Ljungberg says Ozil is one of the world’s best at what Arsenal is lacking

Arsenal is currently struggling with creativity. Goals are more scarce than gold for them at the moment, yet Freddie Ljungberg has hinted that the Gunners has a player to solve that problem for them in their squad.

Mesut Ozil has been sidelined by the Gunners, but Ljungberg believes that the German is one of the best players at picking killer passes and unlocking defences in the world.

The former Real Madrid man has for many years been the creative force for the Gunners.

But Mikel Arteta is looking for players who can work hard off the ball just as they do when the team is in possession.

The Spaniard gave Ozil opportunities to play during the first few months of his managerial stint at the club.

However, he failed to adapt to the physical demands of the manager, and he is now out of the picture.

But Ljungberg says that only a few players in the world can use possession as well as Ozil can.

He said on Sky Sports as quoted by Sun Sports: “When you have possession or need to find that pass, I don’t think there’s many better players than Mesut at doing that.

“Of course, you lose a bit defensively, but that’s the decision they have made.

“I don’t know why the decision has been made that he is outside of the squad, so they can’t use him.

“But for those things, I don’t see there’s many better players in the world.”

Tags Freddie Ljungberg Mesut Ozil

19 Comments

  1. A world class player like Ozil can’t suddenly become mediocre. It is outrageous our highest paid player cant get into a mid table team of losers that we have become just as Aub can’t suddenly go from top striker to has been.

        1. Sue: As good as Juve looked, Barcelona and Messi were not competitive. I don’t understand how Ronald Koeman got that job.

  2. I would have thought that Freddie was doing more than just “hinting” at what Ozil is good at.

    This from a man who the Ozil haters quote as an example of not rating MO!!! You really couldn’t make it up. LOL

  3. Freddie- you sir are a “DULLARD” along with all the other ex professionals who spent years in the game. What the f*** do you know when you have posters on here who say quite the opposite to every single one of you. These people deal in FACTS and are self- proclaimed REALISTS, so what makes your opinion more valuable than all of you?

    1. I can only assume Phil, that Freddie is an Ozil “fanboy” wouldn’t you…along with David Seaman and all the other ex professionals you allude to?

      Still it is said that players don’t always say what they mean…unless it agrees with the views of the self proclaimed realists amongst us!!!

      The “fanboy” base continues to grow, could it be the vast majority one asks?

      1. What I found interesting Ken was what Troy Deeney said. He is a striker and as we all know strikers need service. And it’s so blatantly obvious that Arteta has failed miserably in providing service to Aubamayang as well as every other forward. We are just so predictable in our play that it reminds me of the early 1980’s where that side was probably as bad as we had had for years.
        Still Ken, what do us “Dullards” know?

  4. Ljunberg is a dishonest man.
    I remember clearly how he substituted Ozil in the match against City where we were being walloped 3-0 at home, Ljunberg removed so called world class Ozil who was on his usual “Ghostmode” and brought on Smith Rowe as his replacement.
    I remember clearly fans booing Ozil in that match and Ozil kicking at bottle once off the pitch and refused looking at Ljunberg on the touchline.

    I hate hypocrites. Ljunberg has been on Arteta hot seat, he had used Ozil, and he must have seen Ozil is washed up and not the answer to our creativity problem.

    1. Why would he say this then Peter?
      What on earth is he gaining by coming out publicly and saying what he has said?
      He has no reason whatsoever, unless he has read that when he did substitute Ozil, it was interpreted in the wrong way and he has decided to give his own version of the incident /facts.

      How do you see it?

      1. I don’t know what Ljunberg motives are, but what I do know is that they are not honest ones.
        Ljunberg had played Ozil as a manager and saw clearly that Ozil was past his sell by date.
        He subbed Ozil with a youngster in Rowe.
        If Ljunberg were Arsenal manager today, he would not be using Ozil either.

        Ozil is done and dusted as far as top level football is concerned.
        Wenger removed Ozil from match day squad and made up ridiculous injuries as excuses to explain away Ozil exclusion. Emery got fed up with Ozil non productivity on the pitch too and turned back on him.

        Arsenal fans booed Ozil in the match against City in Emirates where he was again a ghost.

        But somehow, Ozil fans suffer from selective amnesia and what to pretend like Ozil of 2020 is peak Ozil of 2014. It’s annoying as much as it’s ridiculous watching fans call for Ozil to be restored to Arsenal squad.

        1. Peter: You say Ozil fans suffer from selective amnesia and you list few specific incidents to support your view. Can we assume you are you being selective?

          Every player can have a bad day every now and then and substitutions happen not only because of poor performance but also due to change in tactics. Ljunberg eluded to that in his interview. It is hard to single out Ozil against city when we are Loosing 3 – 0 especially when Ljunberg used him in other matches.

          You also say that Wenger removed Ozil from match day squad and made up ridiculous injuries!!!!! How did you know that? Did Wenger or any of his staff make that revelation?

          Yes Emery was not a big fan at first but he learned the hard way. He used him till the day he left? Maybe Emery learned that he is better off with Ozil than without him?

          And finally what about MA wanting 6 new players on the team.
          So if we trust MA’s judgement and knowing for a fact that we won with Ozil and lost without him, doesn’t that contradict everything you said?

      2. With the China thing, that’s a political discussion, I’ll leave that for the club to deal with. There will be a statement or there has been a statement.

        “With the other stuff, he should be annoyed when he comes off, but I’m the coach at the moment and I take the decision that I want more energy in the team.”
        ‘How Mesut wants to react is up to him and that’s something we’ll deal with later.’

        Asked what he meant by saying he will ‘deal’ with Ozil’s incident, Ljungberg replied: ‘First of all I’m here on a day to day basis so we’ll see what that is for the future.

        ‘But of course we want players in the right way

        Note: I want more energy and we want players in the right way. Lungberg may truly be a hypocrite as he seems to be contradicting himself from when he coached Arsenal and after that loss to city, Ozil never got in his team again till Arteta came. This is beyond proof lungberg has an agenda. Perhaps he’s gunning for Arteta’s job which he believes should have been his in the first place.

        1. How about this one from Freddie…
          “For me, I got asked after the game about Mesut,” Ljungberg said. “He walked off the pitch [in the ​Man City game] and then kicked his gloves. The fans were not happy. I got asked about it and said, ‘At Arsenal, that’s not how we behave and not what we do’. I stand by that.

          “Mesut was injured, but I would not have picked him for the squad because I want to make a stance that it’s not what I accept from an ​Arsenal football player. That’s my decision.

  5. It seems everybody knows exactly what Freddie thinks, wants, his motives and his future.

    How about he was asked a question and gave an honest answer, as he did from the quote Pat has shown above?

    Just because the two do not follow the agenda that the Ozil out brigade want, he is being labelled a hypocrite!!

    What a fall from grace Freddie, just yesterday, you were one of the managers held up as an example in how to treat the player – today your a lowdown hypocrite and mercenary, bitter because you wanted MA’s job.
    So what’s the excuse for Seaman etc? LOL

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