If we can get away with that formation then I’m getting straight down the bookies to bet on us breaking the top 4 next year!
I do get what you mean though. We could definitely chop and change formation a bit to suit opposition. Having said that, it’s equally important that we get some key foundations laid, and reintroduce accountability for players (which has been absent for at least 10 years). Arteta keeps alluding to these non-negotiables. Ultimately I think it’s Ozil’s inability to tick the right boxes for what arteta wants at a foundational level.
I don’t actually believe that Arteta will shut the door completely on him or Guendouzi. I think he’ll happily have them in the team if they can show what he needs to see. The difficulty with Ozil is that it’s more difficult to teach an old dog new tricks. Buuuut, in the same breath older players have adapted their game successfully in the past - Gerrard, Giggs, Milner, Cazorla. The later had never played in a deeper role before the last couple of years at arsenal, and he did that role very well and looked great with and without the ball.