculous wage. Still according to the media he is dealing with a limited budget and a below-par squad.
Klopp also sold Allen, Benteke, Ibe. His net spend since taking over is £5m quid.
I don’t think you can reason with the ones who don’t
What a terrible comment. Proof that the extremism among Gooners is as bad at the positive end of the spectrum as at the negative.
It was a bit harsh to be fair. Sorry but i find it annoying.
Fair enough. It’s just a shame it’s come to this this. Most Arsenal fans love Arsene very much regardless of whether they think he should stay or go. There are perfectly reasonable arguments for both stances.
Unfortunately, reason has departed….anyone who thinks he should say is a clown living in the past & anyone who thinks he should leave is a fcuker who should support someone else…
Quite depressing.
Indeed
Wenger has become the problem. No two ways about it. A new manager will do us a lot of good. I am not one of those that think without Wenger Arsenal is dead. Wenger is equally as important as any Arsenal player. We have seen players come and go but the crop of players we have been having since the era of Thiery and the rest contribute to our inability to win the league. Who is the cause for that???
I feel confident wenger and the players will pull something off this year. It would fit nicely with our lame starts and great comebacks to clinch it on the final day.
Emirates Stadium.
Should have stayed at Highbury then.
But if we would have stayed at Highbury, then the underachievement would have been blamed on not moving to a bigger stadium. Of course, there’s no way the manager can be to blame.
Your incessant cynical badgering about how Wenger needs to go on every post here is so very tiring. Why accumulate down-votes every day? Why not support some other club?
Your immature response is in breach of the comment policy. If you can’t follow the rules then don’t comment.
Take a hint about who needs to comment here and who needs to put a sock in it. You are a troll in a fan’s skin.
The way i see it, Özil has another year left at the end of this season, as does Alexis. I want Wenger to leave us on a high at the end of this season… so, whether he wins the title or CL or not, I think his time is up and he does not have much more to offer this club. If we bring in a new manager, lets say Loew, Ozil and Alexis still have a year, and we make a proper challenge for silverware, the Ozils and Sanchezs would surely stay. Loew has a good relationship with Özil.
This is a nice dilemma for the Wenger Out fans. Keep Wenger for another year and have Ozil and Sanchez extend their contracts or have a new guy come in and potentially lose those two?
I want a new manager just to prove #WengerOut fans wrong. Seems like longevity is a lost desire. Relationships, jobs, clothes, football clubs: everything’s temporary and a fad nowadays. All anyone wants now is ‘new’, whether good or bad it doesn’t seem to matter.
very true, i’ve seen leicester city fans say they want their manager sacked.
I know a few very anti wenger guys, and they admit that they campaigned for managers as far back as Billy Wright to be sacked, so forgive me if i believe that the WOB will be the first to turn on whoever replaces wenger, and not those that support the manager of Arsenal.
Wouldn’t work. The dialogue would be conveniently shifted to other perceived faults, easiest being ‘the new manager’s fault’ or ‘the players are terrible’, or ‘silent stan’ etc etc etc etc etc.
Quick question, are you are Arsene Wenger fan above being an Arsenal fan? Seems like it from reading your comments.
Nope. I am responding to what I see as close-minded, predetermined statements that have been hiding in the shadows during the good times only emerging when 1-2 unfavorable results happen. Never a positive thing to say.
I’m around when results are bad AND good. I like to be happy sometimes. It’s nice.
Of course, it’s nice to be happy.
But I can’t be happy when Arsenal FC, one of the true giants of English football, have not realistically challenged for the league title for over a decade. Miles off the leaders and in 5th place is not challenging.
I can’t reduce to my expectations to your levels just to give myself fake happiness. I want Arsenal to achieve what it should be achieving with the players and resources it has available. Until that happens I will remain unhappy.
I will always be an arsenal fan yes even if we fuck up and ive love to see arsenal win a cup sometime but i hope i av more in my life to make me happy
I dont know why but ive seen what u av had to say bout 3 times i just feel sad for you not the club but for u.Yes its lovely to see arsenal win it all but its a 90min game theres life after .
My Condolences. Enjoy.
You can fuck off over my expectations, because you have no idea what they are. Put your own words in your own mouth. Ta.
