The return of record signing Mesut Ozil could help Arsenal recover from a disappointing start to the season and prove that they are still one of the top teams in Europe but the German’s comeback will have to be carefully managed.
Ozil has not yet lived up to the lofty expectations set during the euphoria of that dramatic deadline day transfer and those consistently impressive performances at the World Cup were in stark contrast to the indifferent form he endured during a difficult first season in English football.
Arsene Wenger now finds himself faced with a delicate balancing act that involves trying to coax the best out of a player who has often looked desperately short of confidence in an Arsenal shirt without exposing him to the wrath of a media determined to cast Ozil as an expensive failure.
The atmosphere around the Emirates has been vitriolic at times this season and Ozil could very quickly become the focus of fan’s frustration if things continue to go wrong because, for all his undoubted quality, the World Cup winner is not without his flaws.
He’s not a physically committed player, he seldom score goals and he sometime struggles to impose himself on games. No-one notices these failings when Ozil is at his brilliant best but if the German has a bad day it becomes much more obvious because he doesn’t do a lot of the basics.
With Santi Cazorla on superb form and Tomas Rosicky resurgent in recent games there is no need to rush Ozil back from injury but Wenger will want him to return to the starting 11 as soon as possible because the German is clearly a cut above any of the other contenders for the advanced central midfield position.
Ozil’s touch is sublime game and he and can control the tempo of a match like few other footballers but what Arsenal have most missed is the midfielder’s ability to spot that all important killer pass which will slip an onrushing team mate in behind the opposition defence.
It is also impossible to discuss the Ozil situation without acknowledging the extent to which Wenger has staked his own reputation on the German. After all those years of painfully prudent financial management the idea of getting a £42.5 million gamble wrong is not one the wily
Frenchman will be willing to contemplate. Part of the problem for Ozil is that his flicks and tricks tend to take place in the middle of the pitch where they are more likely to elicit a nod of approval than a roar of delight so he is always going to suffer in comparison to a player like Alexis Sanchez whose contributions in the final third are less subtle but much more tangible.
An out of sorts striker can sometimes find a goal from nowhere with which to get the fans back on his side but Ozil’s contributions are often less eye catching which makes it difficult for him to suddenly turn things around when he seems to be suffering from a slump in form.
The good news for Ozil is that Wenger appears intent on building a team around him. The manager said as much when discussing the decision not to re-sign Cesc Fabregas and harnessing the speed and skill of Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain seems a carefully calculated gambit to bring out the best in the German.
The three months which Ozil has just spent on the sidelines should have provided ample time for the World Cup winning euphoria to have worn off and hopefully given him a new found determination to silence the critics and start to justify the transfer fee by succeeding in an Arsenal shirt.
With favourable draws in both the FA Cup and Champion’s League and third place well within reach the second half of Arsenal’s season still looks promising. Whether Wenger can find a way get the best out of his £42.5 million man could ultimately dictate the course of this campaign and many more to come.
