Unai Emery has offered Mesut Özil help and support at a time when the player is digesting the ramifications of a deeply demoralising World Cup experience. Özil’s tournament was problematic on and off the field, as he became a scapegoat for Germany’s dismal tournament, and his father has said he was “offended” by the nature of some of the criticism.
“We are here to help every player,” Emery said. “For us Mesut is a very important player. We want to help to be well, fine with us.
“The national team didn’t get the results they want but today he is on holiday, and I want him to relax well and I want, when he comes back with us, to start with a good mentality. I want to work with him with a new way and with an ambition to continue with this quality and to help him to get better with the team.”
Emery considered the suggestion that Özil’s inconsistency can be an issue for Arsenal, but his response was to query whether any of Arsenal’s players managed to perform at their best level on a regular basis. “Last year was a difficult year for all the team, not only for Mesut,” he said. “They finished sixth in the Premier League – not the position we want.
“Now it’s a new way. With all the players I want to give them confidence, to give them a chance every day in their work. With quality work it is very easy to arrive at the performance, individual and collective. Mesut is on holiday and I want him to be tranquil and calm.
“We want the international players to come back quickly and start practising hard with us. But it is also important for them to have holidays because the season is very, very hard and very, very long. They need holidays to come full of energy for the start and to give us this quality and this energy in the team.”
Özil, like all the players, was granted a summer break of between three and four weeks. All those who played at the World Cup but were knocked out in the group stage, like Özil, are expected to join the club’s pre-season tour to Singapore. The rest, including their new midfielder Lucas Torreira and defender Stephan Lichtsteiner, will have their full break and be integrated closer to the big kick-off in August.