Arsenal players had been preparing hard for the return of football and Mikel Arteta must surely have felt that his players were prepared to make a successful assault for a top-four place when the Premier League returned.
However, the Spaniard has been left disappointed after the first two games since the resumption of football.
They have lost both games to Manchester City and Brighton and have also lost some of their star men like Pablo Mari, Bernd Leno and Granit Xhaka to injury.
One notable absence from the Arsenal starting XI so far has been Mesut Ozil.
The German wasn’t named in the squad against City and Mikel Arteta left him on the bench for the duration of the Brighton game.
However, with the injuries piling up, I’m worried about what Arteta will do now considering that he doesn’t have the biggest squad.
Ozil isn’t the player that you would turn to when you need urgent help because he cannot guarantee you a performance.
However, we are in desperate times at the moment and every player has to give something for the cause.
One reason the injuries keep piling up is that the fixture list for every team is just too tasking for some players.
Because of this, I’d suggest that Arteta gives Ozil another chance not because he may not win us games now (he might), but because other players need to be rested.
There is also an outside chance that we get to see glimpses of the Ozil of old, the one that provided assists in almost every other game.
An article from Ime
Im sure he will get his chance because we are slowly getting down to the bare bones. I haven’t seen anything from Ozil for two years, so i wont be holding my breath for a miracle.
Second that!
Options are running out fast. Some of the under 23’s might be an option.
If fit, I would like to see Martinelli given the chance at No. 10; you can at least depend on him tracking back.
I can accept Arsenal being beaten by a better team; it is unacceptable to me that players representing the Arsenal don’t turn up to give 100%.
Unfortunately too many of us do not see Ozil as someone now who will drag the team with him or win a game with individual brilliance, not because of lack of ability, but lack of will. He is symptomatic of the problems with current Arsenal players: lack of physical and mental strength.
Well put because Ozil certainly doesn’t lack talent
Why not? He can’t make us any worse.
He does have a great game once in a blue moon
That “once” was many,many,many moons ago. Far too many to play again for Arsenal !
Meh
Guys, let us help Arteta out, He needs to stop doing the same thing all the time. I want to suggest a better attacking formation than what he has been playing since he came in. At this point Luiz may be better off playing defensive midfield than playing central defense. Saka and Pepe could be our own David Silva and Benardo Silva for creativity in midfield….both are left footed and have dribbling skills going forward. He can try different players in the defensive areas but our front 5 attackers must be a constant. Arteta can tweak the back 5 for tougher defending but must maintain the front 5 formation always. Even Nelson should be allowed to play in the middle because of his dribbling ability. Make them to blend and understand each other by force in training.
3-2-4-1
This formation for creativity in midfield
—————————–Martinez————————
——–Socratis———–Mustafi————-Holding
——————-Torriera/Niles——-Luiz————
Lacazette——-Pepe———-Saka———-Martinelli
———————-Aubamayang——————-
OR
This Formation for energy and fight in midfield
4-1-4-1
————————–Martinez————————
–Socratis——Mustafi——-Holding——-Kolasinac
————–Maitland-Niles/Luiz/Torriera———
Pepe——Lacazette———Martinelli———–Saka
———————–Aubamayang——————-
Energy and fight in this current squad?…… I guess the pigs have taken flight already 😀
🤣
The formation is different from what you have been used to…so yeah, there would be some energy and fight from Martinelli and Lacazette in midfield. Niles also has pace and he needs some drilling to be more disciplined and with better awareness he could own the defensive midfield position.
It’s shocking how Arteta suddenly changed his team and tactics.. Ozil played every league match under Arteta in a possession based formation not necessarily strength based. Ozil gives what not too many players can give which really suits arsenal football. Why is that so had to see?
No thank you. I mean how many chances do you give someone?
Take him out the squad until his contract is done. Poor attitude that infects rest of the dressing room. He’s the third manager to run into this issue with him. Stop beating a dead horse at some point. He’s here for the money and London so let him enjoy it and then begone of him finally next June.
First, think of giving a chance to Martnelli then Ozil, at least the first is dying to play!
Ozil is full of trouble and most of the time he is not consistent so we can’t depend on him to be our savior.
Arteta should be fighting hard to get Ozil out of Arsenal. He has been given plenty of chances in the past 3yrs, but he couldn’t make any positive contribution. Why is Ozil treated differently as compared to other Arsenal players?
Ozil fans are definitely the majority at this club and they came down hard on Emery when he attempted to rid us off of this Ozil menace. If Arteta gets embroiled in a power struggle with Ozil, Ozil’s supporters will surely come after him. Arteta, therefore, has no choice but to bring Ozil back in the team if he hopes to keep the Ozil supporters at bay.
I’ve not got it in me, QD 😄 Being a gooner right now is tiresome and I’d say we have far bigger problems on our hands than whether Ozil gets a game or not!
@Sue
😂😂 we all definitely have bigger problems but Ozil has only missed 2 games and already trouble is brewing in the horizon. MA can’t do an interview without being grilled about Ozil’s whereabouts I’d say it’s ridiculous just how much attention Ozil gets you’d think it’s Messi who’s been axed from the squad!
