We definitely need a new and younger one to be coming through. Özil's not gonna be here long either way.
Epic!This thread in gif form
Not with those wages. He is glued to us for now. He isn’t going anywhere. He will leech us to the last penny of that contract for sure then leave on a free. Well played Mesut! Wish he could be as good on the pitch...
Tbh, I dont even understand the 'past his best' theory. His stamina and athleticism is as it was, and unless he's taken up hard drugs, his brain should be fine. He's dropped off mentally imo. Lost that edge for whatever reason.
Think Wenger's theory about not having an international place to fight for might carry some weight. Tough situation though, because if I was in Özil's position I wouldn't want to play with those guys either.
Not sure why that is difficult to understand? Players as humans change. Just because you play at a certain level at one point doesn't mean that you will continue that. Some will be mental, some physical. Look at other sports. How many players can keep it at the highest level for long? There are a select few that keep at a high level for very long, but they often have to change how they play as they age.
Yes, it's most probably that. Importance creates motivation, so you'd think he'd be able to motivate himself to prove himself right and the DFB wrong, but he obviously must have put a lot of importance on playing for Germany. Why, though? His heart and blood is Turkish at the end of the day.
Players dip due to age, mostly. But not all players do, depending on what they relied on at their peak. What may Özil have lost that he relied on at his peak? Maybe it's his back problem as well, which makes him subconsciously put less effort in. The feeling of fragility can take something off you.
Noticed this as well, he's played very little this season and in general the lineup hasn't been consistent so hopefully this will improve with more time on the pitch, and hopefully a consistent formation and first 11.
