Arsenal Debate – Three questions about Mesut Ozil up for discussion

HOW ONE ARTICLE IS USED AS A NEGATIVE WHILE ANOTHER IS SEEN AS A POSITIVE DEPENDING ON ONE’S VIEWS: by Ken 1945

An article recently appeared on Justarsenal, with the heading “Pundit reckons Arsenal has no choice but to stick with Mesut Ozil” using quotes by ADRIAN CLARKE.

Below, please find what more positive things that Clarke also said, along with some views given by MIKEL ARTETA and OZIL himself:

ADRIAN CLARKE, the former Arsenal forward believes that Mesut Ozil has enough to offer to the club if used properly.

“He’s still got plenty to offer” and goes on to explain how to get the best out of Ozil.

Arsenal’s ex winger believes that Mesut has still got what it takes to perform at the highest level.

The German has improved under Mikel Arteta’s guidance.

Despite the widespread opinion, the 31-year-old’s work rate is big enough.

Arsenal should play possession-based football and use Ozil as a right-sided central midfielder.

He’s a much more effective player in an Arteta team than he was in either team Emery left behind and certainly the one that Freddie Ljungberg picked.

To get the best out of Ozil, you need the team to be brave in possession to make those forward passes through the lines.

Under Ljungberg that confidence was just gone, it had evaporated and under Emery as well.

Under Arteta there’s more confidence. The fluency is not quite there, but once it does come, I think we’ll see more of Mesut. I’m a huge fan of his.

Technically he’s outstanding and I like his movement. He is hard working, even though people don’t think that, he moves around a great deal.

I think, with the way Arteta plays it, with his five lanes -not to get too technical- but you’ve got Saka, Aubameyang, Lacazette, Ozil and then Pepe in a front five really in that order.

That’s the best position for Ozil, he’s always been at his best in the right channel, where he can chop back on his left and slip players in. I think he’s still got plenty to offer.

MIKEL ARTETA, meanwhile, says he is pleased with the German – “I played with him and I know him, so I tried to push him as much as possible to do what he needs to do because know how much he can give on the offensive side” Arteta said in February.

MESUT OZIL on his future, declares that “when I finish my career, I will realise how far I’ve come.

“At the moment, I’m still hungry and I still want to work hard to be successful with the team.
I know I have a few more years so I’m hoping I can win more titles in my career.”

So, in this article, we have three professionals giving their views and what I find most interesting is they answer a lot of our questions on here, whether pro or anti Ozil:

1. Why does Arteta select him and what does he see in him?
2. Where does Ozil see his future lie with our club at present and in the coming years?
3. How does an ex-professional from the club, rate the performances of Ozil and why he has that opinion?

At least we have an unbiased assessment of the player, from two men who are both involved in the game and in their own words, plus Ozil’s thoughts on his future to discuss on justarsenal.

Ken 1945

34 Comments

  1. @Ken1845-no matter what Ozil does, he will always have his critics. Let’s be fair and say that, certainly under Emery, his performances were mostly average and as such he was entitled to be criticised. But then again, most of the time the whole team were rubbish under Emery were they not? But Mikel Arteta, as he says, knows the player. And Ozil’s most effective period at the Club was when he played alongside Cazorla, with either Coqulien or Arteta holding. So the Manager knows what he has to do to get the best from the player, and we have seen glimpses of this since he took charge. But we are still not there yet, we still have obvious deficiencies that need attending to, with the most obvious being the transition from defence into midfield. We have at times looked very ordinary, but Ozil seems to be the one continually criticised, which is not only unfair but totally wrong. When we do get it right, Ozil seems to have the stats of goals and assists thrown at him, despite him being a part of the cog that makes the whole thing work.
    His manager, teammates, and ex professionals are noticing the impact Ozil is beginning to bring, once again, to the team. Even Emmanuel Petit had a headline article yesterday saying this same thing, But Ozil will always be slaughtered by some regardless of the contribution he makes and the regard to him held by the people who are far more qualified than us mere mortal fans

    1. Phil, I agree 100% with what you have written above and what thinking fan could argue with your views?

      I deliberately didn’t give my own views within the article, as that would have swayed opinions, something I didn’t want.

