The Wizard of Özil

[Nuggets]

Interesting bit from Italian newspaper:

Mesut Ozil will not be moving to Juventus, despite rumours in the English media, according to Calciomercato.

The German's representatives offered him to the Serie A club but sporting director Fabio Paratici has no interest in the 30-year-old.

For those kind of wages who can blame him.

[Highbury Hillbilly]

For years the excuse for Ozil has been that Giroud, Theo and Welbeck had poor end product. This argument prevailed even after Alexis picked up 15 assists in addition to his 30 goals in 16/17. Theo had 19 goals that season as well.

We have two excellent forwards in our team now and they are in sync in ways Alexis and Giroud never were. While I have seen Ozil's flashes of talent lead to goals this season, it still hasn't been consistent enough given the quality up top.

[starmandb]

If you come up with such cheap argument how about that

With Özil (all competitions)
7W3D2L

Without (all competitions)
9W2D0L

Your argument flops. Who is to say that the games he played in and we won that we would've lost without him ?

The only indisputable fact is, we were dreadful in our last game and lacking in creativity.

Enter stage Left - Mesut Ozil.

We were also dreadful with Özil on the pitch this season...overall the fact still stand that the team was more successful without him.
Team > Fanboying (just stolen from DiamondGooner)

Won 7 games and drew 3 with him
That's us performing our best since 13/14

[Ach]

It was Ozil's first appearance since 11 November, having spent five games out with a back injury. He looked uncomfortable on occasion in the first half - twice appearing to struggle back to his feet after falling in a 50-50 challenge.

He was replaced in the 83rd minute, having created the goal and three other good chances. His four key passes were more than any Arsenal player has created in a single Europa League game.

How he was missed

[theHotHead]

It was Ozil's first appearance since 11 November, having spent five games out with a back injury. He looked uncomfortable on occasion in the first half - twice appearing to struggle back to his feet after falling in a 50-50 challenge.

He was replaced in the 83rd minute, having created the goal and three other good chances. His four key passes were more than any Arsenal player has created in a single Europa League game.

How he was missed

And yet people say we are better off without him

[JackWilshereSuper]

Ozil no press and win ball last night. He needs improving attitude. Great player but everyone has to work defensive

[DiamondGooner]

Ozil no press and win ball last night. He needs improving attitude. Great player but everyone has to work defensive

Just ban him please, this trolling it ridiculous.

People from Italy don't even talk like this, let alone type like it.

[Rockape]

Ozil no press and win ball last night. He needs improving attitude. Great player but everyone has to work defensive

Just ban him please, this trolling it ridiculous.

People from Italy don't even talk like this, let alone type like it.

Don't let him wind you up......lol!

[haklenda]

What we can say about Mesut Ozil? I think that his pay of 350k a week is way too much than he shows on the court.

While Ozil's form on the field for Arsenal in the last three seasons has rarely justified his status as the star of their show, his alarming injury/sickness record suggests this is a footballer who comes with a high risk tariff that may not be worth banking on. I mean, every third game he is sick or feel pain in the back or something similar and when he is on the field his plays are really bellow any of my expectations.

Emery is trying to motivate all players and to play more aggressive with a lot of running and I think that Mesut does not fit there. I don't say we should sell him but giving him that much pay was mistake.

[thebigbangtheo]

As a youth, there was a reason why Liam Brady became my favourite player and inspired me to try and practice my dribbling with the ball and anything skilful that I'd seen him do.

That my success rate was less than 10% is irrelevant and yes, most of my so called friends would argue it ever being as high as that, but as I said, that's not the point.

Brady was my imaginary self playing in the streets and school play ground whilst others would be self commentating on being Georgie Best, beating one, beating two; oh what a great piece of skill there by Jairzino; ohhh and what a goal by Pele; Johan Cruyff is on the ball now..etc, etc.

There is a reason why until *Luka Modric, the only other spurs player I'd ever wished to see in our glorious red and white was Glenn Hoddle.

The only other player from these shores that I have ever similarly coveted is not Gazza but Matt le Tissier. I rated the mad geordie, but give me le god every time.

When I knew for certain it was not just an optical illusion and that the emperor was indeed naked, was when Hazard went to Chelsea after we had been supposedly pursuing him for about 3 years prior to them even knowing who he was. Only the blind could be excused for not seeing that he was a special one to be got at all costs.

