Hello Arsenal fans! Happy Tuesday everyone. Our game against Everton has been played and won, but the ripple effects from the game still lingers. Today, I bring to you yet another debate. I know you would say “not again!” Well, I am sorry if I keep writing about debates, but the best way I get informed is by getting into a debate with people. When I debate, I learn from people.
Now, today’s debate is about Ozil and Ceballos. On Sunday, while watching Arsenal beating Everton, I got into a little bit of an argument with some passionate Arsenal fans. I asked them to choose who they will want the club to let go at the end of the season, between Ozil and Ceballos. It surprised me that quite a few Arsenal fans still regard Ozil highly and wouldn’t mind if he remains at the club beyond this summer. Here are what two of the people I spoke with had to say.
An Arsenal fan I wish to call Peter said: “Ceballos should be allowed to leave the club after this season, let us not be carried away by his current form. He is playing well because of Arteta’s impact in the team. If we are to pick out one player who has not improved ever since Arteta’s sojourn in Arsenal, I am sure it would be difficult. Every Arsenal player has improved under Arteta; so there is nothing special about the Spaniard. If I was to choose between the two players, I would choose Ozil. Ozil is still a world class player and we still need his presence in the club, as he would serve as an inspiration to the younger players. After the expiration of his loan, he should go! He is not fit for the rigors of the Premiership”.
Another passionate fan I will call Gerald, however, wants the Spaniard to remain at Arsenal beyond his loan deal. This is his argument.
“I wonder why you would be asking me this type of a question, Sylvester. You want to tell me you don’t know that Ozil has nothing more to offer at Arsenal? He is just at Arsenal earning big wages over little or nothing. He is playing well at the moment because of the inclusion of Ceballos in the first eleven. Ozil should have left the club a long time ago if Arsenal had been able to find a buying club for his services. Let us not deceive ourselves, Ozil was never cut out for the Premiership; he just came to earn big money for doing nothing spectacular. Ceballos is still young and he is talented. We have seen what he can do if he is on fire. What else do we need Ozil for?”
So what is your opinion? Who would you choose between Ozil and Ceballos to stay beyond this season? We are Arsenal and we are proud.
Sylvester Kwentua
Keep both of them. they are playing well and complement each other. They both have their contributions to the game plan. Arteta is a top manager. He knows what he is doing. we should rather support all our players and trust the manager to make the right decision in every match. we have a balanced team now. Ozil is quality. We should keep the players and add Thomas Partey in the summer.
Reduce ozils wage he isn’t fit for that kind of money,I prefer to give saka that kind of money than ozil
Inconsistency is ozils last name
I would say let Ozil go because as much as he is playing well but he doesnt have what it takes for 90 minutes n he is too lazy to Mark unlike Ceballos who has work Ethic so we waisting our money for nothing
Without considering age, I will pick Ozil ahead of ceballos even on current form
Thesame here…#M.Ozil 10.
M10 for life
Gentleman it’s a no brainer.We are unable to sell Ozil even if we wanted to because of his exorbitant wages, whereas we are merely borrowing a young player who quite frankly has not made the impact I expected.If we are looking for a midfielder, we should target Dominik Szobsozlai of RB Salsburg.This young Hungarian is a supremely talented player who is going places.
Ozil is slightly better as a CAM imo. However, I wouldnt mind seeing ozil go for a upgrade. Although I’m not sure who but it’s not cebalos
I don’t think you can compare the two. Ozil is an attacking playmaker, and Ceballos is better in a deeper role, more as box-2-box player. Over our last two games, Arteta has shown we can play both.
Ceballos works very hard, and is combative, so is well suited to that deeper position in midfield.
Personally, I still wouldn’t have Ozil in the team. He’s been so poor for about 3 years now, goes missing in so many big games, and is a joke away from home!
I would love to see a midfield three of: Xhaka, Torreira, and Ceballos.
Seriously Ceballos is better than Oil at the moment. He would do great in front of Xhaka and Torreira. Ozil is past it. Ceballos and Pepe winning up will cause great damage to teams
Arsenal should keep both of them, but if anyone has to go than I prefer Ozil to leave. His commitment and passion is not as great as Ceballos and Ceballos can play the role that Ozil is playing and offer even more. Happy that he has improved so much under MA.
I will agree with everyone that Ozil is past his best but I hate it when fans say he has been absolute rubbish since he signed for us. He is in the top 3 for creating the most chances in the premier league since he joined in 2013/2014 season, probably just behind Erikson and David Silva. People also like to forget he had 19 assists in the league in the 2015/2016 season, one assist behind the best record which belonged to Thierry Henry, 20 assists. I honestly believe back then if he had better strikers in front of him (He had Giroud and Walcott a strikers that season) he easily would have reached 30 assists. So yes Ozil is not the player he used to be and yes I probably would sell him because of his high wages, but he was a great servant to Arsenal and one of our best ever creative midfielders.
