Mesut Özil: Time to Move Ön?

[Beksl]

I don’t want us building a team around Özil because it is evident he’s in decline. Wenger already did it and got some success but we were never really challenging for major trophies with Özil as a focal point.

 

[Taylor Gang Gunners]

I don’t want us building a team around Özil because it is evident he’s in decline. Wenger already did it and got some success but we were never really challenging for major trophies with Özil as a focal point.

Where’s this mythical evidence that he’s in decline? His numbers are poor this season yes, but he’s been in and out the team and has struggled with niggly injuries and illnesses. When he has played, he doesn’t look like he’s in decline physically, or shown he can’t make the same passes he used to.

Also, despite playing him predominantly as a no.10, Wenger failed to adequately build the team around Özil. The only times Özil has played in ideal conditions is for Madrid (Example: Khedira and Alonso behind, Di Maria and Ronaldo out wide, Benzema up front) and for the German national team.

Whether you rate him or not is a different question, but I think we’re all on the same page in terms of recognising what type of player Özil is. Get him in a setup similar to the one listed above and the guy is still an instrumental player.

I’ve heard it all regarding Özil recently I must say. Only here for the money, he’s in decline, his position is outdated etc. I have to respectfully disagree with it all.

 

[Tourbillion]

Don't forget Elnothing!

 

[Ripe Banana]

-About as productive as Iwobi
-We all want Iwobi gone because he isn't productive enough
-Özil is on 3x Iwobis' wage, why tf would anyone want him staying?

These people that want Özil to stay, it's also safe to assume you all want Iwobi to stay too, no?

 

[Mark Tobias]

Where’s this mythical evidence that he’s in decline? His numbers are poor this season yes, but he’s been in and out the team and has struggled with niggly injuries and illnesses. When he has played, he doesn’t look like he’s in decline physically, or shown he can’t make the same passes he used to.

Also, despite playing him predominantly as a no.10, Wenger failed to adequately build the team around Özil. The only times Özil has played in ideal conditions is for Madrid (Example: Khedira and Alonso behind, Di Maria and Ronaldo out wide, Benzema up front) and for the German national team.

Whether you rate him or not is a different question, but I think we’re all on the same page in terms of recognising what type of player Özil is. Get him in a setup similar to the one listed above and the guy is still an instrumental player.

I’ve heard it all regarding Özil recently I must say. Only here for the money, he’s in decline, his position is outdated etc. I have to respectfully disagree with it all.

We don't have the money to build a team around Özil. He's a luxury player that requires the conditions to be absolutely optimum for him to thrive.

 

[The_Playmaker]

With a 40M kitty and you want to bin half of our team. I too would want to see the back of these players but we are going to need a decent size squad if we are to progress.
We have Iwobi and Jenkinson who should be upgraded long before these 4.
We've lost Ramsey and Cech.
We simply do not have the financial clout to make these sacrifices yet.

I want to bin Mustafi who costs us matches and points on a regular basis.
I want to bin Xhaka who costs us matches and points on a regular basis.
I want to bin Mhiki because he is inconsistent.
I want to bin Özil because he barely contributes away from home and has 3 assists to his name this season. People want to surround him with wingers because apparently he can create, yet he has been given a free role behind two clinical strikers and has given them nothing. They have to supply each other. He also goes missing when you really need any kind of contribution. He may as well not have been on the pitch away at Valencia.

We have the resources to replaced the 4 players mentioned literally through player sales.

 

[Jury]

I don't think Özil's in physical decline--I believe it's just who he's always been. His mentality is in decline, if anything. I dunno. He's rather gash at the moment though.

 

[Beast Incarnate]

I can't believe there's still people making excuses for him.

Any player that needs the stars to align to play well is not world class imo.

 

[Beksl]

Where’s this mythical evidence that he’s in decline? His numbers are poor this season yes, but he’s been in and out the team and has struggled with niggly injuries and illnesses. When he has played, he doesn’t look like he’s in decline physically, or shown he can’t make the same passes he used to.

Also, despite playing him predominantly as a no.10, Wenger failed to adequately build the team around Özil. The only times Özil has played in ideal conditions is for Madrid (Example: Khedira and Alonso behind, Di Maria and Ronaldo out wide, Benzema up front) and for the German national team.

Whether you rate him or not is a different question, but I think we’re all on the same page in terms of recognising what type of player Özil is. Get him in a setup similar to the one listed above and the guy is still an instrumental player.

I’ve heard it all regarding Özil recently I must say. Only here for the money, he’s in decline, his position is outdated etc. I have to respectfully disagree with it all.