Rivelino, Maradona, Zidane, Eder, Zico, Figo, Bergkamp, Platini, Savicevic, Junior, Hagi, Messi, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Socrates, there is a reason why players like these and those aforementioned will always be revered, and able to evoke stirring memories within old men and women to bring a smile to their faces and the odd tear to their eyes.

And that reason is that it is the players like these who do the things with a football that touch your soul.

It's not just about winning, great product, slick advertising or brilliant management and administration as to why football is the biggest and best game in the world.

I dare say that as a kid, Roy Keane would probably go to sleep dreaming of Uruguay vs. Italy and players getting snapped in half, but most kids dream of being a Zidane, a Messi or Neymar.

If all those players were to have been omitted from the game because they didn't track back or press the opposition, then I'm 99% certain that I'd be posting on a cricket forum right now.

Don't get me wrong, I fully appreciate what our coach is trying to instill and think he's going down the right road towards being successful, but I don't agree that he has to sacrifice Ozil in order to achieve it.

And yes it would pain me to conclude that Mourinho has a much greater vision and understanding of players and how to build a winning team than Emery. But then again, I don't mind losing a fiver only to then find a tenner.

* I wanted Luka Modric before he went to spurs. He and Eduardo were virtually a double act and I didn't get why we only took the one when both were on offer, but it appears that it was either the Fabregas and Rosicky factors or that our mad professor couldn't gauge the potential of the little Croatian. Either way, not good.

[Santi]

Thought he played quite good last night, particularly first half, but his love within the fanbase has really gone...his song fizzles out halfway through every time now and there's no big cheers for his name pre-game.

Really quite odd why he's fallen out of favour, we need him massively over a 60 game season, whether he's as key as before or not. We don't have another player with his skill set and I wish people would just get over his f***ing wages, who cares, it's not our concern.

[ag6789]

Don't mind Ozil not tracking back, but shouldn't he apply his mesmerizing skills game after game, especially difficult games, like Messi does, Pele, Rivaldo, Ronaldo used to do? I like Ozil very much, and when joined us I thought this is going to be the defining moment in our recent barren phase, and we'll start winning big things.
But, somehow, he has turned out to be a tad bit inconsistent, and whimsical. Football being a team game, it does need some application, and be a team member no matter how gifted you are.
Hope, he and Mikhi will remove the cob webs and drive us to new heights.

[StLGooner]

Don't mind Ozil not tracking back, but shouldn't he apply his mesmerizing skills game after game, especially difficult games, like Messi does, Pele, Rivaldo, Ronaldo used to do? I like Ozil very much, and when joined us I thought this is going to be the defining moment in our recent barren phase, and we'll start winning big things.
But, somehow, he has turned out to be a tad bit inconsistent, and whimsical. Football being a team game, it does need some application, and be a team member no matter how gifted you are.
Hope, he and Mikhi will remove the cob webs and drive us to new heights.

No because he isn't on their level and never was. Those names are arguably the best ever to play. Ozil isn't in that discussion, nor has he ever been.

I will agree he still needs to up his game a bit, but I wouldn't expect that type of play out of him. He still can be world class though, just not their class.

[DiamondGooner]

Thought he played quite good last night, particularly first half, but his love within the fanbase has really gone...his song fizzles out halfway through every time now and there's no big cheers for his name pre-game.

Really quite odd why he's fallen out of favour, we need him massively over a 60 game season, whether he's as key as before or not. We don't have another player with his skill set and I wish people would just get over his f***ing wages, who cares, it's not our concern.

Well I think that's more to do with his injuries keeping him in and out of the team.

He needs a regular run of games and to get back bedded in the team.

[ag6789]

Well, Ozil and Mueller set the world alight with their dazzling display and everybody said they were the next gen superstars after Messi, Kaka, Ronaldinho, and for next 3-4 years they were truly grrat. Mueller definitely remained a force to reckon with until last year, but Ozil has been on and off. Though he is World cup winner, has not realized his true potential , like Kaka and Ronaldinho, albeit for different reasons.
But, he is only 30(?), and Emery might still be able to extract the best out of him, only if he has enough ambition left.
Wenger, himself approaching the end of his tenure, went easy on him and a number of others, and they became complacent and lost their mojo. Let's hope he'll bounce back soon.