They belong to different positions and i would love to have them both because they are absolutely brilliant in the games they played together.
I know people criticize them for not scoring or having assists but look at the chances created by them and how beautiful they add fluidity to the flow.Both of them are key players in the current MA’s system.And their main job is to provide tge balls to the flanks and control the midfield which i think both of them along with xhaka is doing wonderfully.
Ceballos not made for the rigours of the Pl,your friend who said that can’t have watched the Everton game,ceballos work rate, commitment off the ball is way better than Ozil and he also has the technical abilities needed and the more he plays the better he’ll get and he will also bulk up too, ozil presence hinders his progress and impact on the team,finally financially it makes sense!
The so called ” Gerald” REPRESENTS MY VIEWS , TOTALLY. I HAVE LONG WANTED Ozil sold or got rid of, however it is achieved and nothing changes. A once , long ago, WC winner and top player has reduced to a side show but on world superstar wages and he contributes nothing . On assist and one goal in yonks is a sick joke for my money. Almost as bad is the idiocy of those who continue to laud him and who remind us he once won the WC. If I want to study “ancient history” I will visit the British Museum!
He is a passenger and any one who has normal vision and a normal brain knows that full well. Ceballos , in stark contrast, is a talented player though he lacks pace and penetration at real top level. TBH, we badly need better than both but I would certainly try to keep Ceballos. Ozil though? There’s the door Mesut and goodbye!
So Jon- we seriously ought to be looking to sack Arteta then should we not? After all, he keeps picking him for every PL game and if he’s that bad the manager is obviously wrong.
The fact that in all those games we have only lost once and I seem to recall leading Chelsea 1-0 before Ozil was substituted and we eventually lost 1-2. Yeah that’s the answer then PAL.Sack Arteta and get rid of Ozil
Good Point Phil!
Neo Malefane, your right, it is a good point from Phil, simply because he follows the way Arteta selects his team and what he wants from them, it’s something that MA obviously sees in Ozil and we should respect his knowledge.
Ignore what MA is doing and expect to look foolish when following an agenda that contradicts his philosophy.
As for rating Cebs, he has played less than a handful of games for us, due to injury – has stated that he wants to return to Spain at the end of the season – however, let’s wait and see if Cebs actually commits himself to our club, before going overboard – we don’t even know what he would cost us, if he was actually put up for sale!!!
As someone who has an exceptional brain and 20/20 vision (that’s what I tell myself as a realist, so it must be true!!) my opinions certainly outweigh those with just a “normal brain” and I can clearly see that MA has the same exceptional brain and vision – exactly why he has chosen Ozil for every game he was available and why I trust MA completely.
With an exceptional memory as well (I try to be humble, but it is difficult!!), I cannot recall anyone using the “w/c winner” tag when discussing OZIL’S CURRENT FORM UNDER MA, rather we all know and admit he is not the player he was, but still better than anyone else we have for that position, as does, once again, MA!!!
It seems that those who wish to continue to berate Ozil, actually have to go back in time THEMSELVES to try and make an argument – however as a TRUE REALIST I live in the PRESENT and MA is just selecting the best players to make his vision become fact and Mesut Ozil, is obviously one of those players…such a shame some fans cannot see that and believe instead, that he is a “passenger” – strange as it may be, I have faith in MA over these views.
If one believes that MA is the future for our club, then respect his decisions – thank heavens he didn’t follow the views of those with just normal brains, who predicted that Ozil would be gone, 100%, by July 2019.
They were again proved to be the actual “dullards” that they described those Arsenal fans with a different, but just as important, view to themselves.
A general observation of course, aimed at no one in particular and with a tongue in cheek response to no one in particular.
An hilarious fantasy, as ever!
“Hilarious fantasy as ever”?!?!?!?
Well, every premier league game I have watched since MA took charge has seen him select Mesut Ozil as his attacking playmaker and, as Phil correctly pointed out, “apart from the time he was substituted against Chelsea when we were winning, but then lost” The Arsenal have not lost one game.
Now, as a realist who deals in facts, that cannot be disputed…unless one doesn’t actually have a normal brain and eyesight, disputes these facts…something you have always declared as having, compared to those who haven’t the same views as yourself (dullards was the term you used Jon)…what is it you are unable to understand about MA’s support of Ozil?
