Arsene Wenger has praised Mesut Ozil ahead of our match against Chelsea on Sunday insisting that although the German doesn’t speak out often, when he does he has a huge influence over the players.
The boss even went so far as to compare the playmaker to the legend that is Dennis Bergkamp and not for the first time.
“Yes, he’s a bit like [Bergkamp],” Wenger said.
“Not that guy who stands up and speaks too much but every time he says something, it is straight to the point.
“He’s has a big influence. He’s not an extrovert, as you know. But you don’t win by coincidence and he has won in his career. He’s demanding from his partners.”
I imagine half the reason why Ozil has so much influence over the other players is because, like the fans, they still can’t believe he plays for Arsenal. The stuff the man produces on the pitch is nothing short of magical and I can’t imagine why any player wouldn’t want to listen to what he had to say.
His footballing brain operates on a completely different level to most footballers and if I was a player on the same team as him, I’d be finding any excuse to learn about the inner-workings of his mind.