      For me, the article, which of course I only re-printed, gives the fans three answers to questions repeatedly asked on this forum.

      Let’s take Arteta’s comment regarding Ozil’s strength…it is what he brings to our attacking game, not his defensive qualities.
      MA has stated quite clearly that he knows what made Ozil a w/c player and believes he can bring that hunger back, after eighteen months of hell under UE and within his private life.
      I have no doubt whatsoever, if he cannot get Ozil up to the required level, he will be out of his plans – BUT he has other players who can fit into that role, so this lame excuse that he has to play him is wrong.

      I don’t recall anyone on here stating that he is still world class, Eddie summed it up with his Father Time reasoning.
      However, if one really wants to be honest, there can be no doubt whatsoever that MA is starting to use Ozil, by playing to his strengths – not how many goals he scores, not how many assists he makes, but his overall contribution…summed us so well by Adrian Clarke.

      Finally Ozil himself and his comments – the man is talking as if he is finally enjoying his life again and has set himself goals that he wants to achieve…within our club.

      If…and it is a big if…MA can get him playing the way he wants, there is no reason that Ozil won’t be offered a new contract.
      Of course, he will have to accept a dramatic drop in the grotesque and obscene salary that gazidis gave him, but the outcome of his play during the rest of his current contract will determine many things.

  2. At the moment we do not have a proper CAM, Oil is just a pale shadow of the requirement for the job so Mikel plays him as he has no choice and Cabellos is better at playing deep.
    If Arsenal are happy with 1 goal / assist per season, then they can happily renew his contract for n number of years, if they aim higher, then we need better than 1 goal a season wonder.
    As for the third question, if he was that good why did RM get rid of him and all these years no other club is linked with him? Why is Auba or Saka or Marteneli in demand and Ozil is unwanted by others? It’s because they know what he has to offer to football in the near future.
    Personaly nothing against him, a gentleman off the field but we need more ruthlessness on the pitch which sadly he cannot offer in any serous competitive league. Like Kos or Mineral, he should do self introspection and move on in his career.And I wish him success.

    1. Well, I believe Madrid have sold quite a few players in their time and these players have gone on to have stellar careers.

      If you are judging Ozil on that criteria, then no club would buy any Madrid player would they, for instance Ronaldo.
      As for nobody coming in for him, The Arsenal have never put him up for sale, unless you can point me to an official statement from the club itself?

      You still don’t get what Arteta is saying though do you?
      That is the sad thing about it all really-read why he has selected him, what he sees in him and what he expects from him.

      He could choose from willock, guendozi, AMN, (as examples) but he doesn’t…and he actually tells you why, if you could only see it!!!

      1. @Ken- to be fair to Igot, the returns from Ozilare not what is expected or even demanded. And I believe it’s because he is being used as the link between the midfield and attack as opposed to the main creative player everyone demand of him. I’m not Arteta, but Ozil seems to be used this way.Its different and noticeable. Arteta has introduced a number of small adjustments.Look how Xhaka is deployed covering Saka, who is obviously instructed to get wide and forward at every opportunity.As soon as he does Xhaka drops in to a wide left cover for him. And other noticeable things going on seem to include only one full back at a time going forward, which is why Sokritis is not as exposed when playing RFB.
        As for Madrid, they had just bought Gareth Bale and had no option other than to recoup money.Ozil had choices and openly admitted it as AW who convinced him to come to Arsenal.Other than a handful of clubs across Europe, not many could have afforded the wages he was on at Madrid, and the fact he came to us was, he says, entirely down to the football philosophy of AW and the appeal of playing in London.
        Arteta knows what he is doing, and has no doubt got a plan of how effective all the players are, and will be, over the next 1-3 seasons, whenever that will be of course. I like you, I believe that if Ozil stays fit, becomes more consistent and proves his worth to the TEAM,he may well be at Arsenal longer than his present contract.And with the finances of ALL Premiere League Clubs about to be stretched to the absolute limits, he could well become a player Arsenal are forced to keep.