It’t not mythical, actually you’ve already touched on this issue in your response. Let me brake it down how I see it.

Physical decline. As you’ve already mentioned he’s suffering from constant niggly injuries, illness (problems with immune system?) and has been reported he suffers from a chronic back pain/injury. Nothing mythical about that, he obviously can’t play more than 35+ games per season and he only played more than 30 league games in two seasons.

Mental decline. He won major trophies on international and club level. Played for biggest clubs. Earned himself a life defining pay check. On top of that he had a Summer with Erdogan saga, was made the scapegoat for Germany’s disastrous WC campaign. It had to take a toll on him emotionally. I don’t see the drive to improve with Özil, the passion to perform and move our Club forward. Reports he doesn’t put a shift in during training sessions is a reflection of this in my opinion. Posting a couple of instagram photos how you’re giving 100% won’t suffice because it just doesn’t reflect on the pitch for me.

Obviously he’s a very talented player, one of the best that played for us. He was never a build around player but more of a complementary piece, as you said yourself his best seasons were at Real where he shared the burden and was never the focal point of the team.

Considering everything mentioned it’s very clear he’s declining and shouldn’t be considered as a key player for us. This is obviously a problem as the wages reflect a different point of view.

 

[BigPoppaPump]

What is it that makes people such big Özil fanboys? I’ve never seen such a cult like following for an Arsenal player before.

Is it cos he always looks like he’s gonna cry? Are you all Turkish? Can you relate to his constant illnesses?

 

[Trilly]

This may be true but look at the quality behind those two.. We don't have that kind of power in midfield or in defence to leave 2 up top.

Just answering the post saying two up top is dead. ops:

In reality no formation is dead. Just requires the right set up and manager and next thing you know formation X is seeing a resurgence.

 

[blaze_of_glory]

Reports he doesn’t put a shift in during training sessions is a reflection of this in my opinion. Posting a couple of instagram photos how you’re giving 100% won’t suffice because it just doesn’t reflect on the pitch for me.

What reports are those? Murmurs from the usual bs merchants in the tabloids?

Hasn't Emery been saying he's been happy with Mesut's work on the training pitch? Pretty sure other players speak highly of the work he puts in as well.

 

[Taylor Gang Gunners]

It’t not mythical, actually you’ve already touched on this issue in your response. Let me brake it down how I see it.

Physical decline. As you’ve already mentioned he’s suffering from constant niggly injuries, illness (problems with immune system?) and has been reported he suffers from a chronic back pain/injury. Nothing mythical about that, he obviously can’t play more than 35+ games per season and he only played more than 30 league games in two seasons.

Mental decline. He won major trophies on international and club level. Played for biggest clubs. Earned himself a life defining pay check. On top of that he had a Summer with Erdogan saga, was made the scapegoat for Germany’s disastrous WC campaign. It had to take a toll on him emotionally. I don’t see the drive to improve with Özil, the passion to perform and move our Club forward. Reports he doesn’t put a shift in during training sessions is a reflection of this in my opinion. Posting a couple of instagram photos how you’re giving 100% won’t suffice because it just doesn’t reflect on the pitch for me.

Obviously he’s a very talented player, one of the best that played for us. He was never a build around player but more of a complementary piece, as you said yourself his best seasons were at Real where he shared the burden and was never the focal point of the team.

Considering everything mentioned it’s very clear he’s declining and shouldn’t be considered as a key player for us. This is obviously a problem as the wages reflect a different point of view.

I can appreciate your point of view, but I’m still not convinced. Not so sure you can use an injury prone season as evidence of a physical decline. Players will naturally be injured more in some seasons than others, De Bruyne for example has struggled a lot with injuries this term- big and small ones, would you say he’s declining physically?

The mental decline argument you put forward is completely subjective. Who’s to say he’s not as hungry now as he was before he won the World Cup? I can hardly see him being content with no more trophies but a fat wad of cash in the bank. He’s been rich for a long time now. Not sure where those reports about the training sessions come from either, Emery has said nothing but positive things about his effort and application.

What’s “very clear” to me is his wage is influencing a hell of a lot of opinions. If he wasn’t a world class talent I too would be annoyed, but having seen what Özil can do, and what he’s capable of, I’m happy to have him around. We need to put it into context, his contract was signed at a time where our TWO main men were on the verge of leaving for nothing, should we blame Özil for capitalising on that in regards to his contract negotiations?

Sanchez is currently earning £500k p/w up north and so far all he’s done is play the piano. Suppose we would’ve paid him that . If you wanna see clear evidence of physical decline, watch that Chilean dog merchant play football. He’s lost almost every physical attribute that made him such a threat.

