‘Next year he will be better’

Andy Gray believes we will see the real Mesut Ozil next season after a tough start to his Arsenal career.

The 25-year-old came to the Emirates with high expectations following his big summer move from Real Madrid and did initially impress.

But after the turn of the year, the German maestro has looked tired and off form. As a result, he has been under the spotlight, with several pundits and fans questioning his lack of desire, and was scrutinized further after a less than impressive display against Bayern Munich last night in which he failed to convert a penalty.

But Gray reckons Ozil will become a better player for Arsene Wenger’ side next season:

‘Mesut Ozil is a quality footballer. We’ve seen that for his club side and for his country.

‘We heard Cristiano Ronaldo up in arms that Ozil was being sold by Real Madrid because he was the best player he’d played with. He contributed so much to his game. He created more goals for him than anyone at Real Madrid, so he has got something.

‘The Premier League is a tough place to come to and there are huge physical demands that he’s probably not used to, after playing in the Spanish league.’

He finished off by saying:

‘His first season will probably be a learning curve and next year he will be better. I really do believe this. He will be better, bigger, stronger and more consistent.’

Nearly every player struggles in their first season in the Premier League, especially if they come from the La Liga, a league not renowned for its pace and combativeness.

Ozil has the quality to succeed at Arsenal but he has found it difficult to adjust in his first season. But like Gray says, I think the German will be a better player for us next season – he will have further knowledge of the league and will know what he needs to work on (strength and stamina for instance).