By Tony Attwood
To begin, what do we know about Mesut Ozil?
We do know, because there is a lot of evidence for it, that he has paid for 1,0000 vital operations for children across the world.
We also know that he is paying to fee 100,000 homeless people at 16 refugee camps in Turkey and Syria.
We know he is additionally paying around a quarter of a million pounds to fund operations for sick children in Brazil.
Oh yes and we know he works for the children’s charity Rays of Sunshine
Plus he donated his earnings from the World Cup to the Big Shoe project for sick kidsCredit: Big Shoe 11.
But this morning the media has gone on the attack and in this attack none of these issues has been mentioned. Instead, below are 35 headlines that attacked Mesut in the space of about four hours. What is interesting is not just that they are all hammering Mesut, but that some “outlets” have published the story several times in this period.
This repeating approach is undoubtedly in order to hammer home the negative story and identify the publication with the anti-Arsenal approach. There are thus three separate Football.London attacks on Mesut, four from the Metro, five from TalkSport, two from the Standard, two from the Express… it goes on and on. So in some cases we are getting a once an hour attack on Mesut from the same source.
And then maybe let us consider the facts.
First, the PFA has told players not to sign up to pay cuts until there is an across the board agreement with clubs. Second, we know that Mesut is a man who has gone out of his way to give substantial parts of his salary to causes he works with. Third we know that many of the people who have written the stories below (Piers Morgan springs to mind) while not earning as much as Mesut, earn very high salaries.
But most importantly, the notion that Mesut has completely rejected the Arsenal deal is not confirmed. We don’t know if he has held back at all, and if he has if that is because he is asking what will happen to the money.
For example, if there is no guarantee that the money is going to secure the jobs of low paid staff at Arsenal, then what is the point of taking a pay cut? To fund the Kroenkes?
Quite honestly if I was a footballer and I didn’t have the absolute lock solid guarantee of where my pay cut was going, I’d refuse to sign.
Now many of the headlines don’t criticise Mesut but they refer to what the Morgan entity has said. But they do that without raising any doubts about the validity of the underlying story. Or indeed whether the story is true.
‘Shame on you’: Piers Morgan rips into Mesut Ozil after star ‘refuses’ pay-cut during coronavirus crisis
Does Ozil leak prove disloyalty at Arsenal FC?
‘This has been a massive PR own goal’ – Jamie Carragher isn’t happy with Mesut Ozil over wage…
‘Ozil’s wage cut refusal a huge PR own goal’ – Carragher slams Arsenal star as agent speaks out
Ozil one of three Arsenal players stalling on pay-cut
Gary Neville slams Arsenal players for ‘outing’ Mesut Ozil over wage cut refusal
Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher rip into Mesut Ozil as he resists Arsenal wage cut
Jamie Carragher slams Mesut Ozil and explains why Arsenal midfielder should accept wage cut
Ozil and two others stall on agreeing Arsenal pay cuts, say reports
Jamie Carragher hits out at Mesut Ozil for scoring ‘massive own goal’ and criticises Arsenal star’s agent
Carragher slams Ozil agent over ‘massive PR own goal’
Gary Neville accuses Arsenal players of ‘outing’ Mesut Ozil and questions future
Mesut Ozil ‘thrown overboard’ by Arsenal but one element of pay cut refusal ‘indefensible’
Piers Morgan rips into Arsenal ‘disgrace’ Ozil over pay-cut refusal
Piers Morgan slams Arsenal star over stance on wage cut
Mesut Ozil identfied as one of three Arsenal stars to turn down pay cut
‘Somebody in the Arsenal dressing room has tried to damage Ozil, it’s out of order’
Mesut Ozil deliberately damaged by Arsenal snitch, claims Ally McCoist
Piers Morgan launches astonishing attack on Mesut Ozil after Arsenal wage cut decision
Arsenal confirm wage deal but Mesut Ozil refuses 12.5% cut
Piers Morgan slams Mesut Ozil live on air for refusing to take 12.5% pay cut
Ozil among trio to reject pay cuts, Man United won’t go for Kane, NFL legend rapped
Piers Morgan ‘sickened’ by Mesut Ozil refusing to take a pay cut and slams Arsenal star
Arsenal star Mesut Ozil slammed by Piers Morgan for pay cut refusal – ‘Shame on you!’
