Arsenal: Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere, Mesut Ozil, and the danger of myopic nostalgia

Like for like? Thierry Henry (R) shares a joke with team mate Theo Walcott (L) as they warm up before the FA Cup Third Round match between Arsenal and Leeds United at the Emirates Stadium on January 9, 2012 in London, England. (Getty Images)

As fascinating as those other targets may have been, only Ozil matches up with how we play under Wenger, and only Ozil stands to make those around him better. That second point should reverberate; give it a moment. As capable as our lads have been (and, let’s face it, “capable” is about-right), each of them stands to benefit.

By any stretch of the imagination, he opens up a host of possibilities, whether it be the direct service he provides to the likes of Olivier Giroud, Theo Walcott, Santi Cazorla or Lukas Podolski, or whether it be through other, more subtle means, such as his movement off the ball or the link-ups he offers to Jack Wilshere, Tomas Rosicky, Mathieu Flamini or Aaron Ramsey (to name just a few).

I don’t want to make too much of one man, but as we go into Wednesday’s group-stage match against Marseille, Ozil sharpens this squad up just a bit. I’m not terribly concerned with whether he’s the next Bergkamp or Robert Pires. I don’t worry about whether Ramsey or Flamini can be Partick Vieira’s heir.

Between Thomas Vermaelen, Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker, who is the second arrival of Tony Adams? Will Walcott eventually remind us of Henry? I don’t know, and frankly, I don’t care. As trite as it may sound, I just want each of them to be the best they can be. Whether they do it in homage or imitation of some illustrious predecessor or in their own style should be up to them.

Whatever the case may be, we look to be in damned-good shape. Giroud and Ramsey, among others, are off to flying starts. Having conceded only two goals from open play and at full-strength in our last six matches, and only eight goals of any kind in our last 17 competitive matches, we’ll arrive in France in fine form.

I’m not even worried about away goals or goal-differential at the moment. We’ve dispatched Fenerbache quite well, sent Spurs back home, and have won our last six away matches dating back to last season. None of that guarantees anything for the match itself, of course, but it makes for some interesting possibilities.