Arsenal legend Gilberto Silva has warned Mesut Ozil that he must improve if the Gunners want to become Premier League champions next season, the London Evening Standard reports.
Silva played for Arsenal from 2002-2008, and was part of the side that became English champions back in 2004, in which Arsene Wenger’s men went through the entire season undefeated.
The ex-Brazil midfielder believes that Ozil is a bit slow and needs to adapt to the Gunners’ quicker playing style in order to achieve the same success the 26-year-old had back when he was playing for Real Madrid.
“You speak about Arsenal and how they don’t spend big money on a player often but they did with (Mesut) Ozil and it is always a bit risky,” said Silva. “Coming from Spain it is tough to adapt, it doesn’t always happen straight away.
“I think the most important thing is that the player understands the philosophy of the team, the philosophy of the manager and the expectation from the fans.
“I do really like him as a player but sometimes in the game he does look quite slow, although he has that quality to change the game.
“He can be more decisive for Arsenal for the quality he has, he can be much more decisive for the club.
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“Arsenal hasn’t been able to compete with Chelsea and Manchester City for a few years because they spend money on big names and this is not the Arsenal culture.
“They don’t spend a lot of money to sign players but apart from that it is not easy to find a way to get back on track to win titles.
“It was important for them last season that they won the FA Cup but a team like Arsenal need more and I hope they find a way to achieve what they always look for.
“If you look at Chelsea, they spent a lot of money on a player like Diego Costa and he has settled really well and is scoring lots of goals, that has worked for them but it is not as easy for Arsenal.
“If the players concentrate on their job and pull together they can form a strong team and try to feel good in their play. “Sometimes people expect quick results but it doesn’t always work like that.”
Ozil was signed for a massive £42million in the summer of 2013, but has struggled with injuries and form during his 18 months at the club.
The Germany international also had to play out of his usual position in central attacking midfield, regularly used on the left to accommodate the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla ‘in the hole’.
Arsenal will face Manchester United in the next round of the FA Cup on Monday, before hosting West Ham United in a London derby on March 14.
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