Tim Sherwood has urged Unai Emery not to ‘burn bridges’ with star Mesut Ozil and made it clear that he feels the playmaker is Arsenal’s ‘main man’.
The Gunners have won just one Premier League game since Boxing Day without Ozil.
Ozil has faced injury trouble with back and knee problems which explains why he was struggled for playing time.
But Emery has been accused of freezing Ozil out of the team after dropping him for ‘tactical reasons’ when fit.
Sherwood said: “Surely he has to get Ozil on side? He’s one of his best players. You can’t burn bridges with a player who is on £350,000 a week and is sitting there doing nothing. You have to get him on side and get him on the pitch and do his best to make the team better.
“Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira are good at what they do, but they cannot see the pass like Ozil.
“Get him on side again, talk to him, get your arm around tell, him he what he needs to be told, even if you mean it or you don’t, you tell him and make him feel like he’s the main man, because Ozil on form is better than anything than Arsenal have got.
“Not only that, he is eating away at that wage bill, it’s wasted money if he’s not on the pitch. Get him on the pitch. It might be against your principles, but if you want to get results you are better with him in the team than without him in the team.”
Emery did try to diffuse the situation in his latest press conference ahead of the London derby against Chelsea hinting that Ozil may be brought back into the fold.
Speaking at Colney, Emery said the following at his pre-match press conference against of the London derby against the Blues: “I spoke with him, I want big consistency with him. He had big injuries.
“These injuries, sometimes he’s ok, sometimes he’s not ok. I want [from] every player the same work everyday, to be ok for every matches.
“For him it’s the same, he didn’t play the last matches. He’s like another player. This Saturday can be, if he’s ok, a possibility to be with us.”
Ozil has four goals and two assists for the North London based outfit this season but has made just 16 appearances in all competitions.