Arsenal confirm wage cuts among players, but Ozil ‘rejects proposal’
Ozil among three Arsenal players to reject pay cut
Sports news live: Ozil among Arsenal trio to reject pay cuts, Sancho set for Man United move,…
Mesut Ozil One Of Three Arsenal Players To Reject The Club’s 12.5 Per Cent Pay Cut
Mesut Ozil is one of three Arsenal players to reject pay cut & agent Erkut Sogut hints at why
Mesut Ozil has decided NOT to join Arsenal players in taking 12.5% pay cut
Mesut Ozil rejects pay cut to £350,000-a-week deal at Arsenal
And the headlines without any blame or criticism from the same period…
- Ozil’s decision to reject pay cut is fair enough, his prerogative and his right
- Ozil is made out to be the villain yet again – what about Kroenke?
- Mesut Ozil’s Arsenal pay cut refusal isn’t all it seems
This constant attack through the headlines in black bold above is the sort of attack that is thrown on Arsenal and Arsenal players daily by these publications.
If you ever wonder why Arsenal is not signing more top players it is because of this sort of attack. Players look at what Talk Sport and the rest say about Arsenal and its players and ask themselves “Do I want some of that?”
And the answer is no.
Greetings to you all.
I hope you are all well and keeping safe.
Not often. I agree with Tony but on this issue I do.
To most owners players are no more than trade able assets.
Of course Ozils remuneration package is obscene ( just like the vast vast majority of players) but fair play to him and or his agents for negotiating the deal.
The fact is that each week/ month around 47% of every pound that Ozil earns is deducted by way of tax and or NIC. Put another way if he is of £350k a week in excess of £160k of that sum will go to HM Government add to that Arsenal will around 13% in respect of employers nic
I have no doubt that all PLs clubs cash flow has been massively impacted but the main losers after the players taking pay cuts will be HM Government and where I struggle in all this is because just every PL club will no doubt be spending sums into the millions comes to the next transfer window.
Far better for the players to receive normal pay and make their donations in a similar way to those outlined by Tony.
Fair play to Ozil
Who do we believe? The blogs that predict 97% errors in transfers (not) happening and a bloke who is not part of the board of Arsenal (P. Morgan)?
From hear say???
On Arsenal.com the statement starts: “We are pleased to announce that we have reached a voluntary agreement with our first-team players, head coach and core coaching staff to help support the club at this critical time.”
Now unless Mesut is no longer deemed a first-team player the announcement is not correct. Or Arsenal have put the statement on the website before everyone had answered.
Arsenal could have written that they have reached a voluntary agreement with most of the the first-team players and thus leaving it open for anyone to guess who did not agree.
Now of course Piers Morgan might have tapped the Phone of Mesut to find out he said no to the Arsenal proposal… wouldn’t that be illegal? So unless Mr. Morgan comes up with some proof I don’t believe him at all.
But how they all jumped on that in order to slam Mesut and Arsenal…
This is Mobstyle hit on Ozil, trying to force him publicly to a position. Why negotiate then? Just dictate terms to the players.
Listen to his agent on the podcast beloe:
https://theathletic.com/podcast/163-steilcast/?episode=15
Mesut is an inspiration to people all over the world, not just football fans.
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Nice to see Jordan Nobbs sign an extension for the women’s team.
At some point in the future, I would like to see Mesut running the Arsenal in the Community program.
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Who needs a pay cut? All of the ex-player muppets in TV need to have their salaries slashed by 60%. And that dork at PFA, needs his salary cut by 99%.