Hit a nerve, did I? Yes, that moment where someone called you out for having low expectations. Must hurt, but you can’t blame anyone else, you’re the one who decided what your expectations are. Hope 4th place brings you much joy.
That’s just it mate, my expectations aren’t low, and you know fuck all about how I support the club. The only thing you called me out for was a fictional claim that YOU made.
It’s a shame you’re so miserable that you feel the need to go after fellow supporters and try to tell them what their expectations are and what they think.
So I’ll end on a happy note.
It’s looking more and more as if Wenger and Ozil will be signing on for more.
I wonder if Owen Coyle is available…
Or david moyes, paul jewel… we’ve had fuck-wits on here shouting the name of any manager that’s won half a dozen games.
None of them get close to Wengers win percentages but that doesn’t matter.
And now they’re shouting for Low who’s never had any notable success with a club side which is very different from running the German National team.
If they take a moment to see how many times other top 6 teams have changed their managers with zero benefit, they’d be a it more careful about what they’re wishing for …
Hmmm….think you’re taking a huge leap there by including Alexis. I’ve thought for a while Ozil will 100% stay if Arsene does so this changes very little.
Alexis I don’t think is as tied to Arsene’s future. I think he needs to be convinced we can win big trophies. Will Arsene staying convince him of that? I wouldn’t bet on it to be honest.
From my point of view, it would be a disaster if we lose both players and it will be a big step back in terms of years building the team and finally we managed to start signing word class players. It will be rvp cesc saga again and if we lose both of them why would any word class player would want to come to the club when you lose your best two players, would player like reus want to come ? I don’t think so, he would come if we have both ozil and alexis tied with new contracts… Read more »
Arsenal football club is not about having best players and not winning a fuck all. Wenger has done his best and I do not think he will do more than he did during the Viera era. For me, he has been failing base on the crop of players he has been buying. I believe his approach and methods these days are contributing none performance. If Kloff or Pochintinho is our manager, the players will perform. I do not think they fear or respect Wenger much as their performance show. Most of us are deluded to think that Wenger is the… Read more »
Brian or Jurrgen Kloff ?
Pochintinho or Pocahontas or whoever. What the fack has he done so far? How many EPLs has Klopp won?
Some of the crap that gets bandied about by boo-boys like you is unbelievably vacuous. There are issues with the squad and the recent history is for all to see. The bad AND the good.
I’d like to know what he’s smoking o think Kloff would leave Liverpoo! or Pochintinho would leave the Spuds to join us…
Pochintinho is more likely to leave for one of the big 2 Spanish clubs (or possibly PSG if they offer him enough €) than to move to his present clubs biggest rivals so he’d get all the judas crap.
Although I think Argentina will probably get him first when they need their next national team manager…
Shots fired at Henry I would say.
Henry badmouthing Wenger and players just to be in press is really getting old.
I disagree.
Thierry is not employed by us. He’s employed to give his opinion. His opinion is that Ozil and Alexis are holding us hostage. While you might disagree with him, it’s hardly TH14 “badmouthing” Wenger.
Having a view different from yours is bad mouthing right?
The wonder of social media!!!
Remember he has a job to do and he has a boss! Bet if he was saying only positive things about AW he won’t be bad mouthing!!!
Henry should think carefully what’s most important to him; a mighty cash flow from media punditry, or his position as one of the club’s most loved and revered former players. Coz he can fuck the second one up quicksmart if he’s not careful.
Henry can say whatever the fuck he likes. He is and always be an Arsenal legend. He’s a pundit now, and wouldn’t be much of one if he sat on the fence. If any fan wants to criticise his so-called anti-Arsenal views, they can go do one.
ah james, is henry bigger than arsenal, I would also ask you, can Wenger say what he likes without complaint from you.
ah Henry loves the club so much that he turned down the chance to work for it, after all his guff about wanting the job, all so he can earn more money saying what ever his sky bosses want him to say about arsenal, Henry was a legend of a player, but if he is just a mouthpiece for whatever sky want him to say, then what does that say about Henry the pundit. And it aint about him saying only good things, although its funny that ex utd and ex liverpool pundits on sky can be openly pro their… Read more »
Henry is just overrated. I read an article about his stats and Girouds. People tell he was god on pitch but if you are on par with Giruod you are just another striker. Not a legend. He is so overrated. All the titles he won was Wenger. He was shyt in other teams.
