Unai Emery says Mesut Ozil has worked well in training during the last couple of weeks and is in contention to be selected for Saturday’s crunch clash with Chelsea.
Back and knee injuries, coupled with Unai Emery’s tactical outlook, have meant the German has featured in only three of Arsenal’s last 10 Premier League games.
The situation has led to suggestions that the Spaniard is pushing for the club’s highest-earner to be sold to free up funds for other transfers, however, he maintains that he’s not thinking about such a drastic course of action.
“I’m not thinking about that,” Emery told his pre-Chelsea press conference when asked if the 30-year-old could leave in January.
“I’m thinking about how he can help us this year with good performances. He’s had injuries and not been okay to play matches, but now after these two weeks maybe this Saturday will be okay for him.”
The boss, as he’s done numerous times in recent weeks, also made clear that Ozil’s status as the club’s most high-profile star doesn’t mean he gets preferential treatment. In Emery’s eyes, all players are equal.
“I’ve spoken to him because I want consistency,” he said. “He’s had some injuries and these injuries mean that sometimes he is okay and sometimes he isn’t okay.
“I want every player to give the same work every day to be okay for every match. With Mesut it’s the same. He didn’t play the last matches but to me he’s just like any other player. This Saturday he can be with us if he’s okay.
He added: “He’s training consistently with his work over the past two weeks and I think he can be [selected on Saturday].
“I like to create the same spirit for all, and that spirit is every players gets and gives consistent work and moments with their performances but it’s not easy.
“Sometimes you are better and sometimes you are worse. I’m working with every player in the same way. The most important thing for me is how he can help us and how every player can help us with their consistency.”
The odd social media post aside, we’ve not heard from Ozil directly about his future at the Emirates. His agent did claim on his behalf that he remains committed to the club.
If Ozil’s injuries have made it difficult for Emery to select him, why has Emery been telling us that he has been leaving Ozil out for “tactical reasons”?
I think that’s because Emery told Ozil to get on the bench, after the injury, before he’s selected. (and they are now willing to let that information out). I think Emery and Ozil have reached a compromise and if Ozil says he will take the bench, Ozil may even start.
U wot m8
My question? What’s tactical about not playing Ozil? Not putting in enough work? Not adaptive to Emery’s style of play? If it is, then I guess we’ll see less of Ozil this season compared to past seasons. It’s sad.
not going on the bench? lol
Here’s what I don’t understand.
Regardless whether ozil is in or out. It hasn’t really made much of an impact on the pitch. We beat spurs and did decent against liverpool at home without him but also played horribly against lesser teams and lost.
So ultimately I am trying to say if the reason ozil is left out is tactical. Is it really working?
Ozil played at home vs Liverpool
To be honest your argument doesn’t make a good case for Ozil to be in either, if that’s what you’re getting at? I think Emery just wants to see Ozil make a bit of effort to press etc.
I know we lost in the game I want to talk about (1-5 vs Liverpool) but the way we win the ball back is Ramsey pressing and van dijk making a misplaced pass to iwobi as a result. I don’t think emery is seeing anywhere bear enough effort from ozil off the ball. I think that against teams that will build play from out the back, or vs teams that are physically rough, he doesn’t like the idea of playing ozil.
He made a rod for his back by saying it was tactical.And saying that he only suits certain matches. Keep that amongst the coaching staff and internally. You don’t expose ur weaknesses in public.
If we lose Sven , we are gonna get finished , Sven is our only hope for the future and fans need to show their support of him on saturday , we as fans should show the club that we are not happy with Sven leaving the club , if we do this together in the next few matches at the stadium then their might still be a chance for us. #KroenkeOut
He is in the process of creating ‘fraction’
This is something I’ve witnessed in PARIS, Emery getting it all wrong thinking all players are equals, they are not, and management is all about that. Messi is not Dembele. Ronaldo isn’t Mandzukic. Hazard isn’t Pedro, and so on. Thierry wasn’t Wiltord. I know I’m taking examples of players who delive(Ed) consistantly, but the truth is here. He has the same problem in Paris with Neymar and the others. Managing the ego. Doing that professoral thing saying you’re blind and consider everyone the same. It’s beautiful and romantic, just not how you manage an elite squad with elite players.