This is all BS rumour-mongering by a desperately inept and unimaginative media, led by the least intelligent bloke in this lot of ignoramuses,Mr.Morgan. There is absolutely NO indication that Ozil refused/accepted the pay cut but since when has the truth stopped the media from promulgating misinformation and creating drama at the expense of AFC or their players/management. The club should publish a strongly worded criticism of such spurious and scurrulous ¨reporting¨ and aim a particularly vitriolic note at Morgan.
omgarsenal; you’re an intelligent man [or woman].
@Tony, you stated your argument in these four points
1. PFA told the players not to agree to pay cuts
2. Ozil does lots of charity work
3. People like Piers Morgan also earn a lot
4. It is not confirmed that ozil refused to take a pay cut. Maybe he just asked for assurances on how the money saved will be used.
Let me respond from point 4. Indeed it is true, maybe Ozil has agreed to take the pay cut, in which case all the rest of the commentary is unnecessary. Maybe he asked for assurances, true. But remember the negotiations have been ongoing for weeks and the club has announced a deal, to me deals are announced after conclusion of negotiation. This negotiation wasn’t done privately between Ozil and the club, it was the entire first team playing and coaching staff negotiating with the club. Any grey issues would have been brought up and thrashed. If afterwards only 3 players felt unconvinced about issues and negotiation was closed, it’s either the rest 30+ or more are stupid or the 3 were not willing to shift ground, I think it’d be funny to suggest otherwise, but who am I to doubt untold.
On to point 1. PFA told the players not to take paycuts, but arsenal appeals to it’s players to make small sacrifice to help the club in such trying times. And you say the player needs some convincing? Since the whole covid-19 pandemic you have written several articles telling us how football clubs are facing financial turmoil and predicting that wage cuts and other slashing of football related costs like Transfer fees would be the order of the day. Now arsenal acknowledges that it is in financial turmoil and needs help, other players accept to help, but these 3, and you support that they need evidence that the pandemic would adversely affect the club financially? Or are you just supporting them because you have an OCD that says you must defend Ozil? Because I haven’t seen anyone asking you for evidence that football is being hit badly financially by the pandemic, yet you think in 2 weeks of negotiation, the club cannot convince Ozil of that fact?
Point 2. Yes Ozil does a lot of charity work, does that then mean he doesn’t have to pitch to save his employers? Yes he doesn’t have to be an arsenal fan/supporter, but should that mean he has no moral obligation towards arsenal? I don’t know what the answer should be. But let me convey my thoughts with a question. If Ozil was a lifelong Man utd fan, but played for us. Would it be wrong for him (maybe while injured) to watch a match between the two sides wearing a Man utd kit and cheering them? I think it would be wrong. Because while it is a player’s right to support any team, he also has a moral obligation to the club he works for. Ozil Can support any charity he chooses, but not at the expense of arsenal. So I don’t see how him supporting other charities should absolve him from being charitable towards arsenal. Maybe he’s just not convinced that arsenal deserves his charity.
Finally,. point 3, people like Piers also earn a lot. Indeed many such celebrities are pitching in, helping with more relevant causes like provision of equipment for health workers and provision of relief materials to the less privileged. If Piers hasn’t joined in, by all means call him out too. But you of all people always argue that because arsenal benefited from ref decisions on an occasion shouldn’t mean arsenal fans shouldn’t complain about another decision that goes against them. Same logic here. Even if Piers has not removed the log in his eye, it shouldn’t mean Ozil shouldn’t then remove the plank in his.
In summary, I’m neither a fan or detractor of Ozil, but if indeed Ozil is one of a group of just 3 that has refused to take a pay cut to help the club in these trying times, then you need a stronger argument in his defence.
Whatever Ozil wants to do with his money is his business, whether it is to pay for operations for children or buy a new car it is his money do we hear him have a go at Morgan “the great Arsenal fan”whenever he makes a prat of himself which is quiet often ,does Ozil even know who Morgan is.Other so called media experts such as Neville the inventor of football and spit in your face Carragher will make a comment about anything as long as they get their ugly mugs on t.v. the fact Ozil has a certain medal for winning a World cup with them horrible Germans would not endear him to the so called experts in the media.
I am not trying to defend Ozil, I am pointing out that the ferocious attack on Ozil is a) unwarranted and b) typical of the way the media treats Arsenal players. I am sorry that was not clear.
