Granit Xhaka and Stephan Lichtsteiner have played well with Switzerland but they have both been embroiled in controversy over the Kosovo flag situation. Alex Iwobi was rubbish (surprise!) and was dropped for Nigeria’s next match, and Monreal and Danny Welbeck haven’t even got on the pitch.
But what about our ‘superstar’ Mesut Ozil, who was also involved in controversy in Germany about the being snapped with the Turkish leader before the competition, but he started in the first game which ended with the Champions being beaten by Mexico, and he was subsequently dropped for the match against Sweden. It remains to be seen if he plays any more part in the competition but his team-mate Marco Reus is convinced he is still one of the best. Reus said: “We are one team, on and off the pitch, no matter what they say,”
“It just shows that Mesut, despite not playing, is with the team, and is there for us.
“He’s just an extremely important player for us.
“He’s one of the best players in the world, and I am more than convinced we’ll see him in this tournament again.”
We all know Ozil has been the German Player Of The Year five times before, but I’m not sure if nowadays even most Arsenal fans will agree with Reus, never mind the population of Germany! So what is the verdict from the population of JustArsenal?
Is Mesut Ozil still World Class?
- No - He is just a normal player now (51%, 205 Votes)
- Yes - He as good as ever (49%, 199 Votes)
Total Voters: 404
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VAR kills the rhythm of the game and perfect games are not the best sometimes. As for Ozil I think a shrewd manager should think of playing laca as no.10 and bench ozil poor boy is always depressed.Ozil is overrated, and no team wants him he will not play any more at the world cup he’s the weak link
Agree. Had England have Wilshere and him in squad, they would have slowed down England’s attacks, as what we saw when Arsenal faced Atletico Madrid at the Emirates
There are differences in motivation, work rate, mobility, vision and skills between Ozil and the Spanish playmakers/ Modric/ Messi
I hope I’m wrong but Fellaini to Arsenal looks like it could happen.
Will be very happy if it doesn’t happen but as it stands we are in for him.
I hope it happens and I hope it’s Elneny that he replaces, or at the least he shoves Elnenners down further. No point paying thirty plus mil for a back up to Torriera when we can get one for free with similar qualities and then try to get a top winger or a CB. Id still want another CM player if we got Fellaini, but maybe we shouldn’t try to do everything in this window if it means slight upgrades.
I will take El- neny over that tall old guy any day. I pray he doesn’t come near here.
We wanted him then but he ran to Man u for money. Now that he’s spent, he wants to come here and make us a laughing stock?
Modric has Ozil like vision but not Messi, Messi is a good passer but not that unique ability to keep seeing something four seconds before it even lines up. Allot of Messi’s dinks into the area are straight off the training ground. Barca’s men dart in from every angle and under Pep it looked like they worked on it in their sleep. Modric sees things similarly to Ozil but in the midfield area, the final third is much more difficult to work in. Only a short distance between defenders and byline, and in front, and or, in-between the defenders the space gets smaller. It’s not right picking players from other areas esp when you cherry pick from the legends list. Isco, Oscar, Fabregas, Mkhitaryan, Coutinho, Eriksen, Rodriquez, Gotze, Rakitic. Ozil stacks up well against allot of these guys. I’m not saying I’m completely right here, but people on Ozil’s case seem oblivious to everything except the parts they don’t like about his game.
If Ozil wants to play then yes, otherwise no.
His desire at times is questionable and we all see his inconsistency when he is being questioned.
Committed and dedicated Ozil is still one of the best players in the world.
Just doesn’t happen as much as I’d like.
