A happy, healthy and calm Mesut Ozil says he’s looking forward to a new season at Arsenal after a roller coaster 12 months that looked like it could lead to him departing the club.
Recently married, peroxide blond and on good terms with coach Unai Emery, the German insists he has everything he needs to help the Gunners get back on track after a disappointing end to last season.
When Ozil was hauled off in favour of teenager Joe Willock in the Europa League final, Emery appeared to be making a clear statement about the status of the club’s highest earner, but since then, they’ve held clear the air talks.
“What we spoke about, between me and the coach, I can’t tell you because if I say something now to you, in the future he does not want to speak to me again, so I have to take care of that,” Ozil told journalists on the US tour.
“We are speaking a lot and he wants to help me and I know what I can do on the pitch. I want to help the team and I think it will be going well this season, for me and the team.”
He added: “I have had a lot of coaches in my career so of course every coach is different and wants something different from you as a player.
“I had a few injuries before the season started last year so of course I had a tough time. But at the end of the day, especially the end of the season, I played a lot of games. I have a really good relationship with the coach so we are speaking a lot. He wants to help me and I want to help the team.”
In a separate interview with Arsenal.com, he also explained how off-the-pitch tranquility is having a knock-on effect.
“Outside the pitch, you have to be happy,” he said.
“If you find the right person, which is what I did, you’re more calm in your life. I think it helps a lot in your job as well.
“I am really happy, I am healthy, and I got married so I am calm. You want always to win a title so we are working hard and let’s see what happens.”
Ozil’s £350,000 a week wages were always going to be prohibitive when looking for a potential buyer and it’s never really looked like he might leave. As a senior member of the squad – he’s even one of our captains – it’s important we try and get the best from him. So to hear Unai Emery speak positively about the German’s attitude is very welcome.
“I spoke with him last week, at the beginning of pre-season, and wanted to get his best performance,” Emery told the Telegraph.
“The way to achieve that is with daily commitment. Really, he is working very well and I am very positive about his commitment. He has a high, high commitment today. He is one of the captains of the team, with Granit Xhaka and Nacho Monreal. I am looking forward to seeing the best Mesut Ozil this season.”
Here’s hoping the happy vibes can continue into the start of the season and beyond.
If anything, the haier might land him a job as state leader.
No point, Erdogan was his best man.
Ok. 20 assists and 15 goals then.
It’s the hope that kills with Ozil isn’t it? We all know his quality but he’s not been nearly good enough over the last few years and has come nowhere close to justifying those colossal wages. The fact that he’s only here because the club can’t shift him says it all. So here’s hoping for a vintage year from him and ideally no ridiculous, nonsensical excuses about not having top strikers to assist for or whatever. No phantom illnesses that strike when he’s benched or we’re playing outside of London. No letting European finals pass you by while your team… Read more »
We’ll know pretty early what kind of Ozil we’re getting. His best seasons he’s always started out on fire, scoring and assisting freely.
That‘s what you should expect at least from someone on such wages.
Henry (once) is literally the only player to achieve that in Premier League history, so no, it’s absolute nonsense to say we should expect that “at least”.
We can’t find a buyer, not even Turkish sides want (or can afford?) him so let’s hope we see the Ozil of old.
The Özil of that one (out of 6) seasons in which he delivered? Yeah, surely.
> not even Turkish sides want (or can afford?)
Pretty sure it’s 100% the latter.
Still cant wrap my head around how Mesut was struggling in a team whose best feature is the goalscoring prowess of its 2 strikers.
I think he missed Cazorla.
We all miss Cazorla
The Only Reason I Watch villareal
So do I.
And my work performance has also taken a hit as a result.
Having a tricky wide player like Alexis helped to create pockets of space too. I hope we can land one as this might bring out the best in Mesut again.
I think there’s truth to this. Without another ball carrying, attacking threat on the pitch, it’s too easy for opponents to cut out Ozil. This would happen with just about any player on just about any team.
Missing Bellerin didn’t help either because he was our right side of the pitch. This is why so much of last season was Kola down the left.
We really really need a dribbling, dangerous winger.
Auba looked great on the right side against Bayern. I know it was pre-season, but Auba was always dangerous, made runs at the defense and generally linked up well with Ozil.
But we certainly need to have good wide players on both sides.
I saw that too – more dribbling from him, taking on the defenders. He was more / mostly get in behind or last move for a finish last season.
It’s an unpopular opinion but I’d sell Lacazette to fund the Zaha deal.
He’s a wide player I admire hugely and has proven Premier League Experience.
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head here. Those two were quite the tandem in Alexis’s last season.