Do you reckon Giroud would’ve scored this one?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6OuYKSkIWU
How many scorpion goals did Henry score? Oh I know 0. Because Henry is so overrated.
OK, here’s some stats:
Giroud
Appearances – 206
Goals – 91
Goals per appearance – 0.44
Henry
Appearances – 377
Goals – 228
Goals per appearance – 0.60
That means Henry scored 37% more goals per appearance (more than a third more) than Giroud. That doesn’t sound on a par to me.
This headline is less misleading than the one in the Guardian. But to be clear, Özil doesn’t say Wenger has to stay, but that he wants to be clear on the manager situation before he signs a new contract. This seems completely reasonable but also makes negotiations very tricky.
You are right but after reading the original comments it is hard to interpret in in any other way that Wenger signing an extension would be a positive thing for Ozil.
Yeah, it would be. But I think it would also be positive if he knew he was getting someone else he liked. Loew, for example. I think what he’s really saying is “there is no fucking way I want to be managed by Alan Pardew, promise me that and we can talk.”
Exactly what i’m thinking. Ozil didnt say he wont play under someone else except Wenger in Arsenal. It’s more like if the manager (whoever he is) has a good view in the team and include Ozil in his plan then he will sign.
Ok so Wenger in I guess then.
Does he state that he wants to see what AW does with his contract or could he possibly mean in the transfer window? It’s a little ambiguous.
If that’s who you play for, Wenger and not Arsenal, I bid you farewell and hope you have a wonderfull life mr Ozil.
But if it is the Arsenal first and foremost I would love to see you end your career here.
How dare a player have a good relationship with his manager.
Yeah god forbid a player has respect for his manager.
‘How dare a player have a good relationship with his manager.’
Just to be clear, ‘dr strange’ never mentioned that players cannot have good relationship with managers, just that the club should come first and everything else including your manager should follow.
Anything else is an insult to the supporters of the club.
Nice sentiment, but that kind of loyalty only applies to supporters, not players. Players, much like the rest of us, are looking for the best working environment that they can find…the best fit for them. Personal relationships are a huge part of that. It is silly to suggest that any player, especially one that did not come through the Arsenal academy, should be blindly loyal to the club above all else.
You hit the nail on the head meletios.
Anyone thumbing you down must mean they love Arsenal and Wenger, but they love Wenger a little bit more than Arsenal.
Rubbish. You might as well say that all those who are saying ‘we must keep Alexis’ love Alexis more than they love Arsenal.
The point is that many of those who love Arsenal (as I have for 40 years) and want Wenger to stay (as I do) believe that’s the best option for Arsenal. It’s an opinion. YMMV.
That’s a false dilemma Clock-End Mike,
no one in the history of ever has said we must keep player X regardless of anything negative,quite the opposite in fact,the phrase no player is bigger than the club is very often used,so the comparison of more than they love arsenal can not be applied,
but saying that the outcome of our successes in player acquisition,league position or even silverware is secondary to always backing manager X no matter what (which is often stated) could easily be called loving manager more than the club.
It’s a Straw Man Argument. Nobody here said they choose Wenger over the club. Not once. Spinner made that up and is trying to attribute it to others just to forward an argument. Mike points that out clearly with the Alexis analogy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man Ozil never even said he chooses Wenger over the club just that he wants clarity on the future and Wenger’s future. At the end of the day Ozil can leave for any reason he chooses. Nobody has to like it, and he doesn’t have to adhere to someone else’s expectations. I’d like to have the comfort of… Read more »
@Mpls..I am sure you have made most accurate interpretation of Ozil’s comments.
Its almost like you meet him daily for a round or two every day at the local pub.
Alexis reportedly chose Arsenal because it is in London and he likes the city. Chew on that. Why did you chose your last job? Please share. When you get shit-canned or moved to the basement near the toilet, smile and tell your employers the company always comes first.
Or are you insinuating that Ozil doesn’t want Arsenal to be successful, or doesn’t care for anyone but Wenger? In which case you are deluded and have never sat through let alone successfully handled any negotiation.
