Mesut Ozil is a generally popular member of the Arsenal dressing room despite cutting a “morose and withdrawn” figure in training, according to the Times.
In an analysis of the maverick German, the newspaper claim he has “stayed inside the group” behind the scenes at London Colney and is seen as “professional” without flying into tackles or over-exerting himself in training.
The Times report that Shkodran Mustafi and Granti Xhaka are close to Ozil and “the Arsenal players generally like him”, but “there is a strong feeling in the dressing room that other players would have made themselves available in similar circumstances” to the injuries and illnesses that have limited his availability.
OPINION
This is great insight into Arsenal’s most talented, controversial and debated player, one who divides the fanbase in two. Many hail him as the team’s saviour who Unai Emery must be off his rocker not to build the team around. Others regard Ozil as a wastrel who is poor value for a laughably lucrative contract handed to him by ex-chief executive Ivan Gazidis in January of last year. Statistics can be used to highlight any number of points, but it is telling that the playmaker has started just 17 out of Arsenal’s 43 matches this season, despite being available for 32 of them. Emery regards him as a key player in home matches against all bar the elite sides and an away day luxury, whose unwillingness to do the hard yards on the road is the principal reason for his reluctance to start him. The knock-on effect is that Ozil is unwilling to play through the pain barrier for his manager. Or, anywhere near. That must be a kick in the teeth for those supporters who would give anything to wear the red-and-white jersey just once.