'ALWAYS MY FAULT'
Arsenal outcast Ozil hits back at Emery and Sanllehi’s claims he isn’t training hard enough and insists he’s a scapegoat
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MESUT OZIL has hit back at Unai Emery and Raul Sanllehi's claims that he is not pushing himself hard enough in training.
And the £350,000-a-week superstar insists he has been made a scapegoat in the past for some of Arsenal's failings.
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World Cup winner Ozil, 31, has been left out of the Gunners' three past matchday squads.
Boss Emery said others have "deserved their spot more" and head of football Sanllehi claimed Ozil needed to try harder in training and "contribute 24-7" to earn a recall.
Ex-Real Madrid man Ozil says he feels "helpless" on the bench but insists he is putting the hard graft in.
He told : "Not being involved, watching from home, makes me feel helpless.
"I want to be part of the side, I want to support my team-mates to succeed.
"I’m not training all the time just for the sake of it, I’m ready to play.
"This should not be about me or the coach, only the club. I have to give everything, be fit and focused, and I’m training hard to be ready.
"Pre-season went very well and although things were disrupted by the [moped] attack, since then I’ve been fully available and when the coach has selected me I’ve been ready, played and always tried to give my best.
"I’ve trained at the same level my whole career but because I’ve not had minutes recently, I’m doing extra work with the fitness coach and in the gym to get even fitter than normal.
"I know what is needed and believe in myself."
In the same interview, Ozil said he has no intention of leaving the Emirates until his contract is up in 2021.
That is despite him often being the focus of fan and pundit ire.
Ozil said placing all the blame on his shoulders is "ridiculous".
He added: "If that was true, why did I work so hard and positively during pre-season this year?
"And why, after the World Cup last year, did I return from holiday early for the first time in my career to start training three days before I was expected back?
"I did it for the new coach, the team and the club.
"Maybe people don’t like that I have a good contract? I don’t know or care.
"It always happens that an ex-player stands there on TV and criticises me.
"Others just continue the theme and it gets in everyone’s heads.
If we don’t do well in a big game, it’s always my fault.
Mesut Ozil
"If we don’t do well in a 'big' game, it’s always my fault. If that’s true, how do you explain our results in the ‘big’ games when I wasn’t involved?
"I also get really frustrated when I miss a game through illness and people question if it is genuine.
"Yes, it happened a few times — usually in the winter — but what am I supposed to do?
"If you knew me, you would know it takes a lot for me to miss a game and I have never used sickness as an excuse.
"Actually the opposite. I played many games when I was ill or had injuries.
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"Before the Champions League game against Bayern Munich [in March 2017], I was sick and Arsene told me I was not in the squad because of that.
"The next morning, the guys from Arsenal called me and said, ‘Listen, you have to come to the stadium, you have to be in the squad’.
"Despite my illness, I joined the squad and played the last 20 minutes. I was always available unless it was impossible."
Unai Emery claims outcast Mesut Ozil does not deserve to play for Arsenal and urges him to work harder
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