Arsene Wenger is almost certain to put the name of the Arsenal and Germany star Mesut Ozil in his starting line-up to face the Championship club Brighton and Hove Albion tomorrow. The Frenchman is clearly keen to get the club record signing back into action and gaining match sharpness for the season ahead.
And this is not just because he wants to rest some of the other Arsenal players. A little bit of Wenger’s reputation is at stake as much as the German playmaker’s own. And it is clear that the Arsenal boss paid so much money for Ozil and backed him against his critics because he thought he could be a fantastic part of the Gunners team.
I think he will prove his doubters wrong, and I think he has not had the credit he deserves, but I also see their point, as the German has at times been a bit too easily out-muscled by opposing Premier League players since coming to north London. And he has sometimes seemed to take his struggles to heart and get a bit downhearted.
So I think that the news that Ozil has spent his time on the sidelines working on his core strength and weight training to give him extra bulk and upper body strength is really good news for the Gunners. He is not the first technically gifted but slight player to struggle on coming to England, with David Silva being a great example.
So hopefully his new physique will help Ozil to shine, but just as important to me is the attitude and determination to improve that the German has shown by doing it. He wants to prove himself and has worked hard to give himself the best chance, so will the Brighton game be the start of a new era for Ozil at Arsenal?
Theory No.6: Ozil is being bulked up so that he can on the wings until cazorla ends his career at arsenal. Obviously on this form ozil will not replace cazorla in the middle. I hate to see ozil on the wings but he has pace , dribbling skills, accurate crossing and ability to cut back. And if you observe his assists, most of them have come from wings. Now this doesn’t mean he is a winger. but he can play well as a winger. If he improves his defensive side of his game, he will be assist king once again. Ozil is a long term CAM, an understudy to cazorla.
Apart from being creative, Cazorla has added a determination to win the ball back in CM, this is something he has improved since joining us and I believe his time out on the wing helped him massivly.
Lets hope that Ozil follows Cazorla’s example and brings that determination to win the ball back into his game.
Ok, but Ozil isn’t really a pacey player.
I love what Santi has done in the last half dozen games in a more central role after spending an entire career (400 apps +) in a wider position but are you seriously suggesting Ozil (winner of FIFA world cup, La Liga, Copa del Rey, Supercup, UEFA U21 Euros, WC Most Assists, Euros Most Assists, Bundesliga Most Assists, La Liga Most Assists, UEFA TOTY x2 with 350+ appearances as CAM/No.10) is his “understudy”? LOL. Santi was lousy last season, poor at the beginning of this season and sensational more recently – lets not get too far ahead of ourselves in building up one player whilst feeling the need to denigrate another at the same time.
Jeez!!! @ Jonestown1. From where do you keep getting this your idea that Santi has played his entire career (except for the last half dozen games) as a Winger??? Did you read his recent interview on this same subject? Playing as a CAM -with the freedom to roam about/to anywhere on the pitch (including the wings), is quite different from playing as a Winger!!!
I usually agree with your POV and I generally find your understanding of the game to be spot on. But I am afraid this one is either misleading or dead-wrong, an you have held unto to it for far too long.
As for the Guy who says Mesut is Santi’s understudy….What a big joke!
@Usamov. Fair points and I am happy to be corrected but Cazorla has not spent his career playing in a central position, but that was not really my point. I probably didn’t explain myself properly. This whole Santi and/or Ozil thing being made in to a footballing dichotomy is hacking me off. Ozil being placed on the left on the team sheet does not make him a winger (to be clear, not something you have said). You should note that I carefully avoided the use of the word “winger” because that is another of my big gripes – we don’t play with anything that could be properly recognised as a traditional wingers. And I agree Cazorla is not a winger (and Sanchez is often called a winger on here but it would be hard to find a better example of someone who is so clearly NOT being played as a winger – but that is another story). Thus all this fuss about Ozil playing in a “winger” position is something I don’t understand. The closest we have to wingers are Gibbs/Monreal and Bellerin/Debuchy. What we have is three attacking midfielders which depending on who is playing have slightly different instructions, who interchange constantly, the “wingers” have a job to come inside at nearly every opportunity and one of the three, Sanchez more often than not recently, has extra licence to act more as a secondary striker. Wenger had a hand in re-inventing what was originally understood by the term “wingers” with his use of Pires and Ljundberg; Pires hardly ever stayed wide on the touchline, coming inside and going more centrally was the instinct/instruction. Whilst Ljungberg ran straighter up-and-down lines the carnage that Cole/Pires/Henry caused down the left often meant he was freed up to come inside as well. You could say Walcott is the modern equivalent (in terms of role) of Ljungberg and perhaps Santi or Ozil the Pires equivalent.