      2. Ken, if I recollect, RM sold Ozil at 25 or 26 yrs, the peak of any footballer, whereas Ronaldo left after his peak/ 30+ age. Arsenal have neither put Auba, Saka or Martenelli for a transfer, yet there are rumors of interest in them, not a single rumor or interest in Ozil’s services.
        I did mention that Mikel plays him out of compulsion as he has no recognized CAM at the moment, Willock is just learning his trade in a major league, AMN / Guendozi are preferred as alternatives to Xhaka. The topic of discussion is Ozil, so I would prefer a younger / hungrier player for the No. 10 role and wish this chap well even if he stays with us to run down his contract.
        Ken, the point I am trying to make is that his era is over, we need someone new as we aim to be up above the rest. Ozil can be /may be used for cup games or as a filler here and there. If we are to regain our past glory, sorry Ozil is not the man, his age has reduced his capability.It is natural for any human to age,let us accept it without getting sentimental.
        Good day and stay safe all Gunners.

        1. My exact thoughts. And I want to put on record my view of OZIL as a fine , decent and humane man who has been viciously targeted by racist bigots and bulies for the completly irrelevant fact of his Turkish heritage. None of that however is even a jot relevant to my view of him as a player today(as distinct from years ago), which concurs entirely with yours.

    2. I have said I will never get involved in this Ozil debate again but I may just have to for the last time because of your name. I’m very sure if our attackers has been better at their job, your name would not have been one goal- one assist. I remember after the game against Chelsea at the Emirate, Arteta had to say Ozil would have had 3 assists in the first half alone. That is a man who knows and sees he strengths. I would say also he would have had 4 against Bournemouth, we all saw why, I mean I saw why he didn’t and never I ever criticized those denied him that assists because I believe football is a team game, they swim or sink together.

      1. Mobella- some forget the issue you have raised here.At Bournemouth on Boxing Day we squandered far too many chances before going 1-0 down, mainly due to a very poor performance from Lacazette. Yet this seems almost forgotten, and excused because he runs around a lot. Pepe missing a gilt edge sitter at Bramell Lane that would have put us one up is never mentioned.And that day Ozil wasn’t even playing.How many chances did we create? Next to none if I recall. But always it is Ozil that is critisised.
        Top Gunner below is asking for the stats to prove the improvement.Just go to Opta Stats. Worth reading and will probably surprise most as well

    1. Top Gunner interestingly, do you know believe Ozil can sprint?

      As for stats and it being a team game, when was the last time we lost in the premiership?

  3. Unbelievable that some are STILL making a case for Ozil! How bad does he have to play on a consistent basis, before the truth can be seen?

    All three answers are difficult to answer from a factual point of view as they are all in relation to someone else’s thoughts on a subject. None of us are mind readers. So he’s my opinion based answer, topped off with some much need facts at the end.

    1 – I believe Arteta is trying to make the best of the bad situation he has inherited. He knows he/the club cannot shift Ozil until the summer at the earliest, so he might as well use him. One of the first things Arteta needed to do was just to lift the mood of the camp, and it wouldn’t have helped his cause by ostracizing a big name straight away. He also doesn’t have anyone else for that position. Arteta also promised to give everyone a clean slate. One also has to consider that this is Arteta’s first job, so we have no previous evidence to form opinions about his characteristics as a manager. Does he even have the balls to consistently drop a big name player?

    2 – I would imagine he’ll certainly want see out his final year at Arsenal. He is on absolutely insane money, when one considers how little he produces in return, and no club on earth will match his wages. He’s playing regularly again, so I guess he’s a lot happier. Arsenal will not offer him an extension (unless Wenger and Gazidis return), so I am not sure where he sees his future. Maybe he’ll spend his final playing days in Turkey, although I thought he retired 3 years ago?