Lima………your questions, like the rest of our posts, are entirely speculative, since we are basing any debate on whether Ozil or the other mysterious 2 compatriots actually did refuse to cooperate or collaborate. My guess is that they joined their teammates and took the pay cut but wanted to know, like Tony said, how the money was going to be used. But again, just speculation on my part. What is definitely NOT speculation is the BS the media have excreted in large quantities accusing Ozil specifically of reneging or refusing to ¨support¨ AFC. Where do they get their information from? Why would AFC publish a statement that ¨the players, management etc.¨ have agreed to an across the board pay cut of 12.5 percent? Why would they not say ¨some, or most¨ of the players? We are, like you, all in the dark about what has really transpired but we can be sure that the media will exacerbate any possible fault AFc or one of its players might be guilty of…..it is clickbait at its cheapest and most vile form.
Carragher , with previous conduct, has no right to criticise anybody.
Ozil is a wonderful player, and a man who clearly supports a lot of worthy causes.
I am sure there is more to come on this saga so will withhold any judgement on Ozil, and even if it’s true, he may well have his reasons, which might even be good ones, we just don’t know the facts at this point, and perhaps never will.
The thing that concerns me is the source of his name being leaked. I really hope it is not somebody at the club, could be wrong, but was always under the impression one or two at the club wanted Ozil out , perhaps since wengers departure, I hope these parties, should they not be a figment of my imagination, are not behind this leak,That would be a little underhand.
Have Stan Kroenke,s other sports teams taken a pay cut or are they more important as a billionaire you should support all your business interests,if not what does this tell as arsenal fans.
My opinion, it’s Ozil’s money, he can do whatever he likes with it. He can give it to whoever he wants. He doesn’t have to be compelled to help arsenal. After 2weeks of negotiation he has had enough time to ask all his questions and get answers. The other players who have signed up are not fools, I doubt there is any important information that the players haven’t been given. I’m certain someone from the inside leaked the info because they see him as a being unconcerned about the plight of the club(as he has been accused of for a long time). However on the part of the club, I’m sure if the club is indeed in a bad financial position, they cannot be compelled to fully fulfill all financial obligations. The pandemic is an act of God, and so I believe legally they might be able to get away with not paying Ozil full salary
@OMG, that is EXACTLY the definition of speculation. “Forming a theory or conjecture without firm evidence”. We are all dealing in speculation; me, you, Tony, media bs, we’re all speculating. Each one adds his bit of reasoning to speculative information and makes his own inference
Many companies are asking employees to take wage cuts at the moment. The objective of these measures is to preserve cash reserves to help those companies through these troubled times. I assume that the money saved will be used solely for the benefit of AFC in this instance, and not for other divisions of KSE.
What gives Carragher the right to make pronouncements about anything related to Arsenal or, indeed, morality generally? It’s not like he is an exemplar of decent behavioural standards with his lackadaisical attitude to the retention of sputum and/or loose change, and should count himself very lucky to be allowed access to football stadia at all.
Have Liverpool players volunteered for a pay-cut? Maybe I missed that. Perhaps the media are trying to deflect attention towards AFC because their “pet” teams’ furlough attempts backfired so spectacularly.
As for Piers Morgan, I would think that a pay-cut is out of the question. I can’t understand how he’s being paid at all.
I would resent any outsider telling /advicing me on how I should spend/donate my money.
When the clubs agreed contracts with their staff , a mutual understanding was reached.
Any changes to it must be agreeable to all parties. And even if a majority are willing to settle, or help out in the present senario , yet it is not incumbent or binding to all.
Any outside influencers , especially those not party to said agreements should refrain from giving their 2 cents worth. Experts(so called ) included.
I personally would be offended if some clown demmands that I kow tow , or bow down to their demands . Especially if he has never walked the talk . Most never do.
My earnings are mine to do as I please . That applies to all individuals . We all do what we think is right and just.
Keep safe , guys.