Mesut ozil has worldclass ability but lacks the consistency and character to be worldclass, this is why some games he looks like the best no 10 in the world while other games, he looks like a liability. I have been more forgiven of his lack of defensive ability because its not what we bought he for and its something he is not known for, wenger also didn’t help by not buying enough combative midfielders to accomodate him. But what i can’t forgive ozil for are his disappearances in big games or even games against the smaller but tougher opponents, he just seems to hide when there is pressure from the opponents and he only performs at his best when he is comfortable due to the opponents giving us space to operate. If we can create a solid midfield base behind him, i think he can get back to that level but if we play him with ramsey and xhaka together like wenger did, we can forget him performing when it matters or forget having a strong midfield in general as ramsey is not disciplined enough to be pared with a player like ozil and xhaka just doesn’t have the ability and mobility to defend. In conclusion, ozil, ramsey and xhaka together would not work due to the balance being wrong in midfield, so i am happy we are trying to buy a DM, and we also need wingers. Just looking at our squad again, we have a good team but very unbalanced.
Ozil has nice ideas and very unselfish, but he lacks the skills and the motivation
The 34 year old Iniesta and the 32 year old Modric are more mobile, braver in taking on the opponents and more creative than him
I wish he would be replaced before the upcoming season starts, with a younger playmaker in the mold of those Spanish midfielders
Arsenal 2018-19 top 4 with ozil no doubt in my opinion this season he will click Abu and laza and new manager dick emery sit back and watch the goals flow new defenders and defensive mid and most of all a game plan.
I’m not Dick Emery, I’m Unai Emery
We pray to hope on yhu, and beleiv me, it wunt be an easy season
He’s got all what a player needs buh, he needs to step up a little bit for the sake of the new season……
ozil’s criticism is justifiable but I think sometimes it’s overboard. IMO I think he’s been badly managed over the last few years. some of our fans wanted him gone but I wondered why man utd fans were happy when they were linked to him. I know he’ll come excellent this season and beyond. there’s a better player in there.
We have let Jack go in this rebuild ! The only person who can thread a pass ! Axkha/Ramsey are to prown to give the ball away I stead of finding the U selfish runs made by Ozil and Lacazzette ! I like many see this every game and can understand their frustrations!
There’s a guy playing for France who looks a bit of a player. Why are we not looking at him? His name is Giroud or something like that…………..?
We used to have a player called Giroud. He never actually scored enough goals in a season to justify being at the club despite spending the majority of his time here as the only senior striker
I think Girouds issue was he never had any good comp until right at the end and then Auba came in 6 months after Laca, real shame we lost Giroud 🙁 I ain’t complaining as I’ve been a fan of Auba and Laca before they joined so I am over the moon with our attack 🙂
Giroud always said he would welcome top competition for the starting spot, we never got any real competition and as such we overplayed Giroud while he did get a bit too settled… not being pushed.
I do wonder if he would have upped his game if we had Laca 12 months earlier… Would he have stepped up to remain number 1? If he did then how many would he score?
All means nothing now as he isn’t with us but I can’t help but wonder from time to time.
Needed 4 or 5 chances to score a goal and has never had the pace to frighten defences. Did you see him play for France today? I rest my case.
I haven’t seen much of the WC – I take it from your comments that Giroud performed to his usual standards
Ozil is ..as ever! ..pure quality. Sometimes fans need, for a change, to appreciate and applaud the other side for making things tougher for Arsenal players. I see people saying he is not the same when other teams put more pressure on our play and are cutting out space to work in, well you know what, when you’re a player that looks for areas to hit the ball toward it is not rocket science to know that this game is gonna be tougher than those ones where you have a go then we have a go game. Alexis is the only one who didn’t look too effected by better teams with a game plan, because he is all about the dribble, the first man. Every teams quality shows less when they are facing a tougher more competent set of opponents, if you watched them (other teams around us) as often as you watched Arsenal you would see that it happens to the best of them. Their fans stay on side though and if they get an unlikely scorer or a lucky scrape through they don’t all pounce on their best creator. When you know it’s a tough game maybe next time expect less one on ones, less clear openings, less of the ball, esp in the final third. With that, you may just appreciate those one or two platter servings that Danny bobbles wide before we nick a Monreal special on the set piece.
