Why Ozil Still Needs To Improve For Arsenal! by AT
After a convincing win over a high-flying Villa side, Arsenal find themselves in fourth place and look set to get their season back on track after three successive draws prior to the win at Villa Park. Perhaps the most relieving factor of the game, for Arsenal fans at least, was that Mesut Ozil got back in the thick of things with a goal and an assist to his name.
But while most Gooners may see him as getting back to his best, I am of the opinion that there is a whole lot more that Arsenal’s record signing can bring to the team, versatity being the most important. While I do agree that the German was at his best playing at his preferred Number 10 role in the game against Villa, I would like to point out that there is so much more he can do whilst playing out wide.
Looking back at his time at Real Madrid and his early days for the German national team, he did play a large number of games on the flanks, and proved to be very effective as well. Gooners who claim that he’s wasted on the flanks can’t be more off the mark, he is well and truly capable of playing there. He’s got the pace, physicality and no one can question his ability for delivering a good ball in the box, it’s just his work rate that’s the problem.
Now I am in way suggesting that Mesut should be deployed on the flanks from now on. All I’m saying is that there will be situations where players like Cazorla and Wilshere, who are both very good at playing that role, should be allowed to do so to give the team a sense of variation going forward. There is no doubt that Ozil is our best Number 10, but he should also be capable of playing out wide if his team needs him to.
So with that being said, I really hope he can inculcate that into his game. I would really like to see him play with the same vigour regardless of whether he’s playing in his preferred role behind the striker or out wide on the flanks.
Anurag