    3 – He has that opinion because he is entitled to it. What makes the world a very interesting place is that we can all look at exactly same thing, and all have different opinions on it. Which I like! But when we’re talking about facts, then opinions HAVE to take a back seat. Adrian Clarke is wrong in his opinion based on facts. Ozil’s stats for the last two seasons have been appalling, as have his performances, when looked at what he contributes to Arsenal, and how he compares to those who play the same role at other clubs. Ozil HAS been used in his natural position, so many times! One of the lazy excuses we always here is that Ozil has nothing to work with, yet Arsenal have significantly improved their attacking front line in recent years, for Ozil to perform even worse than ever!

  4. So TMJW-
    1) Emery tried to play without Ozil.How did that work out for him?
    2) Ozil is playing because the Manager is pleased with how he is performing I would say.Arteta has dropped numerous players but never Ozil. Any ideas why?
    3) When was the last time AFC lost in the Premiere League? And who is one of the players who the manager picked for every game?

    1. TMJW, you say it is unbelievable that anyone is making a case for Ozil, but our current coach is trying to do just that, by explaining just why he is playing him and what he expects from him.

      He also gives the reason for this, saying that he has played with him and knows what he can do.
      You are asking everyone to believe that MA doesn’t know what he’s doing, when he is with the squad every day of the week?

      This article was talking about what two different people saw in Ozil, not what UE manged to create in eighteen months of mayhem – just look at what MA has achieved with mustafi.

      Are you proposing that we ignore that improvement because of what went on under UE?

      The reason UE was sacked, was because he was not improving the players with his “tactics” and so many of our players have improved under a coach who actually knows what he is doing.

      If you cannot see what is taking place under this coach and how he is working on every individual, then I feel really sorry for you.

      The sad old excuse that he has to play him…let’s just check that statement out:
      Ceballos – AMN – Pepe – Nelson – Willock – Guendouzi – Smith Rowe – Martinelli were all available when MA took over, yet he has stayed with Ozil through every single premier league game.
      If your telling me that he hasn’t got the courage to drop big named players, then it seems as if you have forgotten Lacs, Mustafi, Luiz have all been dropped at one time or another.

      Finally, whether you like it or not, from what MA and Ozil are saying, if the two of them can get this working and Ozil is prepared to drop his salary, a new contract is not impossible and in fact makes sense.

      1. @ken1945

        I cannot be bothered talking about Ozil with you anymore, because you refuse to accept any facts. You remind of those extreme religious types who believe in the most craziest of things, or like the looney people these days believing men and women are biologically the same or that Greta’s right when telling us we’ll be dead in 10 years.

        1. Likewise TMJW, plus the looney fact that you think the corona virus is not as threatening as using sugar and the flu isn’t taken seriously – I’ll leave others to decide which one of us makes more sense…and I note you ALWAYS duck out when a straightforward question is asked of you, either by not replying or throwing your silly boy tantrums and accusing others of spin.

          We’ll never know if you think MA’s improvement of players should apply to the present, or whether we should judge those players under the reign of your man UE and forget the progress the club has made?
          I never expected to get an answer, so I’m not really disappointed.

          This is a debating site and long may it continue, even Greta has a right to her opinion.

          1. Based on factual evidence, sugar, and the flu are far more dangerous than Corona. Obviously an unfair comparison at the moment given it’ll be a while until we see what kind of damage Corona does, and if it resurfaces every year, like the flu does.

            In terms of “ducking” questions, I sometimes do with you, because it’s completely pointless debating with someone who seemingly knows so little about football. Wenger is still great, we need Ozil, etc. These are delusional rantings, you do realize that? But you almost always duck my questions, or you’ll give a convoluted answer with enough spin to turn ones head silly!

            Not sure why you’re bringing UE up, and not Wenger? Emery only had around 14 months with some of Wenger’s players, whilst Wenger coached some of them for years! Obviously Emery has to share some of the blame, but how on earth is Wenger absolved of any responsibility?

