Mesut Özil: Time to Move Ön?

[WilshereGone]

I don't want to spam my thoughts about Özil in match game thread because we have this thread for that.
Almost every game I see fans complaining about his defensive effort, tackles and tracking back. What do you guys actually want from him?
If our manager wants Liverpool run and gun style, he should simply leave Özil on the bench. If he want's a guy who can change the game with one pass or moment of brilliance, than you just play Özil.
He won't give us control of the game because he isn't Iniesta type who needs to touch the ball 10 times on every attack, he won't contribute to defense and we should stop asking him for that. It would be the same thing as if I would say that Sokratis is poor because he can't dribble.

Personally, I don't like him here, but for the reason that I want more general attacking midfielder who can add some goals (Fekir or Coutinho for example) and who can control game better. If I would blame someone for our lack of attacking fluency, it would be Ramsey, and I also feel that he affects game of Özil and Lacazette in a negative way.

When was the last time he came up with a true moment of brilliance for us though?

I can't lie, I've been disappointed with him this season bar a decent second half against Cardiff. The whole attack is yet to really click into a fluid unit, so of course they all need some time, but I haven't seen the creativity I expect from Özil so far.

 

[uriazu]

I don't want to spam my thoughts about Özil in match game thread because we have this thread for that.
Almost every game I see fans complaining about his defensive effort, tackles and tracking back. What do you guys actually want from him?
If our manager wants Liverpool run and gun style, he should simply leave Özil on the bench. If he want's a guy who can change the game with one pass or moment of brilliance, than you just play Özil.
He won't give us control of the game because he isn't Iniesta type who needs to touch the ball 10 times on every attack, he won't contribute to defense and we should stop asking him for that. It would be the same thing as if I would say that Sokratis is poor because he can't dribble.

Personally, I don't like him here, but for the reason that I want more general attacking midfielder who can add some goals (Fekir or Coutinho for example) and who can control game better. If I would blame someone for our lack of attacking fluency, it would be Ramsey, and I also feel that he affects game of Özil and Lacazette in a negative way.

I think that is a pretty decent point.
Either take what you get from him or leave him out. He has been the same in those aspects always.
The thing is that at this point he should not open because he does not give us much in his current condition.

 

[bingobob]

Thought he was actually more than decent yesterday. There were times when I thought there he is typical Özil giving up but suddenly he'd make a recovery tackle. The work rate had application and he should have had an assist bar a Ramsey slip.

It's early days but yesterday was encouraging to show he seems to be getting it a bit better.

 

[Maybe]

When was the last time he came up with a true moment of brilliance for us though?

It doesn't matter when it was, it's the same thing when you have a great striker but he didn't score for some time. You put him there because you believe he can create and your game plan needs that. The point is, you judge him by that, and it makes me sick when i read that he was poor because he didn't track back. If he was poor, that is because he didn't create enough, and that would be a fair argument which we can discuss.

If you want or need disciplined right wing, Welbeck is an option.

 

[Sanchez11]

Thought he was actually more than decent yesterday. There were times when I thought there he is typical Özil giving up but suddenly he'd make a recovery tackle. The work rate had application and he should have had an assist bar a Ramsey slip.

It's early days but yesterday was encouraging to show he seems to be getting it a bit better.

I agree he needs up his work rate consistantly

 

[Maybe]

Özil plays just because we have no other options for things that he brings to this team. Mkhy is OK, but far from his good Dortmund days. I find him quite sloppy in possession so he is not a solution to displace Özil.

From people who watch youth football you can get a feeling that ESR will bring a lot to this team in terms of creativity, but he is only 18 and we need to wait for him. I think he will be the guy who will replace Özil in a few years

 

[Macho]

He's our best player on paper but I still can't help but feel that this guy is washed up.

 

[Fewtch]

Great thread on why Özil on the RW is clearly not working.
Emery needs to stop forcing it and either play him at ten (if he wants to play 4231) or drop him for Iwobi or Mkhi on the wing.

