Arsene Wenger's big decision: Should Arsenal drop Mesut Ozil for Bayern Munich match?

I felt he was not completely confident technically. I completely agree with you. That’s a problem because you think he can deliver something special. It’s true that technically he did things [against Hull] that he is not used to doing. I don’t know. It can happen. I can’t think of a specific reason. It's time for him to score again. Maybe he will find confidence back as well, because he misses chances. He has chances and he misses the chances that don't look not feasible for him.

By the time Arsene Wenger had finished outlining his priority against Bayern Munich on Wednesday (stay in the game defensively) and then highlighted a growing concern (Mesut Ozil’s loss of form), only one logical suspicion followed. It is that serious thought is being given to dropping or at least redeploying his £42.5 million record signing for a match that will go a long way to determining both their futures... ‘It’s important that we protect the second game,’ said Wenger, clearly conscious of the pattern of six straight exits at the last-16 stage. ‘We must go there, not hide, but defend well as a team.’ The question, then, is whether that wish is really compatible with leaving Ozil in his usual free role in front of a two-man midfield? Özil represents the luxury oil rather than the engine of any team. He often becomes anonymous if the rest of the team are stuck in neutral – as they often were even in beating Hull City by a flattering 2-0 margin on Saturday – and so there is a persuasive argument against Bayern for a third central midfielder.

Sources close to the manager say he has considered dropping Ozil, and Wenger can get as frustrated with him as anyone when in private. How can such a football purist as the 67-year-old not get frustrated when he sees such brilliant talent not being brought to its peak of application often enough? One problem is that there are no obvious replacements and, with the way Arsenal play, dropping Ozil would require too much of a reshuffle. Alex Iwobi could go there but is probably still a little inexperienced for the main role, and Sanchez could be withdrawn to the number-10 role, but it would mean replacing fluency for more force. There is also the fact Wenger knows how much this gets to Ozil himself. After the 2-1 defeat at Manchester City, the manager was walking into the Etihad dressing room directly behind Ozil, and watched on as the playmaker kicked the locker in angry frustration.