Arsenal Must Build Their Side Around Ozil Rather Than Wilshere

Ever since Jack Wilshere emerged from the Arsenal academy there has been a suggestion that he would be the man to lead the north London club to glory after far too many years without silverware.

The barren run looked as though it was set to continue this summer as Arsenal lost their opening game of the season to Aston Villa. Then Mesut Ozil was signed for a club record fee and the Gunners have gone on to record ten successive victories.

Ozil has been credited as the difference; his assured touch, wonderful vision and sublime passing suddenly making the north London side a feared opponent for sides across Europe.

His performance as Arsenal dismantled high-flying Serie A side Napoli in the Champions League had commentators running out of superlatives. But his arrival has seen Wilshere somewhat fade into the background.

The England midfielder was left on the bench against Napoli and his displays have been somewhat reserved in recent weeks with Aaron Ramsey and Ozil orchestrating the Arsenal attacks, and often finishing them as well.

WIlshere's injury problems have been well documented and the 21 year old has often struggled to maintain a persistent level of fitness for a prolonged period. It has somewhat halted his progression but he remains one of the most technically gifted midfielders this country has to offer.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has repeatedly stated that he would construct a team around Wilshere, even stressing the point in his press conference ahead of Sunday's trip to West Brom.

"Wilshere is a very important player here, my future plans have always been built around Jack," stressed Wenger, despite the youngster being reprimanded for being pictured smoking a cigarette.

But perhaps it will be beneficial for Wilshere to have the spotlight taken away from him. With Ozil, Ramsey, and Santi Cazorla to come back into the fold once he recovers from his injury, Arsenal are blessed with a plethora of attacking talent.

If Arsenal can maintain their momentum and keep gaining positive results without putting a reliance on the young shoulders of Wilshere, then it will only profit him in the long run. He must also learn from Ozil who is comfortable with his world-class status that has been earned over years with top performances for Werder Bremen and Real Madrid.

Now seems the perfect time to mould an Arsenal side around Ozil, an idea former Gunners striker Ian Wright firmly supports.

"He's a fantastic player, and when you buy a player for £42.5 million, you need to build the team around him," Wright told the Evening Standard. "It's easy to see the impact he's made already - I think he's top of the assists charts already - so it's hard not to be impressed."

With Ozil the focal point, there will be less expectation placed on Wilshere. In the next few years, if he can remain injury free, he will surely only improve and in years to come he will no doubt take over the mantel from the German superstar.

When he does that, it will not only be beneficial for Arsenal, but for England as well.