 

[ThlRama]

Great thread on why Özil on the RW is clearly not working.
Emery needs to stop forcing it and either play him at ten (if he wants to play 4231) or drop him for Iwobi or Mkhi on the wing.

Sample size aside, would this be surprising when he's been shifted to the right and really isn't the big man necessarily anymore, with Aubameyang coming in and Lacazette finding form? Not to mention that in some games so far we've attacked from the left a lot which has isolated him.

I don't think it would be bad for Özil to be just a link in midfield and then a piece in the final phase of attacking moves, kinda like Cazorla was for us when he first came and was played to the left. Mesut can also be good at that. As our main playmaker he has proven easy to deal with.

Oh - not to forget our change in playstyle which means a lot less tiki-taka around the box that made Özil see so much of the ball.

 

[Fewtch]

Sample size aside, would this be surprising when he's been shifted to the right and really isn't the big man necessarily anymore, with Aubameyang coming in and Lacazette finding form? Not to mention that in some games so far we've attacked from the left a lot which has isolated him.

I don't think it would be bad for Özil to be just a link in midfield and then a piece in the final phase of attacking moves, kinda like Cazorla was for us when he first came and was played to the left. Mesut can also be good at that. As our main playmaker he has proven easy to deal with.

Oh - not to forget our change in playstyle which means a lot less tiki-taka around the box that made Özil see so much of the ball.

So you’re saying that Emery should keep him on that RW? Don’t you think others can do a better job there until we possibly get a winger in January?

 

[Fewtch]

 

[ThlRama]

So you’re saying that Emery should keep him on that RW? Don’t you think others can do a better job there until we possibly get a winger in January?

It's possible, mate. I don't act like I can tell. I'm just critical of those judging the basics of Emery's approach because he's a proven manager and the difference is there, that doesn't mean I think he's faultless. We'll see. I'm pretty sure this time next year we'll have a new winger in our squad, what happens with Özil's team role is something I have no clue about though.

 

[ThlRama]

By the way great graph, we seem to be passing less as a team so some individual passing stats in isolation are literally meaningless.

 

[Tir Na Nog]

We don't really have a better choice for the right wing at this moment.

 

[krackpot]

Loving his attitude.

He now doesn't (usually) do that horrible shoulder slump when someone cocks up.

Unless it is Ramsey. Which I can understand.

 

[Mark Tobias]

We don't really have a better choice for the right wing at this moment.

Surely Iwobi on the left and PEA on the right could work?

 

[sonerb81]

I am a big Özil fan since his days at RM. I defended him and criticized his teammates and lack of proper attacking players here a few times. Based on his transfer fee and how much he was making I always believed he was a great deal for Arsenal. I thought and still think people expecting him to defend/tackle are pointless as it won’t happen.

However, after getting into his prime years as a soccer player 28-31 IMO and now earning a very high wage at Arsenal I would have expected him to improve his offensive game. He still can’t shoot free kicks with conviction. He rarely takes them anyways. He could score from right outside of the box but nothing farther away. He still doesn’t try to (can’t) create his own shots which is a big weakness of his and makes him a one dimensional player offensively. He also is not a good finisher at all. And related to that he is a poor penalty taker.

I hope he improves his offensive game but I think he has no interest in that and there is no one in Arsenal pushing him/making him train on his offensive weaknesses which sucks because his days in the German League proved that he is very much capable of scoring/creating his own chances.

 

[Taylor Gang Gunners]

Surely Iwobi on the left and PEA on the right could work?

Maybe for the odd game, but Iwobi has problems maintaining his level of performance and Auba hasn't looked the most comfortable out wide.

We lack true wide players in the squad. I'm hoping we add one in Jan, and if Nelson can have a good season in Bundesliga he could be an option come the start of next season.

 

[MaraDon]

We don't really have a better choice for the right wing at this moment.

we do, we have an exotic winger in Miki on the bench.
He is doing well BTW, He is scoring.
We cant play him in a free tole trought the middle, he is coming central when we are in possesion, that is more than enough.
We need balance to win games, and that is more important than Özil´s numbers.

 

[MaraDon]

Surely Iwobi on the left and PEA on the right could work?

just no.