Mesut Özil: Time to Move Ön?

[Diogenes]

Didn't really get into the game yesterday.

He's turned up for plenty of grim battles this season, but he's still a creative Number 10 after all, not Nobby Stiles. At some point you have to pass him the ball. Even allowing for Liverpools pressing, he was willfully ignored in space many times. Oh well, it was a chaotic winter battle and others did their stuff.

With Ramsey in scoring form, Campbell on fire, and Sanchez coming back, it might be to our advantage if teams start throwing all their eggs in a "stop Özil" basket. I think he's beyond due to come off the boil for a while anyways.

Oh, and "dat touch" - a worth the entrance fee moment.

 

[SA Gunner]

I was absolutely livid at the time watching this. If Gibbs just runs straight at the goal instead of trying to make an awkward overlap around Özil from basically the centre circle, a simple ball from Özil and he's in. Look how poorly Liverpool are set up there.

At the very least Sakho has to close him down but it's an easy square to Giroud/Ramsey who are two on one against Toure. Instead Özil has to play that cross, which while incredible nearly got Ramsey killed.

This analysis of yours was better than anything I saw from experts last night.

Well done mate, I'm sure Arsène was also boiling mad after seeing that.

 

[General]

I wouldn't read too much into that footage. Gibbs is a bit part player and his natural instinct is to keep the width. If he runs infield and Özil loses the ball we are wide open for the sucker punch. The diagonal run is a classic football run. There might have looked like a wide space open in the middle but that was going to close very quickly. His run actually bought Özil time and on another day Ramsey buries the header. There are a lot of factors at play here.

 

[Gooner Zig]

I wouldn't read too much into that footage. Gibbs is a bit part player and his natural instinct is to keep the width. If he runs infield and Özil loses the ball we are wide open for the sucker punch. The diagonal run is a classic football run. There might have looked like a wide space open in the middle but that was going to close very quickly. His run actually bought Özil time and on another day Ramsey buries the header. There are a lot of factors at play here.

Sorry if this was not your intention but the bolded bit implies that you expected Ramsey to do better there? Mingolet clattered him before he could get to the ball, it was a great punch.

 

[Penn_]

I wouldn't read too much into that footage. Gibbs is a bit part player and his natural instinct is to keep the width. If he runs infield and Özil loses the ball we are wide open for the sucker punch. The diagonal run is a classic football run. There might have looked like a wide space open in the middle but that was going to close very quickly. His run actually bought Özil time and on another day Ramsey buries the header. There are a lot of factors at play here.

Wouldn't Sakho have come across to cover? Allowing Giroud more space.

 

[General]

Sorry if this was not your intention but the bolded bit implies that you expected Ramsey to do better there? Mingolet clattered him before he could get to the ball, it was a great punch.

Nah Ramsey did what he had to do. Can't fault him there.

 

[Lilwizzle]

One problem I still have with Özil is his reluctancy to drop deep and help the midfield in games like yesterday.

I personally think the easiest way to play agaisnt us is to overload the midfield and cut off the supply to the attackers, when our forwards start turn in the pockets is when we come alive as a team. So by playing 3 in midfield and an extra midifielder on the wing teams can position themselves around our two deep midfielders creating a 2 v 4 situation with ease. Brendan did it at the Emirates early this season, using Coutinho in the same role that Klopp played Milner, I've seen it happen at Sp**s with Eriksen, Southampton with Davis/Tadic, even Nowrich with Howson or whoever they have.

With Plan A being locked off in each of those games we've ended up being forced to go long to Giroud, hoping he can win a knockdown just to allow us to get an attack going. But Oli's hold up play is too erratic to be relied on, as yesterday proved alot of his headers are hit and miss. But his 2 goals aside, without Oli as an outlet we would have been thrashed unfortunately.

It's frustrating though, because I know he can do it as I've seen him do it before, but I don't think he helped Flamini or Ramsey once in the first 45 yesterday.

 

[krackpot]

With Plan A being locked off in each of those games we've ended up being forced to go long to Giroud, hoping he can win a knockdown just to allow us to get an attack going. But Oli's hold up play is too erratic to be relied on, as yesterday proved alot of his headers are hit and miss. But his 2 goals aside, without Oli as an outlet we would have been thrashed unfortunately.

It's frustrating though, because I know he can do it as I've seen him do it before, but I don't think he helped Flamini or Ramsey once in the first 45 yesterday.

great post.

but you cannot change the way he plays..he runs towards space. if you give him the ball in a confined space, he will pass it back with one touch, he will not turn or do any other stuff.

which is why we need a mid like cazorla, who can just take a few seconds on the ball and allow the others to position themselves.

stupid edit: riquelme and Özil would be havoc-some

 

[blaze_of_glory]

It's true, Özil generally plays like a creative forward rather than a midfielder. He does keep possession very well of course but generally it's in the final third. Usually when he drops deep it's when we don't have the ball, and he's looking to spring forward as an outlet right away when the ball turns over.

Definitely would help if he dropped deeper sometimes, but as @krackpot said, that's his game. Luckily, when Alexis plays he tends to drop fairly often and so often can help in that regard. Also, hopefully El Nenny will help with playing out from deep, we'll have to see.

 

[Jaywood Mac]

In fairness the defender jockeying özil blocked off any potential passing route to that space in the centre. Would've been very difficult to play gibbs in there. Not impossible cause it is özil but unlikely.

 

[A_G]

http://bit.ly/1lijPko

 

[blaze_of_glory]

Well if John Giles says so.

Who is that by the way?

Oh, some Dutchman, ok.

 

[yybecause]

Its been a while, and I mean a while, since I read so many good posts and reosts on a same page. If it was only like that all the time... And it all started with THAT Mesut touch

 

[Penn_]

Back to the assists for him tomorrow, don't think his gone three games without having one this season.

 

[fabo]

Some away games don't seem to suit him - gets squeezed out.

Hoping we see this open Stoke that everyone is talking about but I think Mark Hughes will be setting them up to be physical first and foremost, get at out CB's, force corners etc.

 

[redwhiteAustrian]

http://bit.ly/1lijPko

Quite the coming out that.....

 

[Jury]

He shouldn't be in the running for player of the year because he wasn't as effective as he has been by his own standards, in one game Vs Liverpool... Said some bloke who now owes us some oxygen.

 

[CurryFlavoured]

Giles is a dinosaur, him and Eamon Dunphy are put on Irish TV for people to laugh at them not for their opinion on football.

 

[Jury]

They are that, for sure. Dunphy is incredible

 

[fc honka]

Eamon Dunphy is the most hilarious person I´ve ever seen commenting on football. And the guy really is serious with his comments :confused:

Lets hope Mesut has a good game tomorrow and we will end our bad spell with Stoke away matches.