Ah thats where these two things are different. If you want to compare, lets say I as an employee working for Google (not saying I work for Google but also not saying that I don’t)say I am working here because my manager not because I believe in what Google is doing, otherwise my arse would sitting on an Apple office chair publicly in the media..how do you suppose the reaction would be. Hell nowadays who make disparaging comments against there office in the personal social network get castigated as well, lots of example on the web. I understand the reality… Read more »
Ozil never said anything about not playing his best for someone else. But I’d imagine he’s clarified his own footballing values after the circus at Real where they cycle top players and managers in and out out of boredom and for their president’s political purposes. Ozil’s point wasn’t about manager over club, as one might conclude if they read all these comments and not his statement. It was that it wasn’t just about Money, responding to Henry’s insult. That it was more so about a respect for the manager, and the way the manager and club play the game. That… Read more »
@Mlps..see you ignored the basic point I was trying to make..may be I was not clear enough…
In reality there will be always more than one reason to join a club, but proclaiming that in public and therefore inferring that the manager comes before the club is totally wrong and disrespecting supporters.
Lots of post her quote club comes first or are we saying there are exceptions ?
It’s ridiculous that fans expect players to have the same criteria as they do, watching from the sidelines with very little at stake. You can afford to be misty-eyed; they can’t. They have to work with real people, not just watch figures on a screen.
for some fans they don’t understand loyalty is a two way street, once a club no longer wants a player or manager the loyalty of the player or manager does not give them a second thought. they are sold or sacked. Rocky loved Arsenal, was loyal, and gave everything for the club, but as soon as George Graham no longer wanted him, the lad was sold. Arsenal were loyal to RVP all through his injured seasons, but as soon as it suited him to leave, his loyalty to Arsenal went out the window. There is sweet feck all loyalty in… Read more »
@Squiggle ..”misty eyed”… ha ha made me laugh…
but seriously with the amount the players earn nowadays, I am sure they can afford to be ‘misty eyed’, much more than I do.
I am guessing you posted that because you either think the player in question has not earned enough to set him up for life yet or you have much more in depth knowledge of his mind than I do.
Fair enough I say. Imagine committing for 5 years and then Brendan Rodgers (for example) swans in at the end of the season with his horrible shiney teeth. You’d top yourself.
imagine if the rumors of Howe being Wenger’s replacement were true, no wonder Ozil wants to know what is happening. Seriously, its clear Wenger played a massive part in persuading Ozil to join, and that the player respects and enjoys playing under him, and the attacking football Wenger wants us to play. So why would he not want to know is Arsene staying or not, and if not, who is coming in, will it be a manager with a similar outlook, a manager who will want to use him in the same position, in fact will the next manager want… Read more »
This is completely logical. Mesut lived a crazy situation in Real when Ancelotti arrived and Mourinho left and he is prudent now…
With his disgraceful performances in the big games Ozil has proven himself to be a natural coward. So for me he is welcome to get out along with our has been manager.
This comment is genuinely disturbing. Even if I agreed that Ozil’s performances in the big games was “disgraceful,” I don’t see how that would make him “a natural coward,” a characterization that I would reserve for other areas of life. The relatively little I know about Ozil outside of football, such as his charitable activity, makes me question even more the basis on which you make a moral judgment about his character, not his football ability.
A different George how can you question ex-preist tobin, if he says Ozil is a natural coward, then he is, after all its not like he is just a faceless internet warrior, no he is a real brave guy, fighting the the good fight, I bet he even has an A4 sheet. If he is lucky he will get to call Ozil a coward on AFTV.
Ozil is at an age where he has given a lot to the game of football. I think he deserves to make his own decisions with regards to the conditions he wants to play in (ex. league, team, manager, etc.).
If Wenger is staying (which I hope he does) then he might want to push up the date he signs an extension or does that give some more ammunition against him? Wenger can’t win either way.
There’s no advantage for the club to renew Wenger’s contract at present.
The gaffer will also likely not make a decision till end of season.
There is no pressure either for Ozil or Alexis (and agents) to conclude a deal now. They will likely also want to see where Wenger goes (or stays) and who will be tabling offers for their services in the summer.