            You’re right that Greta has a right to her opinion, but is it responsible to tell the world that we’ll all be dead soon, and that we’re destroying the earth, based on exactly ZERO evidence! Think of all the panic and anxiety she has created for the ill informed and naive out there. Obviously not her thought. Her parents, and the UN, are a disgrace for using her as a puppet for something that absolutely nothing to do climate change and everything to do with Agenda 21.

            Clearly you think screaming fire in a crowded cinema is good idea, and that speaks volumes about you as a person. Not surprising as you do try and smear people when you can.

          2. Once again TMJW, you shoot yourself in the foot – if you go to my reply to Jon Fox at 1.40 you will see that I DID mention the way MA has used Ozil versus both UE and AW – likewise the way MA has completely changed mustafi, something that both AW and UE failed miserably to do in my post at 3.24.

            So your accusations that I say Wenger is “still great” is an example of your “spinning” technique that does absolutely nothing in a debate…you know full well that I have said AW should have left after our win against chelsea in the cup final, but don’t let the truth get in the way of your accusations.

            As for Greta, I have a lot more faith in the human mind to decide whether they believe global warming is a fact or not – using your “factual evidence regarding sugar”, there is more than enough evidence to suggest this is so, perhaps you prefer the “donald trump” explanation and don’t believe the scientists or your own eyes?

            Smearing people? I’ll leave that up to you as you make an excellent example of how to do it with your words regarding Ozil and Wenger.

            By the way, there is an antidote for sugar – don’t use it, unless you have to, I cut it out years ago.
            But I suppose you think I’m shouting fire in a crowded cinema?
            Actually, I’m staying at home to stop the spread of this “sweet as sugar” corona virus pandemic, the world has got it wrong again…my grandson treated a patient yesterday after being told he was clear of the virus, it turned out he wasn’t, so now we are waiting to see what happens next – you carry on living in cloud cuckoo land.

          3. ken when I am talking about the lies and spin about climate change, I am talking about scientists! Remember the media won’t ever allow the other side of the story, but doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

            You smeared me when you said I was happy when Ozil got attacked with a knife. You did stoop that low. In regards to Wenger and Ozil, I am not sure how criticism is smearing?

            Greta is shouting fire in a crowed cinema and you’re agreeing with her.

            Lets not talk again ken, because it’s a waste of time, and you talk absolute rubbish, based on zero evidence. Comment all you want on what I say, but I won’t be replying because I don’t want to bring myself down to your level.

    2. @Phil

      1 – And how did it work out with Ozil playing? Exactly how many times did he perform well?
      2 – You could be right on this, maybe Arteta does like Ozil, as he does Xhaka. And as is already proven to be the case, it’ll continue to hamper any possible success.
      3 – I’ve already answered this before, but clearly you’re struggling to understand how team sport works, so I’ll explain. If you’re rubbish in an individual sport, you’ll get nowhere. However, you can still be part of a winning team, even if you’re not contributing. Just because there is 11 on the pitch, doesn’t mean they’re all contributing equally. Unless you think Ozil has been performing equal/better than the likes of Saka and Auba?

  5. Ken, In the spirit of friendship which we have now regained I offer my congrats on a well set out article from your personal point of view, which though I do not share its thoughts, as you know, I can and do still appreciate its clarity and reasoning though. This is the sort of well explained article with detailed reasons for the thinking behind it which we could do with far more often.

    1. Jon, thanks for the compliment, but the content of the article was from the three men mentioned – Adrian Clarke – Mikel Arteta – Mesut Ozil.
      I produced it word for word, only putting in the three points I felt it raised for our fan base deliberately, as I felt it was a eye opener into what we have discussed on here at one time or another.

      I would like your thoughts regarding the three men mentioned, not because we have to argue about them, but what your thoughts are regarding how each man has explained the current position/situation.

      The article will not change your views of Ozil, I’m fairly certain, but what about Arteta’s reason for selecting him. Adrian’s view on how Arteta has used him versus UE and AW and Ozil’s views regarding his future – that would be very interesting.

