Mesut Ozil enigma continues to baffle to the detriment of Arsenal and time is now running out for the German

On Friday morning, Arsene Wenger was so mindful of Mesut Ozil’s stuttering form that he took him aside for a bit of a chat. The wonder is what the Arsenal manager is going to say as the 28-year-old returns to his home country for a much more difficult match against Bayern Munich, because the pep talk didn’t really work against Hull City.

Arsenal might have got back on track, with a 2-0 win, but Ozil did not. He actually put in one of his worst performances of the season, as an extended run of bad form reached an apparent nadir. This certainly wasn't a new-contract performance. Normally so distinctive and special a player because of his smooth fluency, and how that allows him to execute exquisite moments other players can barely think of, Ozil was here so noticeably hesitant. He was slowing down every Arsenal move rather than slickly enhancing them, and nothing was coming off. There were two moments in the first half, in particular, when Ozil’s poor decisions actually killed Arsenal attacks.

Even Wenger acknowledged that, but admitted it’s hard to pinpoint why it's happened.

“I felt he was not completely confident technically,” the Arsenal manager said. “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.”

That is a bigger worry because it has come at such a challenging time for both Arsenal and Wenger, but it’s difficult not to think that is connected to Ozil’s drop in form too. The German’s style is so central to Arsenal’s movement that, if he is not at his fluent best, the team just doesn’t function the same way.

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That has fostered a few minor issues off the pitch, too, if nothing serious. There are some Arsenal players, and some staff members, who feel he too often "gets away" with sub-par performances. He is still a very popular player among the squad, but it doesn’t help with such asides when so many of Ozil’s worst moments seem to sum up the worst of Arsenal: a fragility despite the finesse. It could be seen in how he was so easily beaten to the ball against Chelsea last week, how N’Golo Kante completely dominated him in what should have been a notional duel of equals, and how he just let Ashley Williams so freely jump for the winning header in the 2-1 defeat to Everton back in December.

Some believe Ozil is too indulged. Running alongside that, it often looks as if he really needs to be in the mood to perform, but won’t push himself when not on it; that he likes these moments to fall into his hands rather than trying to really grasp them.

That perception isn’t helped by some of his activity off the pitch. One high-level Arsenal staff member scoffed in bemusement at Ozil’s willingness to put up a photo of himself and the match-ball alongside his car when back home after the hat-trick against Ludogorets, joking that it must have been a sponsorship deal. That love of social media also shows a clear love of the limelight, and it’s often been commented that he should show the application that a similarly talented player like Alexis Sanchez does.

For all the talk of indulgence, though, it would be wrong to say Wenger and Ozil himself are just carrying on without realising any of this.

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.

That was a show of aggression in great contrast to what he usually does on the pitch. And this is the thing. Ozil well knows when he is being ineffective, and is said to get even more frustrated when he can’t figure out why he can’t get into a game.

A fair response to that would be that he should consciously look to get himself moving by doing the things he is often criticised for neglecting, like making the jump for Williams’s header; like getting the kind of adrenaline rush that comes from making a proper tackle. It remains infuriating how a player who apparently cares so much can in such moments look like he’s not bothered.

Perhaps that’s just his game, though. Perhaps he is always conscious of saving himself so he can maximise his best abilities when he really gets the chance. Many playmakers are similar.

It’s just that there are so many games where it seems like he could properly impose himself much more; run them rather than just decorating them. Ozil instead looks lackadaisical.

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It’s also possible that he just needs a goal. Ozil’s poor form really goes back to that week when they lost to Everton and Manchester City, and it is unlikely to be a coincidence that the last time he scored was the weekend before at home to Stoke City.

"Yes, maybe it's time for him to score a goal again,” Wenger said. He needs to find confidence again. He misses chances that don't look unfeasible for him.”

That was clear when he blazed over against Hull, from a similar situation to when he so casually volleyed home against Chelsea in September.

That contrast sums up the difference rather easily, and is all the worse as there remains so much doubt about his new contract.

There is now doubt as to when he can get back to justifying the wages demanded. He needs to demand more of himself on the pitch, and make the most meaningful statement he possibly can in Munich.