Following that definition of speculation. It just depends how much evidence you count as “firm evidence”. Your speculation is other people’s theories.
Piss Morgan sparing with the facts and attacking an Arsenal player. He is the one we should be having a go at. He dares to call himself a fan but does very little other than rip into our players whenever he can. Piss Morgan is the disease we need to be fighting as a club. I propose we start by banning such malcontents as Morgan who is rumoured to have given up nothing of his salary and yet can in full hypocrisy point his slimy toady fingers at all others. If he is racing this, You horrid, wretched, little excuse of a man, get out of our club.
If he is”reading” this, which I clearly did not before posting.
Lima…….speculate away but don’t base your judgements or arguments on spurious and dubious information coming from media drainpipes and Piss Morgan, or other stalwart plastic fanboys. The best source of information is the Club website and here is what they said officially:
¨We are pleased to announce that we have reached a voluntary agreement with our first-team players, head coach and core coaching staff to help support the club at this critical time.¨
That, and the subsequent commentary on the AFC website is ALL that we know about for sure. Let’s stick to the facts and leave the hyperbole and misinformation to the media.
Some questions…
Did refuse a pay cut? Did he not refuse a pay cut? What does Mesut Oezil think of all this?
I would suggest there are nuances in this story and we don’t know them. However, this story is potentially extremely damaging to Mesut Oezil’s reputation and willingness to stay/play at Arsenal. It rival’s what happened at the WC in Russia. His response there was clear. He did not accept being singled out by German officials.
It should be noted that he did not respond to media or public comments. It was when the president of German FA weighed in that he decided that enough was enough. Who knows when or if he will speak about this? It is possible that he believes that even though he believes his position is logical and right that he can’t win in the court of public opinion, regardless. So, best say nothing.
However, Arsenal’s silence is less defend-able. No player should be left hung out to dry like this. It is showing an immense lack of respect for a payer’s rights when you allow something like this to come out in public or even to be discussed (true or not). Even if Mesut Oezil (and two others) may have chosen to object to a pay cut, letting his name alone leak (or be subject to conjecture) is unconscionable.
I would suggest that is incumbent upon the club to weigh in and defend Mesut Oezil. Somehow. Or deal with a player that has now decided to not play in red. And, change our motto while we’re at it.
We have seen recently that the club does not defend its players. On the contrary, it is now also attacking them, something Wenger never did.
For my part, and I appreciate this is not everyone’s cup of tea, I feel that players who so regularly kiss the badge or who willingly take the adulation of the fans, should not need to be forced to take a cut in wages in order to assist the club to get through this difficult time.
Any player who is earning the sort of sums that these players are receiving who does not do so voluntarily loses my respect.
I am accepting a reduction in my income, without the gnashing to teeth we see to be coming from overpaid footballers, so I simply cannot see why they should not do so as well.
Yes, it is their money to spend as they wish, but if they fail to show loyalty and solidarity with those of us who have to accept a reduction of inc0me which is forced upon us, then they will lose my loyalty and solidarity.
This is not fueled by jealousy, but simple common decency.
I wonder to myself, what would Tony Adams have done in these circumstances.
I am low level public servant – school teacher. And, watching what is happening, I expect that I will soon have a legislated wage rollback. I am OK with that. Money has been shifted to the health department for obvious reasons and there is less tax money to go around. Footballers, though they work for the private sector, because of the nature of club loyalty, etc., have elements of public servants in their job descriptions. A wage rollback of some sort is not unreasonable.
What is unreasonable is for the rollback to be accompanied by criticism or for sectors or individuals to be criticized. In my jurisdiction, in the 1990s, our wages were lowered by 5% to help pay of the deficit. Local deputies, health workers etc., also took negotiated wage cuts followed by wage freezes. Seven years later, all the other sectors including area politicians got wage increases – we didn’t. When we asked to be treated the same, the government responded by an advertising campaign criticizing our work. Now, this is old news. It was settled with job action and negotiation over the next 10 years. But, not without a great deal of rancour and distrust.
