Although he’s long since left Arsenal, it’s clear that Jack Wilshere retains some affection for his former club.
Their former midfielder, recently released by West Ham because of a succession of injuries, is nevertheless baffled by one decision that manager, Mikel Arteta, has made.
The Spaniard has shown strength in his managerial decisions ever since taking over the hot-seat at the Emirates Stadium, but his reluctance to give Mesut Ozil any playing time is something that Wilshere doesn’t get.
“I was in that position,” he said to Sky Sports.
“As a footballer you want to be given the opportunity to compete and fight for your place.
“He’s one of the best players I’ve played with. All I can do is comment on him as a footballer and I know what he can give, so it does make it difficult to understand.
“But I’m not in the club, I don’t know what’s happened. I’m sure a lot of teams in England and Europe – Mesut will be the first name on the team sheet.
“But that’s why [Mikel] Arteta’s the manager, he makes the decisions and that’s down to him.”
Whatever Arteta’s reasoning, as Wilshere notes, he is the manager of the club and ultimately he is paid to make those types of decisions.
Decisions that will impact upon him personally in either a positive or negative way, depending how Arsenal progress through the season.
To this point, the north Londoners have had a stop-start beginning to their 2020/21 Premier League campaign, winning three and losing three, scoring eight and conceding seven.
Ozil could certainly add something to the mix although it’s worth considering whether Arteta wants players that are wholeheartedly committed to the cause rather than luxury players that occasionally make a difference.