 

[Trilly]

I can appreciate your point of view, but I’m still not convinced. Not so sure you can use an injury prone season as evidence of a physical decline. Players will naturally be injured more in some seasons than others, De Bruyne for example has struggled a lot with injuries this term- big and small ones, would you say he’s declining physically?

The mental decline argument you put forward is completely subjective. Who’s to say he’s not as hungry now as he was before he won the World Cup? I can hardly see him being content with no more trophies but a fat wad of cash in the bank. He’s been rich for a long time now. Not sure where those reports about the training sessions come from either, Emery has said nothing but positive things about his effort and application.

What’s “very clear” to me is his wage is influencing a hell of a lot of opinions. If he wasn’t a world class talent I too would be annoyed, but having seen what Özil can do, and what he’s capable of, I’m happy to have him around. We need to put it into context, his contract was signed at a time where our TWO main men were on the verge of leaving for nothing, should we blame Özil for capitalising on that in regards to his contract negotiations?

Sanchez is currently earning £500k p/w up north and so far all he’s done is play the piano. Suppose we would’ve paid him that . If you wanna see clear evidence of physical decline, watch that Chilean dog merchant play football. He’s lost almost every physical attribute that made him such a threat.

It’s almost like his wages are making people think he’s absolute trash. Also why is everyone so sure that the club will reinvest his wages? I feel like the club has successfully made him the scapegoat, using his wages as an excuse for a lack of ambition. Even without Özil here I don’t think we’d ever be in the running for a player who would earn those wages, not for a while anyway.

At the end of the day he’s still a good player, bun the wages me nuh care about that. Seeing him listed as a must sell with guys like Mustafi is disrespectful.

 

[Jae]

Well I've steered clear of this thread for the past 3 months because it had been going round in circles for months up until that point.

Good to see nothings changed

 

[field442]

At this point he’s not worth discussing. We are after a b2b midfielder so if he stays he’ll be on the bench and if he goes we save a load on wages. The team won’t be built around him and he’ll remain a peripheral figure like he was for much of the season.

 

[Gervais]

If an opportunity to sell him comes up I think we absolutely have to take it. He's still a good player and there's no doubt in my mind that he has something to offer, but he's earning 18m a year, an obscene amount of money for a player soon to be the wrong side of 30 in a team which will most likely be targeting younger and cheaper players with high upside in the coming transfer windows.

18m a year off the wages would make a massive difference. Shifting him and Mkhitaryan would be like striking gold this summer.

 

[drippin]

I can appreciate your point of view, but I’m still not convinced. Not so sure you can use an injury prone season as evidence of a physical decline. Players will naturally be injured more in some seasons than others, De Bruyne for example has struggled a lot with injuries this term- big and small ones, would you say he’s declining physically?

The mental decline argument you put forward is completely subjective. Who’s to say he’s not as hungry now as he was before he won the World Cup? I can hardly see him being content with no more trophies but a fat wad of cash in the bank. He’s been rich for a long time now. Not sure where those reports about the training sessions come from either, Emery has said nothing but positive things about his effort and application.

What’s “very clear” to me is his wage is influencing a hell of a lot of opinions. If he wasn’t a world class talent I too would be annoyed, but having seen what Özil can do, and what he’s capable of, I’m happy to have him around. We need to put it into context, his contract was signed at a time where our TWO main men were on the verge of leaving for nothing, should we blame Özil for capitalising on that in regards to his contract negotiations?

Sanchez is currently earning £500k p/w up north and so far all he’s done is play the piano. Suppose we would’ve paid him that . If you wanna see clear evidence of physical decline, watch that Chilean dog merchant play football. He’s lost almost every physical attribute that made him such a threat.

Great post. Personally I think he has had those mental and physical problems this season which have affected most.

And also why Emery didn't play him earlier, although of course tactics against different opponents matter also.

We don't know for sure, so this is my opinion about it. Let's hope Özil can put in a shift next season!

It's very tough to sell him without taking massive losses. I think he is worth more here.

 

[RacingPhoton]

At this point he’s not worth discussing. We are after a b2b midfielder so if he stays he’ll be on the bench and if he goes we save a load on wages. The team won’t be built around him and he’ll remain a peripheral figure like he was for much of the season.

A b2b midfielder is more of a Xhaka replacement than Özil replacement.

 

[field442]

A b2b midfielder is more of a Xhaka replacement than Özil replacement.

Emery prefers playing with a double pivot and a more attack minded midfielder in front. The only reason Özil has been playing the last few weeks is because Ramsey got injured and we couldn’t sign someone like Nkunku in January.