What is the news about Vazquez about. Kev
Does Ozil have world class skills? Yes he does. But is he a world class player playing as one should. No he is not. To be true world class you have to prove it regularly . But he does not. So, reluctantly, since he DOES have a truly special talent , for certain, unless Emery can get this regular talent out on the pitch in his performances, then this coming season will be his last , I feel sure. HOPE IT IS NOT THOUGH BUT I THINK, ON BALANCE , IT IS MORE LIKELY THAN NOT TO BE SO. Bottom line is he lacks fight. All true greats have “balls.” Does Ozil? Sadly, no!
JF-as am Ozil lover I find it very very difficult to argue his case at times.The player is talented and blessed with god given skills that at times are breathtaking.Thats the trouble.Its at times. In big games we need the big players to turn up and Ozil is often left looking lost.I will not accept all the criticism he receives but he has made himself a very easy target when things are not going well on the pitch.
I really hope Emery can get just that bit more from him.And let’s not forget that he has quality Strikets to play with from this season that he has not had in most of his time at the Club.This is even more reason for him to produce more often and he really will be judged on his performances as Emery seems to play form players who produce week in week out
Phil, Your post says the same as mine , in essence , even though obviously phrased your own way. I would love him to kick on now and stil hope he will. His talent on his day is sublime, Bergkampesque even. But Dennis had an edge and a determination and could be a nasty devil at times, which ALL PREM PLAYERS VITALLY NEED. All we can do is wait and see . And hope!
Unfortunately he will never have Bergkamp’s nasty edge and goal scoring ability which is why I would rate Dennis above him. As far as technical ability though, he is probably on par.
Just cannot argue with this comment.Bergkamp had everything in his locker no matter the opponent and no matter the game.My favourite ever Arsenal player.I don’t believe Ozil will ever be held in the same esteem as the Dutch Master but he has unbelievable ability that we just cannot seem to get from him consistently.Im really hoping Emery can get out of Ozil the consistency the player will need to even get a regular place in the team.
Three great comments in a row from my point of view.
I wonder what Bergkamp would fetch in today’s market?
Simply the best.
He did have the advantage of being part of the Invincibles of course and there is no way that our present team come anywhere near that standard.
Ozil is like marmite really, you love him or you hate him.
The current poll shows that. Just give Emery a chance to blend him in and supply the assists for our forwards and I think the poll will be so much more positive next season.
Great comments above although Ken, Dennis Bergkamp was a revelation when he came to Arsenal, and was killing it with Ian Wright before he teamed up with Thierry Henri in “the Invincibles”. Unfortunately in my view based on performance not potential, Mezut Ozil is nowhere near the complete footballer that Dennis Bergkamp was.
However, I still believe there is improvement in Ozil if he reacts positively to Unai Emery’s coaching and management, bulks up in the gym to be more difficult to get off the ball and is more positive in driving towards goal and looking for shooting opportunities. If he was more selfish his goal scoring will improve because of his good technique and he will put defenders in two minds having to defend both the pass and the drive towards goal.
Hopefully when he is married he will fully settle in London and not be going “walkabout”. Also the disappointment of the criticism from Germany, will give him a point to prove and he will realize his career won’t last forever. There is a lot to look forward to next season.
I like your post ken. But I do believe it is possible to both like and loathe the same player ACTUALLY in the same match. I have thrilled at Ozil many times only to then despair of him shortly after. He has been here some years now and I am now very doubtful that he will ever show the necessary consistency. With players who are clearly low grade it is generally easy to move them on quickly but those with undoubted sublime talent but who only use it now and again are , in an odd way, more harmful, as they sometimes stay long term but are, ultimately, not going to help you win titles. NOT WITHOUT CONSISTENCY.
This season is his last? Well who’s going to take up his 350K a week contract? Ozil is here to stay for at least 3 more years. Best y’all try to fit him in your line ups.
Quantic Dream, maybe he is taking lessons in Mandarin or Cantonese, but I’d prefer he toughens up, knuckles down and performs for the Arsenal (LOL).