It is easy to get carried away with Arsenal’s pre-season form, especially when your team slots six goals with no response. Naysayers will be quick to remind us about Yaya Sanogo. The lanky forward burst into the scene with a wonderful exhibition of skill and finishing at the Emirates Cup last pre-season. But when the season started, he faded away and was recently shipped to Ajax on loan. The point is not to get the expectations too pumped up but to look at the preparations with pragmatism.
Arsene Wenger exhibited this quality in a display of contentment and serenity as he watched his side run riot. The goal-scoring form of his team must have satisfied him but his experience will tell him not to look for anything beyond. Apart from the goal-scoring he would also have been impressed by what he saw of Mesut Ozil.
The German international is some sort of an enigma, whatever the supporters may say. He arrived at the club amid much fanfare from Real Madrid at a club record fee – signaling the intent of Wenger to dip into the market for players with correct value. Ozil replied to the enthusiasm of the fans with some incredible initial performances that made everyone sit up and take notice.
But after the initial euphoria subsided, the German midfielder struggled to replicate his performances. Injuries didn’t help him either and suddenly he was caught in the midst of deep scrutiny. Also, he lost his central attacking role to Alexis Sanchez who brought much needed goals and energy to the team.
Wenger on Ozil: He missed the whole first part of the season last year and he came back to his best level in the second part of the season. Hopefully he can deliver a whole season now.
He had a difficult start to the season but slowly, in the second part of the season, he won over our fans. Feeling the reaction now in the crowd, I feel that he has their support.
This season would prove to be an important one for Ozil. Wenger took the first step of putting him in comfort zone by saying that he will give Ozil his preferred position ahead of Sanchez. This may have had a positive impact on Ozil because he looked charged and focused in the match against Lyon.
Not just scoring a goal, Ozil was also showcasing a more driven and forward-minded mindset that is not often seen last season. The exchange of passes with Ramsey and the display of perfect synergy should bode well for the upcoming season.
Wenger should have been impressed with what he saw though he will not read too much into the friendly match performance. He would be hard pressed to finalize his preferred starting XI. But, that is a welcome headache isn’t it?
Sridhar
Ozil was a big part of the Madrid team then suddenly He was being tossed out he probably saw himself being part of that team for years to come. I think when we bough him we got a shell of a Worldclass player who’d lost a lot of confidence same with Di Maria a top quality player with a lack of confidence. He’s still played to a reasonably high level but frustration from fans came from knowing he’s capable of much more. Last season he started reaching his best again and I think there’s a lot more to come. The guy is pure class his mind is seconds in front of most players and see things most players can’t. Best thing is he’s done the Madrid thing and he’s ours and going to be ours through his prime years.
He has the best vision of any player in the league. I love when a player can see see not only what is happening with the ball at his feet and the defender in front of him but realize like he did yesterday that the play to Ramsey will take a few seconds more to develop and then the perfect weighted ball.
I also liked how he broke off from Olivier looking for his own shot and displayed not just finesse but power in his shot to the low corner. If he can continue looking for his shot and putting in goals along with his passing that might make him the Premier leagues best player.
He’s pure master class regardless what of what anybody says. the vision of an eagle, the gentleness of a dove and the noble body movement of a peacock, that’s Ozil
Like. You could become a poet Eddy 🙂
gladly mate,I am
Cazorla : Floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee
Excellent, Eddy
some of the stuff i was hearing in the stadium when he done countless magical touches…
‘bloody hell ozzy’….’majestic’….’did u seee thattttt’…..’is someone recording this’…’im so glad i missed my sisters wedding, this was worth it lads’
good to see some familiar faces, claude was bit off , usually chattier
For Me Ozil has a special place in my heart. (In a player recognition sense). He was the 1st World Class player to come to Arsenal. This was when we didnt have any such players. Yes, we paid Madrids asking price, but even then the player has to agree to a move. (refer Sanchez to Liverpool).
