Mesut Ozil has been the subject of much conversation lately, and a lot of criticism – but former Gunner Robert Pires has lept to his defence.
“Ozil is one of the best players in Europe and he shouldn’t need to prove it anymore. Emery will be good for him and he will enjoy working with new players and new systems. I’m not worried about him because I know he’s ready to fight and to win the title. He’s a winner with a very strong mentality.” said Pires.
Ozil had a turbulent season last time out but under Emery he has impressed so far in friendlies and with no international football to distract, there is hope that we could see the very best of Ozil in the upcoming season.
Ozil signed a new contract last season but one player who is yet to commit his future to the club is Aaron Ramsey. Pires though, is desperate for the Welshman to stay:
“If I was the manager, I would definitely offer a new contract to Ramsey and make sure he signs it. Ramsey is a very important player for the team. Arsenal have just changed manager and it might depend on Ramsey and Emery’s relationship whether he stays, but I’m positive that he’ll stay.”
Another topic of conversation was the formation that Emery may look to play with, particularly how the Gunners may line up in defence, as a lack of defensive stability has previously been a concern.
“Emery is in a good position as the signings he has made means he can play with either three or four at the back, depending on if he wants to attack or play with more stability. This gives him a lot of options to pick from, although at PSG he always played with four.”
Not a surprise really then that Emery has played with a four-man defence in all of Arsenal’s pre-season friendlies. The (brief) days of Arsenal with five at the back appear to be over, for now…
You can read the full interview at Bwin