Bottom line, Wenger is not playing Ozil as a winger when his name goes on the team sheet in the left front 3 position – neither is Santi when he takes that spot. And I think the above gives clues as to why Poldi has been forced out in to the cold – Wenger is looking for a creative type in that slot. He clearly has an obsession/hangover from the Invincibles in having a slightly unbalanced look to the set-up; creativity and flair on the left and something more direct on the right.
In short both can play in the same team, and if in form both should. And neither are wingers or are being played as wingers.
Welcome to arsenal fc gabriel paulista! Looking forward to see you holding it down for us at the back! Coyg!
Its nice that he has added some muscles, but it will not make a difference if he does not develop a fighting spirit when he loses the ball or improve defensively. There is no doubt about his ability, but a change in attitude is needed
All the best to joel campbell on his loan spell at villarreal! Hope you score plenty of goals bro, while your there! Coyg!
I love Ozil, I hope he never leaves the club. He literally brought us up when Van Persie left, and Nasri, and Fabregas. We have to respect him through the bad times. No matter what he was born a gunner. Respect him and back him through thin and thick!
he joined years after we sold most of those players..
I wouldn’t say Ozil “brought us up:. The fact that Arsenal finally spend that amount of money on 1 player lifted the team’s morale imo. The manager showed desire with that one, after a very long time.
Ozil hasn’t done much as of now, because of either poor performances or injuries. But whatevs.
Ozil missed half the season last term
and already missed half of this season.
42 mill and 7.5 mill in wages per year
he has cost us 53 mill so far.
Ozil owes us five more years, 2 Premierships
and an ECL final place.
Podolski + Campbell should
have been sold in July.
Sanogo should have been loaned.
Ryo and Diaby should have been released.
Paulista CB not Wellbeck 16 mill should have been
bought in July when Wenger promised to replace Vermaelen.
Why buy donkey wellbeck when we jus bought 35 mill sanchez?
We shoud have spent 16 mill on a dedicated DM e.g.Schneiderlin
not an experimental utility Chambers.
Wilshere should have been sold while he was fit for 20 -25 mill
now hes out for months as he is every season.
Ozil should hav been sold for 40 mill after his world cup form.
So far he has been out half the time he’s been here.
The 40 mill coild have bought DM’s and CB’s.
What an idiotic comment. I do agree we should have signed CB and CDM in july/august but common u are too much.
Cant wait to see the new bulkier mesut ozil! All the best bro!
I’d luv to see Ozil signing body checks for the opposition. HulkOzil!!!
Off topic: Brenda is definitely sitting on a Balotime bomb, won’t be long before his A-S-S gets blown.
We will end this season much better than last season although we won FA cup.
I hope he rises to the challenge of competing with Carzola and becomes stronger, and more fearless on the pitch-
But there is a little fear that he could retreat into his shell and not compete.
Hope he does the former, and becomes the best his eve been
The House of Rahmans expect a world class DM to be signed next and followed by a striker
I just hope Ozil bulking up is not at the expense of his agility. Over bulking can make a player less agile and lose that crucial change of pace. We’ve seen how ronaldo bulk up so much he can’t dribble and turn like he used to when he was young. I still harbour hopes of Ozil recapturing the kind of form he showed at RM, where he had a spring in his steps and skipped past players for fun. I don’t necessarily think players need to bulk up to survive in the EPL. Silva, cazorla, coutinho are all great examples of physically small players who have done well and I believe Ozil can emulate them without having to put on too much muscle.
silva cazorla and coutinho are quite short in general (between 5’4 and 5’6) which means there centre of gravity is lower giving them greater balance to counter the strength used by opposing players. ozil is closer to 5’10 and even though I think he can bulk up he needs to show the same determination to retrieve the ball when he looses it otherwise its useless. Balotelli might be one of the tallest/strongest players in the pl but his workrate is terrible and therefore his physical attributes count for nothing
@The house of Rahman.
Are you happy now that AW spent some money (close to 15M) on a backup defender? From the looks of things, it seems like the boss is becoming comfortable with the idea of splashing the $$$. He is probably loving the idea, considering that in the past few months he has spent a combined $$$ (in tranfer fees alone) of almost 150M. And he just may spend another 40M on a DM very very soon. C’mon, tell me Hafiz- Are you not loving this!
Lads a lot of pop ups on this page these days sending my phone into mad sh@t lol anyway hopefully Ozil bulks up he needs to EPL is a tough league man if he can add some anger and fight to his game he’ll do ok because the ability will always be there !!
Not been on for a few weeks lads wish a gas a chance to say great f&cking result against City best day I’ve had in a long time ahaha yaasssss !!!
Santi is the master !!
House of Rahman talks more sh!te than 10 bumholes !!!! Stop talking nonsense ya womble and get to your bed !!