And I am sure he set the domino for more WC players in future to come to our club. He didnt come cause we were already winning trophies. He came when we didnt (as opposed to players who left us when we didnt). So for that reason alone, I want him to gain legendary status here at Arsenal by winning many trophies.
We need a WC beast Striker if we wanna get Epl and reach Ucl Semi final.
wooah! man take some time and just see the happy and good side of the team…chill out,stop stressing on the issue of striker,see the good side and stop being a Niklaus
Another pathetic arsenal fan that thinks we have enough To win the premier league. Well good luck with That one its weird you guys won 2 pre-season game And play half a season And we have the best team in england. Well i will be surprise if arsenal make it To the top 4. Its stupid When everyone on this site praises coq, giroud And Mert. Are These players genuine targets for top teams? Am 100 percent sure you will be one Of us calling for wengers head at the end Of this season. Wenger please go home
i think we have enough to compete for no 1, but that if we don’t get injury especially to sanchez, ozil, walcott, ramsey, le coq n giroud. N if le coq 2nd half form is real.
With good rotation for ST position with Giroud n Walcoot offer something difference we can manage to seriously compete for PL.
wow!!! All those praises for Ozil? Well, he deserves it & even more… If AW can add a top class striker to these guys the sky will be our stepping stone(not limit) – for real I foresee stamford bridge crumbling under us.
A good day for AFC, but we will NOT win the EPL. Ask yourself honestly if we are guaranteed to beat Chelsea, Manu U & Man C. Without beating the top teams, we cannot come top. Against Chelsea, TW will go missing, OG will fail to score, our CDM will be outclassed, and Rooney will pull the strings when it matters. So, unless we strengthen in the important positions, stand by for another ‘nearly’ season.
didn’t realise Rooney played for Chelsea
He plays for Man united And you arsenal fans just wont admitt that our team needs a few signings 3 To be exact. Another year with out the EPL
I think ever since he came back from injury and hit the weight room to get bigger and stronger, he has been brilliant.
If he could score more goals he would be the best CAM in the PL ahead of fabregas. Ozil could get more assists next season than Fabregas. However, Fabregas has Costa, Remy, Falcao to net his passes.
We are lucky to have both Ozil and Cazorla on our team who are both WC in my opinion. We also have Rosicky as backup. Their great passing and dead balls are vital to us.
However, we need another Top striker to take advantage of Ozil’s and Cazorla’s great passing. Assists are not Assists unless the ball goes in the net.
I agree his strength is there to see. The goals he has scored this preseason have been powered into the net.
If you noticed that he took the free kick that led to our first goal. If has faith in lifting the ball to OG then he has one of the best in the league using their head,
Set pieces with our attack amount to maybe 5-12 corners a game along with numerous free kicks like our first goal yesterday. I can see Ozil picking up 5-10 assists this year if he is allowed to take them.
I love Ozil, but for now, Cazorla is our 2nd best player
Michael Owen once said Raheem Sterling is better than Mesut Ozil.
looooooooooool what is smoking there ???????????
That will be proven wrong this season
Owen is an idiot
ozil should keep up the good work… and i think owen was high when he said that… infact owen is always high cause his comments are always stupid.
Ozil is a classy player. No second thought. Happy he plays for arsenal.
I don’t get the point of articles like this. Anyone with half a brain knows its a friendly that doesn’t truly reflect reality. But does that mean i shouldn’t enjoy the fact that my team scored 6 goals and won a match convincingly.
Must we always adopt a miserable, cynical mood as Arsenal fans? i mean seriously.
The team won. Enjoy and stop worrying about tomorrow.
first came a world-class player who can orchestrate play from behind the striker and then came a fast winger with a knack of scoring spectacular goals…….
…… no guy i am not talking about Ozil and Sanchez… I was referring to Bergkamp and Henry….
…. hope we are moving towards the second invincibles here