I’LL GET OZIL BUZZING AGAIN
New Gunners boss vows to stand by flop star
NEW Arsenal manager Unai Emery has vowed to restore star Mesut Ozil’s shattered confidence.
The midfielder was hammered last season by fans and pundits, as the Gunners’ final campaign under Arsene Wenger ended with a whimper.
Arsenal finished sixth, a staggering 37 points behind champions Manchester City.
But that was nothing compared to the hammering Ozil took as reigning champions Germany crashed out of the World Cup after finishing bottom of their group.
Former German stars queued up to hit out at the 29-year-old, led by World Cup winning captain Lothar Matthaus.
But Emery says that he has big plans for Ozil, who cost the Gunners £42.5m when he signed from Real Madrid five years ago.
“For us Mesut is a very important ®Êby DAVID WOODS
player,” said the Spaniard. “We want to help him to be well.
“The national team didn’t get the results they wanted but today he is on holiday.
“I want him to relax good and I want, when he comes back with us, to start with a good mentality.
“I want him to be tranquil and calm, and when he comes back to start hard.”
In January, Ozil signed a new deal worth £350,000-a-week but his low-key performances afterwards led to claims the Gunners had wasted their money.
But Emery insists Ozil was not the only under-performing star at The Emirates.
“I think last year was difficult for all of the team, not only for Mesut,” he said.
“They finished sixth in the Premier League – not the position we want.
“All the players, I want to give them confidence, to give them a chance every day. With quality, it is very easy to arrive at the performance – individual and collective.”