      1. Ken , I much appreciate the reason why you want my opinion and I will give a part answer but prefer not to get too deeply drawn in and you understand why, I realise. On MA, I am with the long post written by TMJW on another thread where he contends MA has nO realistic option than to use MO right now but still would like him gone. IT WAS A DETAILED POST AND PERFECTLY SUMMED UP MY OPINION TOO.
        On AC, I accept that what he says about the sort of team OZILwould be most suited to play in is largely correct(BUT THIS EQUALLY APPLIES TO ALMOST ANY ATTACK MINDED CREATIVE MIDFIELDER) but simply disagree with him on his view of Ozils current abilities.
        On MO himself – and this is prior to the huge change that will now be forced upon all levels of football and pro sport in general- I think OZIL, as a newly happily married man living in/near the worlds capital city with more money to spend than he will ever need, would be mad to not stay as long as he possible can, from his own and wifes too presumably, point of view.

        BUT far more important than all our own old canards and debates on all AFC matters, is the new reality we all have to face and which so few have yet chosen to see coming down the track , even though as clear as a train twenty yards away. Whenever football starts again -and I am firmly in the some long way off yet camp on this – all the old subjects on contracts and salaries will be swept away by the tsunami of events will will overwhelm even the most honourable of intentions.
        Clubs will scarcely beable to pay even basic salaries and many will go to the wall; some big clubs too. So you see Ken, WHY your questions, though of interest are academic ones right now. One thing I know we both firmly agree, is that football is way, way down the list of lifes priories for some time to come.The only uncertainty is how LONG A TIME and how deep the damage eventually done to our beloved game and club. Remember our “would be saviour” is named Kroenke but he cares nothing for us and IMO will do nothing too. SOB!!

  6. At ken 1945
    Sorry but Jon wont be answering that one. I like the way you stand up for players and player abuse. I think most of the neysayers really struggle to embrace the way democracy work. It’s a case of if I don’t like him or if he doesn’t play the player I want to see he must be a clown. Criticism is not the issue abuse is the problem. Suddenly supporters now have to know what athletes earn and the highest earners body language should suggests that big money is coming in. Players are now being treated like animals. I sincerely think we should go back to the days when players wages are private and fans can focus on team performances.

    1. Jah son, On your last sentence, as a libertarian and someone who firmly believes we all have the right to far more privacy than this “1984 “(George Orwell book) type world allows us, my first instinct it to fully agree about salaries. But we are long past the stage where we can ever put that “genie back in the bottle”, sadly!

    2. Jah son, thank you for your comment – I believe Jon is producing an article regarding players that the fans “loved to hate” and I expect it will be the same quality as his recent article.

      I have always tried to be honest and not take a personal view regarding players…I never got involved in the Iwobi clash, except to try and impart some humour, simply because I wasn’t 100% sure.

      What I am absolutely certain of with regards to Ozil, however, is that he will get the blame for anything that goes wrong at the club and this is unacceptable to me.

      We have quotes like”we are playing with ten men when Ozil plays”…just take a step back and think about it.
      Here we have a coach, tipped to become one of the best, but content to play with ten men just so Ozil is in the team?
      Absolutely ridiculous – yet these fans believe it!!!

      Or we have the one that says “he has nobody else to play” when there are at least five players who could fill the role of a player who, supposedly, has nothing left to offer!!!

      Then we have the frail mentality quote – I wonder how some of these fans would react to being put under the coaching of UE and the three major incidents in his personal life, that would obviously affect his play – I suggest they would probably be blithering idiots, yet look how he has responded to Mikel Arteta.

      i cannot understand for the life of me how anyone believes MA, who is trying to establish himself at The Arsenal, would allow a lazy, mentally frail and dross player anywhere near his team, but it seems we do!!!

        1. Thanks Sue, he was at Addenbrookes again today, so we are waiting to see what has transpired, fingers crossed.

          How someone can argue that sugar represents a greater threat than this corona virus is beyond me, just as their views on what Ozil has done wrong under MA and visa versa makes no sense whatsoever.

