The Mesut Özil Thread

[Ed Hunter The Gooner]

Özil is world class, end off. He is a player who creates opportunities and chances to others but how the hell he is supposed to create anything as there is nobody to whom to create.

If he's really started to fade, I really blame the manager for that. World class players doesn't just fade away without a reason. Arshavin was top of his game when he arrived and you all remember what kind of start he had in Arsenal. I'm really scared that we see Arshavin case again here with Özil...

[flash gunner]

Dont just drop him - sell him!!!!

[NLS]

Did you know ozil can watch a tennis match without moving his head.

[g88ner]

Did you know ozil can watch a tennis match without moving his head.

Did you know he can also watch Liverpool attack whilst sat on his arse?

[augie]

[samflitt]

I don't think he would have come to Arsenal if Real had not had to sell him, the fans were on Arsene's back for a big
name player, Real forced him to come here.

He walks around more and more, he has to be told by the BFG to go to away fans and applaud them.

We have seen glimpses of how good he is, and Mesut is a world class player, (but is he sulking at being for forced out of a team with top world class players?), little Serge is playing better than Ozil.

And we have had top world class players here, now we want more?

(Merged your post with the existing thread - IHH)

Serge Gnabry playing better than Ozil lol.

[samflitt]

If you think Özil is a flop you don't know too much about football. Absolutely ridiculous.

[Arsenal Till I Die]

Ozil has bags of talent. His touch is something I don't think world football ha seen since Bergkamp.

The problem is, he has been over played, he's expected to hit the ground running and he is trying to feed Giroud slick balls that a striker with any talent would crave. I do worry that Ozil isn't happy at Arsenal, however, it in't like we're 5th, 6th or 7th like this time last year.

I would drop him if we had a full squad, however, we don't and right now, we cannot afford to drop him because he does have the ability to change a game with a single pass. To solve the Ozil issue we just need to not depend on him game after game (vs Coventry? wtf?) and buy a world class striker.

[northbank123]

I think the key thing is getting him playing with a quality striker who will make clever runs and offer a threat in behind defenders. Ozil is not alone in our team in being capable of slotting passes through the eye of a needle but it's absolutely remarkable how rarely Giroud gets in behind, and without Walcott looking to get in behind the full-back it's a wasted asset. And although as a lone striker Giroud needs to be showing for the ball to feet often, being able to offer a threat in behind could also stretch the game a bit. Playing 5 midfielders with one or both 'wide' men drifting in and a striker who nearly always shows feet makes it far too easier to defend compactly against us. Create a bit of space and the likes of Cazorla and Ozil's footwork and Ramsey driving from deeper could be devastating.

It's also extremely important to the team that we manage a system where we can utilise Ozil and Cazorla to good effect - I think Cazorla has been hindered by being forced out wide all season and although he has still showed his ability intermittently he was class last season and we shouldn't forget about him just because we have Ozil's talent. Although in a lot of ways they are fairly similar players we should be looking to use their abilities and being on the same wavelength to great effect, and not view it as a negative.

[Its Up 4 Grabs Now]

It's also extremely important to the team that we manage a system where we can utilise Ozil and Cazorla to good effect - I think Cazorla has been hindered by being forced out wide all season and although he has still showed his ability intermittently he was class last season and we shouldn't forget about him just because we have Ozil's talent. Although in a lot of ways they are fairly similar players we should be looking to use their abilities and being on the same wavelength to great effect, and not view it as a negative.

Agreed. When Ozil signed, the propsect of him & Santi forming an understanding was one of the most exciting aspects. And in theory at least, the presence of both in the team should buy space for one another (and others), either by stopping teams doubling up on either - as the chavs did on Santi last season, or by doing so and leaving players free elsewhere - particularly for those late 3rd man runs from midfield.

I think the only way we can play them together to good effect is to give them both freedom in the final third to roam wherever. Ideally you'd hope when one was on the ball and Giroud dropped deep to receive it the other would run beyond. Either they're part of a front 3 or not - neither has the pace to be tracking back and forth effectively, just like neither's gonna influence the game hugging the touchline.

Obviously to do that we need to provide a platform behind them, so we'd need 2 box-to-box (using the term loosely) midfielders in front of the anchorman - ie 2 from Ramsey, Jack, Ox and Rosicky. If they can learn to dovetail effectively you'd have one breaking forward a la Ramsey and the other holding so Flamini/Arteta weren't left stranded, and vice versa. We'd suffer from a lack of width obviously, with the full-backs the only real source, but we're not far removed from that as is, and the extra 'defensive' man in the middle 3 (compared to having Ozil there now) would possibly allow the full-backs to push on a bit more with the DM/CM's tracking across to cover.

Fuck knows why I've bothered typing all of that though.

[Eboue-Why?]

Thought he was very good again today. Attitude, work rate were spot on. He looks to move forward with the ball as much as he can but yet again today because of the lack of pace up top there are very few passes where he can pick a man out who's made a run behind.
A great player who will be even better next season and I hope has a forward line in front of him that can make use of his qualities.

[RVP2]

He played the cross which ended with the Ox getting the first and the brilliant through balls for the Ox to set up Podolski. Two "Alex Hleb style" assist assists, won't get the stats but he should be commended for a key input.

[augie]

He played the cross which ended with the Ox getting the first and the brilliant through balls for the Ox to set up Podolski. Two "Alex Hleb style" assist assists, won't get the stats but he should be commended for a key input.

Please don't compare the world class ozil with the dickhead that was hleb

[kite]

Ozil has bags of talent. His touch is something I don't think world football ha seen since Bergkamp.

While I agree that he is extremely talented do you really think his first touch is better than that of say Messi and Iniesta?

Anyway I agree with most users on here who think he needs more quality in front of him to shine but still I'm a bit disapointed aswell so far. I'm confident he will have a very good 2nd season though.

[Ed Hunter The Gooner]

The biggest problem regarding Özil is that there is enormous amount of pressure on him as he was only major transfer for us and way the biggest transfer we've made in a long time. Everybody's excepting him to do his magic in every single game and as he doesn't have enough quality all around him it's quite difficult for him.