He still won the double and treble
In a league where nobody can compete against PSG. They also won all the trophies with Laurent Blanc, as they would do with any coach actually. Still he managed to lose the title against Monaco. If they got rid of him there’s a reason. In France nobody care about the championship, all eyes and focus are on the CL. They literally have no competition in France. Wi’ the league with Paris is not an achievement. Sorry.
Won 3 Europa League titles and before you say it’s a 2nd rate competition, well we didn’t win it.
I am sorry to say it, but elite football is CL, not Europa League. The guy won 3 Europa League but never competed for the league in Spain. And they won the Europa not after being seeded in the competition because they were out of CL. They were straight in that competition. Between 2013 and 2016 he only won 25% of his away games. During the 2016 season, he won none of the away games. This is telling. Again, I’m not saying he’s not a good coach. I’m just saying that he’s not elite.
As a stepping stone winning the Europe league would be bloody useful
By your definition then, Arsenal are not an elite club seeing as we haven’t won either of the two big European competitions right? People said all the same ignorant things about Wenger when he was appointed, because he hadn’t won much either. Some of you never learn. The constant mocking of Emery’s achievements in Ligue 1 and by extension the entire League is just disrespectful and dumb. Most of the current World Cup winning team started their development in that league. Non-PSG players like Kante, Umtiti and Auba regularly move to the biggest clubs in Europe and excel. And the… Read more »
At the moment yes, Arsenal is not elite anymore. Then Allegri and Simeone have done many things in elite football like playing finals, like competing for the title (a truly achievement for Atletico). I never stamped winning the CL as a marknto be considered elite. Sarri is elite. Tuchel is. That Monaco team did not destroyed City, but they won against City during Guardiola first year, then won against Dortmund in a game of shame (UEFA forced Dortmund to play amid the terror attack) and then normally crashed against Juve. They made an amazing championship but ask every follower of… Read more »
Q. Would the 12 place in France automatically beat 12 place in premier or 17 place automatic beat 17th.
As Paris beat and lost Liverpool and Lyon beat and lost to city .
I think Monaco would give Huddersfield a strong game.
In which case there is depth in the league and not a easy league
What’d you opinion?
No, actually I don’t know. In a game of football everything is possible. On the length of a championship… Let me give you an example. Lyon can have a go against City, play with intensity, etc. and the weekend they are just abysmal against Angers. Like they were wednesday at Toulouse. Because against City, actually, they played it like it was a final, and I’m not sure City had the same mindset. Anyway, they were the underdog. So they played for their lives. A good cursor is our results in Europa League against clubs from lesser leagues. It’s not that… Read more »
I spent part of my childhood growing up in Paris, and some of my early favourite players were Rai and Marco Simone who played for PSG in the 90s. I have a healthy respect for Ligue 1. There’s no point trying to disrespect that league after Kante came over and won two titles with two different Premier League clubs, and France won the damn World Cup, Our longest-serving manager and some our most iconic players started there. Don’t let the wealth or the “competitiveness” of the Premier League fool you. Player development in France is happening at a level few… Read more »
And sorry, this idea that PSG “fail” in the Champions League because they’re not challenged at home is nonsense. Going away to Lyon, Monaco or Marseille are not easy games.
Anyway, here people say the reason English teams don’t win more often in Europe is because league games are too hard! So which one is it?
The reality is PSG are not entitled to a Champions League trophy just because they spent a lot of money. And anyway only Barca and Madrid beat Emery’s PSG teams in Europe. There’s no shame in that at all.
Please, please… You’re talking about football 20 years ago. A lot have change since then… I’m talking about present, you’re talking about Rai… Read carefully, I never said there’s no talent over there. Never. I live in Paris. I know what I’m talking about. I see all games. Going to Marseille for Paris is challenging because this the “classico”. But that’s it. Lyon. Okay, two difficult away games. I said that in PL, or in LA Liga, even if you’re better, you can’t be pedestrian against any team or you will be punished. I never said Monaco was a bad… Read more »
A little too much hypocrisy my friend. You’re attacking Emery and his record at PSG because he lost some games in his first season, but when I tell you the Monaco team that won the title in Unai’s first season at PSG was actually great and also beat Guardiola’s City, your excuse is ‘it was Guardiola’s first year’. How ironic. It doesn’t matter how PSG went out. They are not entitled to win a Champions League trophy because they spent some petrodollars. And I totally hate these negative portrayals of Blanc, Ancelotti and Emery because they didn’t win the CL… Read more »
I think it’s deeper than that. The criticism currently is Unai’s man management of elite players right. Wenger, Simeone and Allegri we have seen their style now and can rightly compare.