I think he misses playing with Sanchez and vice versa. He’s not been the same player since (and neither has Sanchez).
Thats the thing. For years people told me that geb just not having that many assists because of the quality of our strikers. Or the fact that we don’t have enough steel in midfield. Now we have Auba and Laca as well as a terrier like Torreira and he just played his worst season. So maybe, just maybe, it’s not about the others but about him?
Look at who was playing outside of him and it’s not so hard to wrap your head around. Would you want to pass and play with the likes of Iwobi? When Ozil is at his best it’s because players can find him in the space he creates after he passes. Or at least take advantage of it. Passing to the opposition or running blindly into a dead end are not very helpful.
I don’t think playing him as part a high press is playing to his strengths as a player. He plays best when the number one thing he’s trying to find space, even when we haven’t got ball. He’s one of the best in the world at trying to find a “pocket” to work some magic in – problem is it looks like he’s being lazy when the opposing team is dominating possession. Maybe Emery will find the right balance of pressing/looking for space…not holding my breath though. One thing I’m pretty sure of is he’ll be an Arsenal player at… Read more »
Same old sh*t. We hear same thing before every season
Dear Mesut, just get yourself back on track. The rest will follow. Best
My beautiful Adidas no 10 Ozil home shirt is on it’s way. Mesut is too good and will be back to his best I’m sure.
Back to playing Fortnite during away games then?
Haha, I don’t get to away games, but I’m sure Mesut will!
That’s not actually sarcasm.
I really hope he can come back to his best. I mean what’s the alternative? A happy, healthy and focused Ozil behind Laca and Auba should be enough for fourth if we can improve our defense even if slightly.
Off late.. why is everybody settling for fourth? ?
Settling? Preying’d be more apt.
I would love it if Özil saw his time out with us being the player we know he can be. And remember, hair is temporary, class is forever!
Very true, that last sentence *checks my bald spot in back*
COYG!
Get in the bin leech
Like him or not, he’s staying, he’s a big part of the team, so let’s get behind him and hope we see him at his best this season and beyond. Mesut consistently feeding our attacking players like only he can do, will be a huge benefit to the team. With our two main strikers, and wingers if they have an eye for goal, 15 – 20 assists and 5 goals in the league is a realistic target.
I have my doubts too about this “all is OK now” vibe, but let’s stay positive minded and give him the benefit of doubt and the chance to work the talk. Time shall tell. Moreover, what else can rather be done or what else can we lose now?
I’m not sold to this good vibes bs talk. He has been underperforming since he signed his new contract.
I said it on May 29th and I’ll say it again: imho Ozil’s time at Arsenal is up.
You can say it again and again. I won’t give a shit.
I’m not looking for your validation. Dumbshit.
I guess, more importantly, neither does Mesut
I have a feeling that the only good season he’s going to have is when he moves to China\U.S…
I’ll believe it when I see it, but you never know. Even his most ardent fans must surely admit that he hasn’t fulfilled his potential, for whatever reasons, so far. I’d go further and say that he’s not lived up to his transfer fee – £42 million (if only we had that kind of dosh available now) – and certainly hasn’t justified the crazy contract awarded to him during the Wenger era @ £350,000 a week. That completely skewed the club’s wage structure, and caused resentment in the dressing room, according to several reports. I think it’s clear that Emery… Read more »
You deserve a team of Denis Suarez.
Dennis was value for money compared to him
You’d be right if we were stuck with Suarez, but we weren’t, were we! He wasn’t up to it and he went. Also, he didn’t cost £42 million and wasn’t paid £350,000 a week while he was with us. Try comparing like with like – but you can’t because we have made Ozil unique, thanks to the previous management team, and that’s part of the problem.
Say what you will about the “previous management team”, and like it or not, Arsene and Ivan would have gotten us into the champions league last year.
Perhaps the new hair is the outcome of all the hard work he has been putting in the Hyper-Bolic-Time Chamber. This is the new Super Saiyan Ozil, who will beat the shit out his opponents using a spirit bomb and flying and shit. Ka- Meh- Ha- Meh – Yaaaah!!! …
I’ll see myself out.
I expect he’ll leave in January, my guess is Inter Miami CF. He’s been a player in decline for a very long time. Maybe Ceballos can get the best out of him? in the same way Cazorla did? We haven’t had a deep lying midfielder who can beat the press since Cazorla, Wilshere had the potential to do the same thing, but hadn’t produced consistent fitness since 2010/11. Ozil’s best form at Arsenal was the first halves of the 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons. However I just don’t think Ozil is dynamic enough to play the way Emery wants, where Willock… Read more »
The only time we really saw his qualities was when he had Santi, Sanchez and Giroud in the team.
