Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has played down Paul Scholes’ comments on Mesut Ozil after the player turned pundit termed the German as a player who is not hard working.
Scholes had revealed that Ozil is definitely a quality player but doesn’t work enough for the team, a Since he has been there you cannot doubt his quality but at times he looks like he is going through the motions, however much ground he covers.
a At Real Madrid he had a chance of winning league titles. At Arsenal that is not on the cards.a
Wenger on the other hand said the complete opposite and even claimed that the former Manchester United midfielder would have enjoyed playing with Ozil,a I think a player like Paul Scholes would have loved to play with Mesut Ozil.
a Having said that, I believe about Ozil ita s a wrong statement [from Scholes]. He works very hard and hea s a great player.
a He has something to prove and he knows that. We are all in a job where in every single game we have to prove a point.”
Ozil’s career at Arsenal went of to a blistering start last season but having played for the first time without a winter break, his form dipped towards the end of the season and most of the fans felt he wasn’t doing enough when the opponents had the ball. On the contrary, Wenger believes that the former Real Madrid man’s style is such that everyone gets fooled, a I believe he has the quality, he puts a lot of effort in to help the team and he works much harder than his style shows.
a You can be cheated a little bit by his style of play, because he is fluent, easy, subtle and he does not look like he puts the effort in, but he does.
a I knew he had a good physical potential, but did not know how good he was physically. He has a huge physical potential.a
Ozil returned to action for the gunners in January after missing three months due to a Raptured Knee Ligament. Since his return, he has looked good and has two goals and five assists to his name in seven appearances in the Premier League. With key games coming up for Arsenal in the league, FA Cup and Champions League, it’s imperative that Ozil continues his good form. Arsenal next face Manchester United in the quarter-final of the FA Cup.