Theo Walcott has now opened up about the impact that managing Mesut Ozil had on Arsene Wenger at Arsenal.
Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil spent five seasons as teammates together on the books at Arsenal, between the summer of 2013 and the end of the 2017/18 campaign, when the former departed.
In the time they shared at the Emirates Stadium, playing under then-manager Arsene Wenger, the pair won three FA Cups. However, it is far to say that the Gunners probably underachieved in this era, as they never came particularly close to winning a Premier League title.
There was never any doubting Ozil’s talent. At his best, the German playmaker was a magician, who could unlock opposition defences at will. Over the course of his Arsenal career, as he made over 250 appearances for the club, across all competitions, he racked up 44 goals and 75 assists.
However, the former Real Madrid man also had a tendency to go missing in matches, and had a reputation as something of a luxury player. His languid style of play and casual body language did not endear him to everyone, and he did not thrive in all environments.
Ozil was also a colossal name in the footballing world, arguably as famous as an individual as the club itself. As quoted by the Daily Mail in 2007, Wenger once declared: “We don’t sign superstars, we make them.”
However, Ozil was very much a superstar on arrival, and that presence in the dressing room will have represented a challenge to Wenger.
Theo Walcott reveals Arsene Wenger struggle with Mesut Ozil at Arsenal
Speaking on the Up Front with Simon Jordan podcast, and referring to Ozil’s tendency to go missing in certain matches, and Wenger’s insistence on playing him, Walcott said: “I regard Arsene as one of the best managers. I’ve obviously worked with him for a long time.
“You’ve got to sometimes make that big decision… When you don’t do it, that’s when you get questioned… He could’ve protected Ozil, protected himself, taken him off in certain situations or not even played him.
“But that’s probably the point when Arsene, probably yeah a year before he was leaving, where you start to saw, a little bit, cracks, potentially. That maybe the love of the game was fading away in the manager’s sense, and he wanted something different.”
Mikel Arteta showed ruthlessness with Ozil at Arsenal that Wenger lacked
Ozil ultimately outlasted Wenger at Arsenal. However, things at the Emirates Stadium ended on a sour note for the 2014 World Cup winner, as he was forced out of the club by Mikel Arteta.
He hung up his boots for good in 2023, and Arsenal fans may well be surprised by the physical transformation Ozil has undergone since calling time on his playing days.
Although Wenger was a great manager, and is the most successful in Arsenal’s history, he lost his ruthlessness towards the end of his reign. Arteta very much has that edge, and showed it with his treatment of Ozil.
The Spanish coach is now looking to build upon the overhaul he oversaw after first taking the job at Arsenal. He has built a young, talented team who have proven themselves to be contenders for the biggest prizes in the game.
Arteta has promised Arsenal fans that trophies are on the way. He now needs to deliver major silverware, though, in order to truly follow in Wenger’s footsteps.