But I am not saying Unai is wrong but he does have history in being wrong. I feel this situation is similar to Yaya Toure when Pep took over at Man City and looked how that turned out.
Well Klop has been in the Europa league a couple of times never won it as well. Even lost to Unai. But surely it’s justified to say that Kloop is one of the best managers currently
But Klopp has competed in Bundesliga against Bayern, he turned a pedestrian Dortmund into a machine. Led them to a CL final they lost at the last minute. Same with Liverpool. Look what he did to them. Again, Unai his not a bad coach. And the Toure situation was quite different. First of all because the player had clearly decline and wasn’t that important for Pep. And Pep had a lot of various option that Unai doesn’t have.
You have nailed it there though..you have to deliver consistently if you want special treatmemt, and Ozil has not done that so he doesn.t deserve it
I think he should have a special treatment because he’s the best player we have. Consistency is a problem that should be solved maybe with another player capable of doing what he can do. But for the moment I don’t think we can afford the luxury not to put him on the bench, but to not use him at all.
There is no reason to leave him out of the squad.
He is fit. Play him. He is our best midfielder.
Enough.
Unfortunately, he’s our best and worst midfielder. That’s the problem – in same games he’s an asset, in others a total liability.
Worst vs huddersfield,Brighton,Palace,west ham et al? Of course.Otherwise can’t play 3 dm! You didn’t mean worst vs likes of Pool tho,i’m sure.I believe you have eyes.
If Ozil is a liability, then what are the rest of his teammates because they couldn’t even create a chance for 30 minutes against West Ham and for 45 minutes against Brighton?
Relative to those we are playing, he might as well be Messi. Stop using his consistency as a reason to criticize him and come up with a solution to make the team better without playing Ozil. If there is a way and Unai finds it, I will support him all the way.
I agree that other players are getting a pass because of the focus on Õzil.
But “he’s the best player so play him” misses the fact that Mesut is a 10, and traditional 10s find it difficult in the modern game because by definition they’re one-way players playing in tactical systems that demand two-way players.
Notice how many times Emery says ‘consistency’ in his comments on Õzil.
Often in the same game he is both
If reports that Ozil is not putting in the work are true (personally I trust Ornstein), and given Ozil is not consistent, I’m totally fine with Emery doing what he thinks is best to bring out the best in him. How his current approach pans out we will see. If it doesnt work out Emery has fucked this up, should have known better, not good fit for Arsenal. If it works, trust in the manager.
Agree with most of this except Ornstein actually said Õzil’s been training well behind the scenes and his attitude has been excellent.
And if it doesn’t work out for Õzil (I think it will in the end) at Arsenal it will reflect much more badly on him than it will on Emery.
FORTNITE
He is actually at a Mortal Kombat event with the Bosnian Hulk right now.
Oh Emery… Oh Emery…
How lovely are thy branches
Sort the defense, start ozil, win the game, and job done
It’s incredible how the injuries of Özil seems to be such a problem for UE. I mean, he is not the only player who has been injured and as soon as the others were fit, they were back on the pitch. Why waiting for 2 weeks (or maybe more if no Chelsea) for a guy who is still a very important player? Monreal and Bellerin were back on the bench for the latest game while they had been injured for a longer time than Özil and without more recovery days. And what about the “tactical reasons”? If Özil wasn’t fit… Read more »
as i said before, I think that’s because Emery told Ozil to get on the bench, after the injury, before he’s selected. (and they are now willing to let that information out). I think Emery and Ozil have reached a compromise and if Ozil says he will take the bench, Ozil may even start.
As I said before ‘u wot m8’
lol
What u think is speculation.
According to Emery’s “philosophy”, that would be because Ozil doesn’t put in enough work. Not as much as Nacho and Hector does. The real question would be if Ozil putting in work as much as Emery wants.