Criticizing football players as a group or Mesut Oezil individually will not end well. It will take time to rebuild any bridges between the football players and the industry and in Mesut Oezil’s case between him and the fans/club.
As a personal aside, I respect Mesut Oezil because he has always done his utmost on the pitch (successful or not) and because of his personal charity work. In my mind, there has to be more to this story than is being reported because of what I understand to be his character.
My comments, by the way, were on the subject in general and not with regard to Ozil or any other player in particular.
I do not believe what any of the papers/blogs/pundits say on the subject of Ozil, so my comments were not addressed to him.
I simply feel that everyone has to accept some of the burden. Someone who does not and it is clear that they do not will lose my respect.
Oops, screwed up the blockquote.
I’m sorry, no. Mesut is not dividing the Arsenal fan base. The medja and the blogs are dividing the Arsenal fan base by using Mesut Ozil as a weapon.
@GGG, let me get you straight, so the club is in financial difficulty, asks players who by the way are not playing/training to pitch in. Everybody else including guys on small salaries agree to take a pay cut to help, but the highest earner, says no, despite the fact that we’re not playing, I won’t forego a penny. Yet it’s the club that’s at fault for not coming out to defend that player? If I were arsenal I’d be putting out press reports calling out saboteurs instead
This is becoming like the RVP Letter to the fans saga, where in a bid to support a player out of compulsion, untold published several articles by Anne claiming the letter to the fans did not emanate from RVPs camp. The major difference between then and now is that there was less censorship on untold then, so a lot of persons wrote in to debunk the untold theory (even though it didn’t stop untold publishing more), but now, only the consenting comments seem to get published, very few criticism can get through.
This compulsion to support a player occasionally brings disgrace especially when you elevate the need to support above desire for truth, such as Liverpool’s Suarez support. It is better to say(if that’s the truth) that yes Ozil has refused to take a wage cut, but that is his right, than to deny it since he hasn’t personally confirmed it
Lily, re your comment “very few criticism can get through.”
Can you give any evidence of criticism that has been blocked – other than that which is abusive which I admit is automatically blocked. Leaving aside the items which are completely off topic, or are adverts or are abusive (all of which are handled by the automatic process) I think we’ve blocked something like five posts in the past month manually.
The club is not in financial difficulty.
https://untold-arsenal.com/archives/80288
In your own words Tony, “arsenal are in trouble”.
Can I give evidence?? That would be impossible sir. We will have to take your word for it
Tony, you can’t seriously be saying this. After all the articles you’ve stuffed down our throats in the last month, telling us how football -clubs, associations are in deep sh*t and financial mess, arsenal inclusive, suddenly just because you must continue to support Ozil, suddenly arsenal isn’t in financial trouble? This isn’t being honest
Not at all Agho, not in any way.
First nothing is stuffed down anyone’s throats, since no one has to read what I write. Second I do believe most clubs are in a financial mess, but Arsenal is one of a few that has an owner wealthy enough to see the side through. That is why I published the table of owners’ wealth. Third, a constant theme of Untold is how the media knocks Arsenal in a way that it does not knock other teams.
As to Ozil, my point was (or at least the point I was trying to make was) that Ozil was exceptional not only in his salary but also his giving, and all the reports that emerged contained that dreaded word “reportedly”. In other words no one really knew, but each was saying that someone else had said it, but they were not telling us who.
I thought it was bad reporting all round, and quite typical of how Arsenal players are treated. I do know when Untold is being serious and frivolous and when serious, but obviously I’ve not been able to make that clear to you. Sorry about that. We will try harder.
@Tony, so what should we make about the articles in the last month where you clearly/unequivocally stated that Arsenal is in financial mess(one of such articles is linked above by lily -where even the headline states “why financially, arsenal are truly up against it”). As for clubs with ownership which covers the financial strain of the pandemic – you listed Man city, Man utd(based on their commercial power). I make a book out of your quotes in the last month telling us financially clubs are being messed up by this pandemic, arsenal inclusive, and suddenly because Ozil has to be supported, you say arsenal is not in financial difficulty? I find it hard to see the consistency/honesty