The media love it, QD. Even if they get a whiff of something, they’ll add a bit more on and it will be spoken about for days! They love nothing more than when they suspect something may be up in NL, well the red side anyway!
Regardless of whether it’s to do with Ozil or not (let’s face it, it usually is him!) And if we lose – again – on Thursday, well it’s gonna become a whole lot worse!!
Surely we can’t lose 3 league games in a row, can we?! If it’s another horror show waiting for us at Southampton then I don’t know what else I can say about this team.
It’s one in a long line of bogey grounds for us, QD! I still remember that 4-0 annihilation like it was yesterday!!
I’m still laughing at it being said no fans will be an advantage for us!
Don’t get me wrong, if (enormous if) we were to win, I’ll be stoked… just right now, I can’t see it happening!
QD, I disagree with you and quote as evidence for my view the undoubted large majority on here who are firmly against Ozil. This happens in every single Ozil argument and I say you should either produce evidence for your erroneous point of view that MOST support him, as THEY CLEARLY DO NOT, or accept you are mistaken. Check all the comments above if you doubt me and then reconsider !
Just go cold turkey on our Shirt Selling Genius.
Arsenal should just swallow it’s pride and not play this fraud of a player until his contract runs out. Stop this ‘in and out’ nonsense that makes no difference whatsoever.
You messed up on this one big time. Just learn from your mistake and move on. Most times it’s not wise to give into us the fans emotions like the club did when giving out this joke £350,000 a week contract to a weak character.
Gave into the Ozil emotinal fans and see what it got us.
I have had enough of this guy at my club.
I am thinking the same with Aubameyang right now. He is already 30 years old. Asking for the same £300,000 a week contract. Please don’t give into it.
It’s not worth it. None of our current players would give me sleepless nights if they left.
Bellerin, Socrates, Mustafi, (Luiz released), Kolasinac, Xhaka, Elneny, Torrera (if he wants to go) , Ozil, Mkhitaryan, Auba (if he decides not to sign) , Laca. That is nine under performing players plus two reluctant players. Eddie, Willock, Nelson are not ready, who knows when they will be ready? Guendozi for a squad player. Emi Martnez will get better with game time. This is the jewelry collection we have! We have to move a team of players?Not possible to move 11 in a window. I have come to the conclusion to accept mid table for the next 3 to 4 years. This year was the prelude to it. Burnleys, Palaces, S’hamptons, beware, here we come!!
People say we don’t need ozil and he does nothing for the team but you soon notice when he isn’t playing . For me he’s the only player in our team that moves around the pitch offers passes gives good passes . With out him we are predictable and down right boring . He is not perfect but is the best we have in that position.
Smith-Rowe must be given a chance.
Creative.
Goes forward not sideways and can score.
Once ozil is played, he’ll feign injury at some point thereby reducing the chance of Turkish or American prospective suitors to comb him off our books. Dont play him please, he wouldn’t do any better.
He organizes the team whenever the rest of the team is at a competing level with opponents. You would feel the rythme on his presence. However, he lacks the 90 mins stamina and he is not a one-man game changer.
Fans has to understand what to expect from him (and other players).
For example Auba in the middle is great in marauding behind defences and in spaces, he is terrible at building play the at the wing or defensive effort. He is a striker who excels at converting chances.
It is the manager’s job to build a team from complementary players. So far, our managers since Wenger and Emery at the start fails miserably.
Its better Arteta gives Martinelli a chance instead of Ozil. Personally I’m tired of Ozil and the media hype that this guy shoulders. For the past 3yrs, this guy has been a flop. Im wondering what media people see in this guy that I don’t see
OT.. Ornstein is saying we like Mings!!
If we were to get him, it’d please me no end.
I’ve just read we were keeping tabs on him back in 2014, while at Ipswich 🤦♀️
Sue, how many times have we heard this story? Arsenal keeps tabs on lots of players, only to miss the bus on signing them before they make an impact and then have to try to sign them later when they aren’t prepared to pay the price.
Rinse and repeat.
Ipswich paid 10k for him back then!!
Groundhog day, for sure, Ozzie!
I would play Ozil in one and ONLY ONE circumstance; that we had absolutely no one else fit in midfield to play in his stead. My whole life I have loathed and detested idlers and those who simply go through the motions but cannot be bothered to REALLY TRY, wholeheartedly.
Ozil does not do this, longterm too, and so is poison in a team sport. That is my honest view abput idlers and I have held it for all my adult life. That is precisely the same reason I could not stand Walcott either and why I want never to see Mkhi ever wear our shirt ever again.
Simply put, if you are unwilling to put in 100% effort every time you play, you have no right to call yourself professional.
I entirely agree with you John,and thank you for your previous comment on another item. Much appreciated.
You have to consider the possibility that he was the one who contracted corona. If it isn’t him then seeing how unfit all the players look, I’d have to leave Arteta to judge if he’s fit enough, it isn’t the first time Ozil’s commitment has been questioned during training. If he had spent the time off keeping in shape and remained focused for the restart, we know Arteta would have used him. On top of all these we also have the fact that three managers have seen reasons not to use Ozil for away games against physical sides.
Hope is killing Arsenal fans. I’m wondering if Ozil supporters thinks that the guy will be better now than 4yrs back. Please lets stop this Ozil drama and give hungry players a chance