How? He’s on 350K a week. Who would want to pay that. Does it make the remotest sense for us to subsidise another club? Doesn’t make sense to anyone other than the media. Unless someone comes up with the dosh, likely better to keep him. We have 3 players in Ramsey, Mhkitaryan and Ozil who perform similar function. One will have to go. Unai needs to free up funds?wages but Mslintat doesn’t have answers. ramsey is the most likely to go but at 27yrs, you’d think he has most potential if we kept him. Juve is offering 140k per week… Read more »
I thought Ramsey will also get a bonus, and/or the £140 is after tax
Ramsey getting a bonus does not help us.
We need to think about longer term implications.
Plus there are other motivating factors for Ramsey to stay with us including legacy issue which is more of an intangible.
He’s out
Mikhi is on 200k a week
So now there’s no more talk of “tactical reasons?” I mean, the situation is confusing enough. Injuries and fitness are one thing, consistency is another thing, and “tactical reasons” means something entirely different. I’m sick of having to read between the lines… get your story straight!
No one is going to spoon feed you.
Unai is a clever man. He isn’t going to say it out right.
Emery English is getting better. And he’s learning how to deal with the press.
oh my, sad times indeed. Arsenal FC have been in the decline for more than a decade in every aspect, and now somehow all our problems are focused in no more than one player in a feud with his coach.
I’m sick of this.
If he starts on Saturday, imagine the reception he’ll get when they call out his name before the game.
Yes I can imagine. If only he lives up to his fame, in the pitch.
or when he get subbed? or if he comes in from the bench?
Who cares, so long as he assists the frontline or gets a goal.
He has been decent this season certainly more productive than say Mhkitaryan.
“I’m working with every player the same way”. Seems fair but you’re either TeamOzil or TeamEmery.
I don’t know where to fall. I just want my beloved Arsenal putting in good performances every week irrespective of who starts. I mean, we’ve played wonderfully well with and without Ozil this season. Emery being the coach.
I mean that’s the rub. No matter who starts, we need to have the team play as a unit. The midfield has been equally culpable in recent matches when we lost to BHA, Soton and Liverpool. There was no Mustafi in those games to blame yet when Mustafi came back in, some people would wait to pounce on the slightest negativity in his game to blame it as cause to our ills. Torreira in that stretch meanwhile gave the ball away or was robbed 5 times in midfield 3 of which led directly to goals. Imagine if that was Mustafi.… Read more »
Please, NO. You’re NOT either Team Ozil or Team Emery.
I want Both, functioning to produce Arsenal Victory, for at least as long as they’re stuck together. That’s the end of the season at bare minimum.
Football is NOT a binary decision of us vs them within our own club and support.
Emmanuel Petit on Ozil;
“Mesut Ozil’s motivation and desire are gone and he is just sleepwalking towards retirement”
Also from the quotes, “I think the club needs Ozil”. And “It’s a great shame because I hope he can do something not just for himself but also for the club. He’s a beautiful player, but he needs to be loved,” and “A player losing his motivation happens a lot. We are not robots.”
Unless you are Ornstein and take everything for verbatim, most likely very difficult to see an Ozil exit given his wages. More likely to be visited in the summer. The issue is Msintat and Sanheli have further compounded the problem they created when they panicked and extended Ozil on 350K They have brought in many older players (a lot of theme x Dortmund) in their 30s with lower re-sale value and on high wages. That has created less elasticity for us with wages. Of course if Emery can sell Ozil on now, he would free up 350K. That’s enough for… Read more »
Sanheli was not even at Arsenal until February and Mslintat joined in January, so how is Ozil’s contract on either of them? Do you think Mslintat came in and told Wenger and Gazidis what to do with Ozil after just a week or two on the job?
Your Mslintat/Sanheli vendetta is as boring as your overly long and condescending diatribes.
I like that every position in the team is open for contention and the every player puts in the work to get in. It’s simple. It’s the only way we challenge. Teams with relatively low budgets cannot afford luxury players who need to be carried all through a match. The Man City star studded team have to do without one, else they suffer. How Arsenal, who are way way below in quality comparison, can afford this, with fans calling for the coach’s head for dropping a player he believes isn’t working as much as the rest of the already dysfunctional… Read more »
not every position Xhaka and Guendouzi are a liability but they play game in game out.
Sack the bastard!! (Emry)