Therefore they will likely wait it out.
The media are the only ones who are ‘surprised’ that nothing is concluded and will run on it to play the whole Arsenal crisis saga storyline.;)
There are also players like Greizzman or Mahrez who may be available in the summer that can add similar threat to Alexis should he ship out then.
So again, nothing will likely conclude before hand.
He’s also dying to get his hands on the no. 10 shirt…..He’d settle for a few grand less every week just to be safe in the knowledge that he is “The Arsenal Number 10″….
Just goes to show the enormous influence Wenger has at the INternational stage in attracting some of these talents over to us. IT wasn’t just about the money because clearly 6 or 7 other clubs in Europe could pay equal or more than us and some of them would have had similar requirements for a high caliber midfielder such as Ozil. So you have to ask yourself how Wenger nipped in and got Ozil as a late “panic buy” without some of these competitors stealing a march on him. As I had mentioned before, the media pack haven’t got a… Read more »
How many other clubs were in for Ozil, Sanchez, etc. None of the big ones as far as I can remember so a lot of your points are moot.
And Ozil wasn’t at an impasse. They needed to sell a big player to cover some of the costs for Bale.
Clever PR from Ozil’s team, removed the focus on him and puts it on Wenger and the club. All you are hearing at the moment is posturing. If we keep in the top four then Ozil will sign (regardless of who is the Manager in my opinion), he seems content.
I don’t think that will be enough to keep Alexis though, regardless who the Manager is.
mayb he doesnt want himself to replicate what happened to RVP…
surely SAF had a major influence over the deal but imagine him playing under moyes the next season……*tears*
but In Arsene We Trust
I like Ozil.
I like Ozil and I also like Gibbs.
I heard there’s a clause in the renewal that’s states he has to challenge for headers in the middle of the park and that’s why he’s hesitating to sign
The fact that he left Real Madrid because he couldn’t get the Manager (Ancelotti) to guarantee him a spot in the starting eleven tells you everything you need to know about what matters most to Özil. I would be more than happy to have him stay in the club.
It’s sad to watch fans (like that pissy lad at Le Grove) who were thrilled to get Ozil start to say that he’s only here because no-one else really wanted him. Of course they weakly cover themselves by saying they’re happy to see him stay.
He couldn’t possibly want to stay because he believes in Wenger. After all, they once heard from someone that Podolski made jokes about Arsenal’s preparation.
If Özil staying is contingent on Wenger signing an extension then one could argue that he is endorsing 4th place. #wengeroutevenifweloseözil
Hahahaha. One CAN argue. You surely are incapable of making any logical deduction.
so in ozil’s 3 years here he has won 2 fa cups, and finished 4th once, 3rd once and 2nd once, but one can argue he is endorsing 4th, yeah you could argue it, but you’d lose.
Now I’m just waiting for a similar statement from Alexis about Wenger so I can make popcorn and watch the twitter AKB/”WÖB” shitstorm
Jeez guys! Sanchez Ozil Ox Theo belerin kolchelney mustaffi weilbeck gibs Iwobi and ALL the rest will want out if Wenger leaves. Why do you think these players other than the money are holding out?? You all can’t be that naive surely!!!
If he signs he signs
He should do what he thinks is best for him
This is purely hypothetical as he’s not available but are our fans saying they wouldn’t be happy if we lined up Pep to take over from Arsene at the end of this season?
Pep only goes to clubs that should already easily win the league due to cash / players advantage.
No surprise. I always believed this was a big factor in both of the two big outstanding negotiations. After all, both were pretty upfront that Wenger was a major reason for their coming to Arsenal in the first place. Sanchez may be feeling different but I suspect it’s a concern for him also.
ah but wellarsed, the wob always dismissed this as just Arsenal PR making them say it. You know, the club made them say it, cos how in hell could the wob praise and support ozil and alexis, if they believed that these guys rate our manager.