So what EXACTLY is “hilarious fantasy” about these facts, unless Ozil did leave in July 2019 as you predicted with 100% inaccuracy as a professional gambler Jon?
Of course, you might not accept the “premise” that Phil presented to you, but I’m sure you will answer him fully regarding MA’s decision to start Ozil and the outcome of that decision seeing our club unite from the toxic state that UE left it in.
Pointless trying to explain common sense to someone who has none, at least about Ozil, Phil.
Well Jon, I like to believe I’m of above average intelligence, as opposed to you who is only too quick to remind everyone you are in fact the second coming of Einstein. And of course, no surprise at all that you come back with no argument to my comment because you don’t actually have one.
As someone who portrays himself as a realist, it never ceases to astound me how you are so convinced Arteta is the manager we have been waiting these last 6-8 years to arrive, to which I agree totally. But was you to be considered a realist when only half a season ago, just a few hours after the debacle of yet another totally embarrassing annihilation at Anfield, you wrote, as a realist, that you had never been more certain that Unai Emery was indeed the right Manager to take Arsenal Football Club forward. So explain to me, if you can, how realistic we are to expect your own thoughts and expectations of Mikel Arteta to be, from a realistic point of view, because you are nothing if not a realist, when you were, as a realist, prepared to state your comments of Emery at a time when I would imagine every Arsenal supporter on this planet thought the complete opposite of your own realist opinion.
I always agree with your views Jon, but on Ozil issue we will always disagree. U always have a good and realistic views except when it comes to Ozil. I wish you could see that Emery was the problem and start to see the positive side of Ozil play. lets forget the past year and judge his contributions till the end of the season and if by the you are not convinced then ill support ur views Jon
well we have to watch Ozil for the next season as he may not wish to move. Cabellos is an upgrade on Guendozi not Ozil. Id rather have that lad Jack Grealish from Villa over Ozil as we got to look for the next 3-4 years. Ozil cannot play for full 90 minutes ( its ok age is catching up) so even if he were on 50K I would not have him in the team.Every player is replaceable, who would think that Martenelli or Saka would be so good? Lets try the lads.As mentioned above Ozil will stay so keep dreaming.
Ceballos is much younger and with an amazing work rate. He is also good at penetrative passes and is a baller. I will keep Dani and cut Ozil lose for his wages and lack of impact over the years. .
Mesut’s 350,000 wages can tie Aubameyang down at Arsenal.
Next we’ll start having debates about a decision to sell either Martinelli or Nketiah. Rather silly, if you ask me. I don’t believe anybody can learn anything from a debate like that, except to gauge the level of Özil hatred. Is that what you want, Sylvester?
It might be better to compare different players with same role. These two play in different areas/responsibility.
Fans who want to attack prefer Ozil and those who want to defend, Ceballos is better. The same may be applies to Arteta and Emery.
To me, fan who want to attack, like Phil, Ozil is much better.
Both in home games then cebellos in away games playing number 10 with ozil on bench, bringin in a more defence minded cm
No comparison, Ozil is finished long time. Ceballos is my man
I like footballers who’ve got energy. Ozil chose a wrong career, but he succeeded. The worst player who earns more in Arsenal
to be frank that is why we amassed a lot of draws bcz we always play one man short as a result of Ozil’s presence. he can only play good wn the whole team is ignited. he z just a master of romance. he cant defend and he cant shoot. Frankly if we want to win that number 10 jersey should give us more scoring options as shown by carzola, ramsey, whilshere and rosisky. as a result lack of lustre he has put more work on Laca and now he cant score too. Ozil is now a liability
Because of the age difference and the wage difference it is an easy question to answer.
There’s probably not much to choose between them (with creativity). I haven’t checked the numbers and sometimes they can surprise you. Cabellos is more capable of playing a deep role besides the playmaker role – I’d also wager that he is (probably) more suited to a wider birth than Ozil is.
Ozil at his very best, earlier in career, that is the only thing that could upset this apple cart.
I don’t think we have long term plans for either of these players, Ozil will not get a renewal and Cabellos will go back to Spain. Cabellos probably feels he has a default move now, the English have all seen him play and he’s acquainted with the league, his options are more open for down the road.
Ozil is far better than Cabellos because Ozil is the only experience player we have in Arsenal and we need in more than anything, his creative and is very important …. Ozil is the best
today against Olympiakos Ceballos got lost and the coach had to take him off. Ozil’s swinging cross resulted into an arsenal goal. Ozil better than ceballos cause he is cleverer in his crosses than ceballos. although we should sell OZIL cause of his wages and overall impact on the team in his last three years has been very minimal