Former Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny has heaped praise onto Mesut Ozil during this difficult time in his Gunners career.
The German playmaker has found himself out of favour under Mikel Arteta, and also struggled to play regularly while Unai Emery was in charge at the Emirates Stadium.
MORE: Arsenal boss Arteta on what Aubameyang needs to do to improve after criticism
Arsenal fans will no doubt be divided on the Ozil situation, with the 32-year-old often splitting opinion during his time in the Premier League.
Koscielny, however, has launched a strong defence of his former team-mate in an interview with L’Equipe, as translated by Sport Witness.
The Frenchman seems adamant that Ozil is not the character that some have portrayed him to be, insisting he always committed himself in training and maintained a high level of professionalism.
He also added that Ozil remains a big talent and that he hopes he can turn things around for himself, suggesting perhaps that his old club Arsenal are making a real mistake with the way they’re treating him at the moment.
“As a man, he’s a very good person, who got along with all his teammates,” Koscielny said. “He gave a lot, helped sick children. He is a generous person, with whom I got along very well.
“As a player, he is in my opinion a phenomenon. He can find passes that no one sees, he’s a maestro. He can rock a game with incredible passes.
“We’re both part of the ‘Arsene Wenger Generation’. The coach loved him as a player. It was more complicated with Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta. Knowing him, he must always be professional in training, always on time.
“He is undoubtedly at the level demanded by the Premier League. There is probably a certain case with the club since last year, I hope both sides find a deal that works for everyone. He is a competitor. I hope to see him back on the pitch soon, at Arsenal or elsewhere, because he is real talent.”
That is it.
Almost all the through and through football professionals, are talking and saying the same thing. No matter the language used, coaches and players, that Ozil is not finished.
But fans, Oh! those are they who are lost in the game of managed perception, some in denial of reality of the actual bad situation the club is passing through, of the fact that four years ago was better than now.
when we look at the current structure of Arsenal is more defensive thats why Aubameyang is failing to put the ball at the back of the net and the missing maestro Ozil could change this by his passes that no one can do in Artetas current 11.looking at his previous matches we are losing by a 1 goal margin and sometimes draw this necessarily means we are not creating chances to get goals thats why in the end when opponent get a chance we get punished.I think Arteta must find a way to bring that magician into the game or else more dissapointments are coming.WORRIED GUNNER