Immediate former Arsenal coach Unai Emery has explained why he sparingly used Mesut Ozil during his reign at the Premier League side.
The Spaniard, who was dismissed last month over poor results, told the BBC that the German lacked aggressiveness.
Under his watch, the World Cup winner hardly found playtime fueling speculation about their relationship and future at the club.
“I’ve had a lot of conversations with Mesut Ozil,” Emery told BBC Sport. “He’s a very important player for the team.
Read: Arsenal Sack Unai Emery Over Poor Results
“There are games in which you see Mesut’s brilliance, linking with the attack. But also I had to find players around him so he felt comfortable.
“Also the team needed to feel solid. And when you, little by little, have to build a team that is aggressive, intense, as well as structured for good pressure, we also had to find a space for Mesut as he gives us an important part of the game, which is his brilliant talent.
Read Also: Mesut Özil Can Help Us, Beaten Arsenal Manager Unai Emery Admits
“To do so I had to find the right connections between players, the right tactics. I was very motivated to try to find that. I wanted Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mesut to work together, each one of them with their own characteristics.
“But there were times when I had to leave one of them out of the XI. Ozil is a very important player if you can find a way to make it work with other players.
“He has talent that allows other players to be better, but when you want a bit more aggressive pressure he does not have the best qualities for that.”
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