In some sections of the fans the frustration over the past few years and the teams failures has unfortantely tainted the esteem in which they hold the Manager. As most fans I can see his failings they are well documented by now however I also have the up most respect for the man, in a year when so many legends have left this world we should be thankful for the legend that is Wenger He is regarded as one of the best amongst players and many would come to Arsenal simply for him. Are fans telling me that we wouldn’t… Read more »
Arsene is a great guy! Absolute gentleman who’s served arsenal very well. However, our love for arsene the man shouldn’t blind us from admitting he’s no longer a top class coach that can take us to the next level. I’m all in for a lesser known coach who can move us forward.
On another note, I see this announcement has, predictably, acted as gasoline to the already raging debate about Wenger’s future at the club. Is there any truth to the stories that this same dispute generated a brawl – among Arsenal supporters (by the bar) – at Deepdale?
It wasn’t Arsenal supporters brawling. It was three members of the bar staff who wanted the HFB’s autograph and when a steward asked them to leave him alone they took exception and one of them (Chris) tried to punch the Preston Chairman’s wife who was trying to diffuse the situation.
I just made that up, goodnight.
seemingly there was a fight after some fans threw pints of bear all over other fans, and its said this is something that happens a fair bit and has nothing to do with the divide in our fanbase. it seems some guys think it funny to throw pints of beer
Are there any bears in Preston? How did they get liquidised and into pint glasses?
Imagine that. Gooners fighting each other even after a win. Reminds me of this place.
Well as we know Alexis loves playing with Ozil. He has said many times that he has a great understanding with Ozil on the pitch. Also we have seen that when these two are at their best they can be unstoppable. I think Alexis realizes that he has a phenomenal running mate with him already and he can be the main man at this club. That being said I believe both of these players could also apply pressure on the club to spend money if they work in tandem. I could see Wenger extending another 18 months and Alexis and… Read more »
Fans. Who would you prefer was at the club next season?
Wenger or Ozil?
Upvote for Ozil to still be at Arsenal.
Downvote for Wenger to still be at Arsenal.
I don’t really care I just love Arsenal and have done for 46 years…is that bad?
That’s not an either/or. That’s a both/and.
How do you vote for wanting both to still be at Arsenal?
This is very clever comms from the club. Brace yourself for a contract extension soon. And I don’t mean Mesut’s.
Wenger has made it clear, that he will not be signing a new contract till much later in the season, if at all. he stopped short of admitting that a new 2 or 3 contract had been offered by the club, but he did not deny it either, but he has many times, the most recent being just after Christmas, said he will not be signing a new contract till he sees how this season is progressing. He has to be convinced signing a new deal will be the right thing for him to do, both for himself and for… Read more »
I think everyone is staying happy days! Now if we could just stop playing rubbish all would be well…
Maybe, there is more to it and the clubs board are still holding Wenger back? I know we have spent more money recently but for all we know maybe this is a sign that Ozil and Sanchez are saying to the club ‘support him behind the scenes or you might lose all of us’. Maybe they wouldn’t let him spend the huge amounts on individual world class players…..obviously I don’t know and I am frustrated about our performance this season too but hopefully something is worked out for the better of the club anyway! COYG
This is a terrible situation. I’m a firm supporter of the notion that nobody can be bigger than the club. Here you have two people who are. Wenger, for all his qualities, is to blame for this. He’s simply been at the club far too long. So long that there is a generation of fans who cannot imagine anyone else running the club. More damningly though, the club is set up around Arsene Wenger, the Boss. The players can’t conceive of a different manager, the coaches and the board are part of the Arsene Wenger Organization as much if not… Read more »
Would lpve them to stay but If Ozil and or Sanchez leaving means Wenger is leaving and we get an ambitious manager…sign me up! I love Ozil but he knows other managers would be pushing him to be better and impose his super talent more consistently. We aren’t making any progress with Arsene
Ozil has improved a lot under Wenger, as has Alexis.
He’s done ok but we all know he can be much more better with the talent and ability he possess
Fuck it gets on my tits every time there’s a dip in form and the anti Wenger brigade start. Can we take a moment to consider reality? Look at the budgets of all of the competitors for the title. Look at their players. Why do you believe it is our ‘right’ to win the title? That we ‘should be’? It is incredibly competitive. And please don’t come at me with the example of Leicester. That was an anomaly. There are always anomalies and that was the 1 in 100 year event for the premier league. I appreciate that people are… Read more »
Yes agree I don’t think Wenger staying would have a negative effect on our club in any ways. Questions remain if we can win a big title with him but as you mentioned our squad is barely top 10, definitely not top 5, in Europe purely based on individual player quality. To feel everything else than a title as a failure every season is pretty unrealistic. Wenger has his strengths and flaws but he is a good manager. Ffs we have challenged for titles with first elevens including players like Song, Flamini, Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Podolski,Sanogo, Arteta as DM, and many… Read more »
Song is a good player as is Arteta. Podolski and Mertesacker are not average.