          I put this up for a serious and friendly debate, presenting the article as it was printed and 99% of our regulars have acted in a way that I can take on board, things that I haven’t considered before and actually think about it from another perspective.

          You keep safe Sue, my g/s is always so careful at work and home, it just goes to show how easy it is to get out of hand…worrying times for everyone, except those who know better than the experts!!!

          1. We had a couple of ‘suspected’ cases.. but both tests came back negative.
            All we can do, like you say, is be careful…
            Yes, fingers crossed for your grandson.
            Another worrying thing – a colleague told me yesterday that some nhs workers have been mugged (one at knifepoint) for their nhs badges! Omg….smh. Look after yourself, Ken… keep the posts coming 👍

  7. Hmm, I dont agree with everything here. The thoughts are definitely not unbiased either, not that biased is always bad either. Arteta is the manager, so of course he will have certain opinions, and Adrian Clarke is still a club employee and is on every other Arsenal video on the website.

    I agree that Ozil is definitely better under Arteta, but same can be said for many players. Xhaka, Luiz, Pepe, Torreira, and basically the whole squad outside Auba (who has been amazing from the start) has gotten better from the disaster beginning of the season. I hold the opinion that Ozil is picked because Arteta is limited in options. It’s either Ozil, Willock, or move Ceballos to CAM and leave a hole in CM where we are weak. I can live with Ozil starting rest of season (if it concludes), but CAM is a position that can be improved upon for sure.

    He doesn’t contribute enough goals, his assist numbers have been dwindling year by year, and he remains an inconsistent player, though I do recognize he can offer some great distribution & space around the final third. Certainly not the worst player on the team, but remains a frustrating one, who we currently don’t have a replacement for at the moment.

  8. I think Özil will “forever” divide opinions. Personally, I am also split.
    I love watching him in full flow. We have no player with the elegance he has when receiving a pass, he has a vison for a pass, that is absolutely worldclass (still), and he can still make those passes.
    But, and there are buts.
    Today’s topteams have all players working in unison, when they lose the ball. That was never his strength, although I think he has been better at it under Arteta.
    Also his body language is a problem sometimes, not just for us fans watching. Surely, it discourages his team mates. Ideally, a player of his caliber is a team leader, the rest of the team can depend on in tough games. I don’t he think he has the personality to take that role upon him. Almost the opposite. He has gone missing in many matches against top teams over the years.
    I really can’t blame him for his wages. Arsenal chose to offer him his current contract, and I really don’t see he him doing anything wrong in that respect.
    But, if there was a choice of keeping him or letting him go, I would suggest letting go, as the money could probably be used better.

    1. Best comment for this article. Worth reading.
      By the way, I realise that our Manager Arteta is not Ozil-hater, like Emery and some fans.

  9. Great debating posts from RSH and AndersS, mature and well thought out posts – just the type I hoped would come out from the article itself.

    I could even agree that, up until Mikel Arteta took over, it was difficult not to agree with a lot of the points you make.

    However, we are in the MA era now (the point of this article)and I would suggest we look to the mustafi effect – surely if this “walking disaster” of three years under UE and AW, can be judged to have been a better defender than Virgil van Dijk last month, shouldn’t we trust in his ability to coach all our players to the same level of amazing improvement?

    I can only hope so, but my glass is always half full.

    1. Yes, MA is showing great promise. Personally, I was a sceptic, I must admit. It seems he is able to improve the players individually, and although it may take time to implement his tactics in the team, improving the players is of huge importance for our future.

      However, it is amazing, what we have seen over the last 12 months.
      Solskjaer was an absolute hero as an interim manager. Then he looked like the next manager to get the sack for a while. And at the moment, he is a hero again. All in less than 12 months.
      I guess you could make a similar “case” out of Lampard an din an even shorter timespan.
      Maybe the lesson is, one can’t conclude anything, as the conclusion will look wrong only few weeks later 🙂

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