Well, a positive attitude is far better than a negative one. On his day, the lad is one of the best players in the world. Yes, he’s very highly paid, but that’s Arsenal’s decision/fault/problem – delete as applicable. He has made me both joyous and angry while he’s been with us, but when all is said and done and given our current situation regarding budget and transfers, you’d rather he was making noises about wanting to do well, as opposed to the incredible sulk act. I say give the lad the benefit of the doubt, but then this is July… Read more »
I just wish this useless waste of space would fuck off. He’s the symbol of everything that’s wrong with the club right now. He’s on £350k a week and he doesn’t give a fuck. I wonder how many “illnesses” he’ll have just before massive away games. I wish we could put him, Mustafi and Mkhitaryan on a massive rocket and send them to the moon. That would be “one giant leap for Arsenal”.
Good. Now tell us how u really feel.
Fats is back and ready for the new season! I was starting to worry about you Fats, there were some ever-so-slightly-positive posts coming out. Glad to see you’re feeling better and back to your nasty, negative self.
Just wait until the inevitable car crash comes this season: I won’t be the only negative one.
He’s not nasty, negative yes. 🙂
I don’t want to shit on the few of us who have actually mustered up any measure of pre-season positivity, but, well, I’m going to. I can’t pretend next season Ozil will suddenly start playinglay like he wouldn’t rather be anywhere else doing anything else. I have no faith in him to be a difference maker in games of any real consequence so I can’t pretend to be excited for the 2-3 “majestic” games he’ll have a season against Fulham and friends in the PL or Ludogrets and the other part-timers in the EL group stage. Calling him one of… Read more »
Being honest, if I was filthy rich, had won the World Cup and other titles in my job, had a smoking hot wife and could do whatever I wanted, I probably wouldn’t do to well or give a shit about my job either.
That because you are weak, where other men are strong.
Please, we hold these guys to way higher standards than other men. Imagine being 30, financially set for life for you and your kids, and having achieved every goal in your chosen career, including a World Cup. You still going to go out and train like a mad man, risk getting injured bad and being disabled for the rest of your comfortable life because a manager who’s never achieved dick “wants full commitment in training”. No way. A great nba player, Allen iverson, one of the best scorers in nba history was in this spot once. His answer was “… Read more »
Did you intentionally pick an NBA player who went to. Kroenke-owned team past his prime and whose main purpose was to put asses in the seats of an otherwise empty arena?
I remember watching the Iverson documentary on Netflix. Worth a watch actually…… unlike the Europa League Final.
He’s world class when it comes to PR, I’ll give him that.
deja vu
With ozil actions speek louder than words. So I’ll believe when I see. Until then it’s all just bla bla.
The proof is in the pudding, Mezut.
100%, and the Ozil pudding has mainly been under-cooked.
A noticeable (French) omission in the list of captains?
How many times does Emery need to stress on commitment?
Happy happy joy joy!!
Do like that yellow jersey though…
Five words …
Start earning your salary son !
I thought he looked effective coming on particularly making those runs toward the box so characteristic of Ramsey before. There’s still plenty of ability in him and the trick for us is to get the best out of him knowing his inherent limitations. As i said before, there are no ABSOLUTES* Saying Mustafi or Ozil MUST leave detracts from the practicality of things. Both players have flaws but are hampered by huge wage packages and have also been useful throughout campaign last season. The key is that whilst we can benefit from their merits, we must work on or limit… Read more »
You sure can paint a turd. We have shit players and a shit manager. We’re fucked. Mustafi sucks ass. Ozil is retired. Micki is useless. Xhaka is terrible. Chambers isn’t good enough and the rest are kids. We have Laca and Aubameyang. Bellerin, who knows, maybe he’s good. Nacho’s too old now. Lucas, jury’s still out in the prem.
We will finish 7th and emery will get the sack.
We will make it to top 4 this year.im sure
Quality wingers coming in will make the difference
He had a turbulent year, leaving his country behind, and having to have Erdogan suck off the tits of his image enough to turn up to his wedding. He said he had injuries fair enough and Emery obviously wasn’t impressed with his hustle, thats a tough time for anyone especially with the weight of earning what he is, must be hard to look some in the eyes when you are busy throwing your hands up like a kid while Laca works his ass off to win the ball back. I would rather he go but it isnt going to happen… Read more »
l think anyone ould be happy on £350,000 a week ffs
I don’t think arsenal need to sign a centre back, this coming season.