Podolski 129 appearances for Germany, 49 goals. 1 world cup and 2 3rd place finishes in the World cup, Best young player at world cup 2006.
Per – 104 caps for Germany 1 world cup.
Can’t remember Jenks or sanogo ever being first eleven players. And can’t remember the last time we challenged for the title
No disrespect to the players, my point was that these players wouldn’t make the teams of Real, Barcelona, Bayern, Athletico, Chelsea (probably), City who we are compared to on a constant basis. Just saying that wenger has done well with the resources available. Now that we have money questions remain if he can get the best out of this team but the point was that we are not and were not competing with the same resources as the other clubs we are compared to bar Tottenham. Okay Sanogo and Jenkinson weren’t first eleven players but still had quite a few… Read more »
Loool at this money excuse again. We have arguably the best squad in the league this season (squad so deep we loaned out our very own Jack) and the most stable manager in the league. We should be closer to the top than we are!
So you think our players including the Ox, Iwobi, Coquelin, Elneny, Ramsey, still developing Xhaka, ageing Cech are better than our rivals players on similar positions? United and City have better squads, Chelseas first eleven is better on paper.
We love you Arsenal…We do….
The more talk on this one the less likely it is to be going ahead. If either side was really committed it would be done already
Arrant nonsense, Wenger signed him with his personal money and not Arsenal’s money right?
Eh? I don’t think you’re making the point you think you’re making.
Like a contract has ever stopped someone from switching clubs. But we are supposed to have this huge advantage due to our consistency and stability with 20 year the same manager, But even with this massive advantage Wenger is still getting outdone by fresh off the boat managers, some of which has no experience from the Premier League. Even when our only rival was a recently promoted Leicester with a new manager without a single league title to his name, Wenger still we’re unable to compete. We have the 3Rd highest wage bill in the league and Wenger is the… Read more »
Fresh off the boat managers. Like who may I ask? Ranieri has been competing for decades! Who were the other winners? Fergie, Pellegrini, Jose. You make it sound like the Moyes and the Sherwood and the Pulis of the world are walking around with trophies.
And what has Wenger’s pay got to do with anything? Who gets to decide how must the club pay him? You??? Most of you haters don’t even know what you are talking about or what your core grievance is. The team is not winning so let’s all shout Wenger Out. That’s all you know.
we have an interesting take on criticism over here. or maybe it’s just football fans in general.
The one that is likely to go is Arsene. Think he has had enough, and he cant give more to the club. He is been abroad for a while now. People forget Arsene is french and the mega rich PSG owners would die to have him and Alexis, if Emery underachieved this year.An they may be ongoing battles with the owners too. My bet is the 3 of them are going to leave. Wenger, Ozil and Alexis. So we can have a new manager and see how he fares. But he wont be a top one . Silent Stan is… Read more »
Thiery Henry can fuck off, Dreadful pundit who left us for barce. also has super glue hands. prick.
It would be great if Ozil signs again, but not on condition that Wenger stays. He seems incapable of instilling the hunger and desire in the team to fight for the title, and there is a general acceptance that second best is good enough. The lack lustre displays in the first half of the last two games is surely indicative of a team that is coasting. A new man in charge would hopefully bring in some real passion and ambition.
I can sort of see Ozil’s coming from. He doesn’t want to end up playing under Eddie Howe or whoever our Moyes turns out to be.
Nowhere in the article does Özil expressly say that he will sign if Wenger signs. He just says he has Wenger’s trust and obviously a player who’s 28 and is about to sign probably his last professionalcontract will want to know what the future of the manager/club will be. The article has been manipulated by the media just for the sake of news.
Both he and the manager should go then, no?
I personally would be OK with that.