Mesut Özil: Time to Move Ön?

[Optimistic]

Özil suits our game just fine. what he doesn't suit are mediocre players.

Well, to play devil's advocate: if we don't have the personnel to play to Özil's strengths and get the best from him, would it be such a terrible shame not to play him?

As you can tell from my avatar I'm an Özil fan, and I'm not sold on a midfield 3 after one game (or half of one). It could still be the case we find success with Özil playing in the hole. But he's not been playing that well recently, and I think a spell on the bench might actually do him some good in the longer term.

 

[krackpot]

Well, to play devil's advocate: if we don't have the personnel to play to Özil's strengths and get the best from him, would it be such a terrible shame not to play him?

As you can tell from my avatar I'm an Özil fan, and I'm not sold on a midfield 3 after one game (or half of one). It could still be the case we find success with Özil playing in the hole. But he's not been playing that well recently, and I think a spell on the bench might actually do him some good in the longer term.

i agree completely, but something should be done without having to resort to this.

I support AFC as an Özil fan, and I am loathe to see my club lose games while our best players are sat on the bench.

we should be able to do what Chelski did with that tosser Costa.

 

[Jury]

you two should make a cult. I'll design you a logo.

Seriously, can you do that stuff? Knock a quick one up for a laugh

 

[ARSNLNO1]

Özil suits our game just fine. what he doesn't suit are mediocre players.

The control and dication you saw was basically down to Bayern keeping a high line, and Ox/Xhaka finding the runs of Theo.

Our system is not even about Özil anymore, if you care to observe. he's not been in our team for three games, and we still lost.

I think your doing a disservice to the players that played last night, that midfield three were superb for 54 min last night.

Özil does not suit our system and that is highlighted perfectly by the fact that our system has had to be changed to fit him. An due to that other players like Ramsey have been played out of position and gone down hill.

I did observe and Last 3 games..... Bayern 5 -1, Liverpool 3 - 1, Sutton 2 - 0 we won one, think you should try observing closer

What did the previous Bayern game and Liverpool have in common? A 4231 formation & a midfield that contained Coq.

Unless Özil would be happy playing ALM in a 433 I can't honestly see where he fits in this current team. He's a luxury we don't need and can't use in my opinion.

 

[CaseUteinberger]

Carting Özil out late in the game when we play with 10 men is like making an additional subtraction. We could just as well have played on with 9 men. Don't understand what Wenger was thinking, "Bring Qzil on. Might as well lose with a couple of more goals."?

 

[redwhiteAustrian]

I hope one side effect of this abject season will be Özil deciding not to extend and thus leaving us in the summer.

I don't think shifting our midfield to the degree we have to, to accomodate Özil as AM, is worth it. Not even Santi could transform a midfield three with Özil into something I'd trust.

 

[redwhiteAustrian]

Just for the record....I love Özil as a player, it's just that I don't think he suits us.

 

[Tosker]

our British boys played with more passion yesterday than our foreign imports - add Jack and Danny into the mix and perhaps we can get our mojo back next season

Özil seems more up for being a team player, and I would like to see him under a new manager, who might be able to integrate him into the core rather than let him drift about the field

 

[chessygoal]

I hope one side effect of this abject season will be Özil deciding not to extend and thus leaving us in the summer.

I don't think shifting our midfield to the degree we have to, to accomodate Özil as AM, is worth it. Not even Santi could transform a midfield three with Özil into something I'd trust.

Wenger asked Özil to play as a second striker, he's just doing what he's told to do.
Having a player like Özil in a well drilled team is invaluable, we'd be mad to let him go. We can't start next season with Ramsey, Jack and an injured Santi as our main creative options.

 

[ARSNLNO1]

Wenger asked Özil to play as a second striker, he's just doing what he's told to do.
Having a player like Özil in a well drilled team is invaluable, we'd be mad to let him go. We can't start next season with Ramsey, Jack and an injured Santi as our main creative options.

Özil is a number 10 that's his position he plays in the hole. Mourinho used to fall out with him because when Real were up against it he's not the type of player you need. He's a showman and a classy player but he's a luxury, a luxury that does not fit in this Arsenal team I'm afraid.

Ramsey, Jack, Santi & the Ox would be our main creative players. I think the Ox has proven more than once it's his best position. Plus that kind of formation gives the freedom to our wide players as they have less defending to do. If Özil could play ALM then yeah I'd happily keep him but I'm not sure he would be happy there.

The money we would get from his sale could be put to far better use in strengthening the team.

 

[4R5Emaniac]

Özil is a number 10 that's his position he plays in the hole. Mourinho used to fall out with him because when Real were up against it he's not the type of player you need. He's a showman and a classy player but he's a luxury, a luxury that does not fit in this Arsenal team I'm afraid.

Ramsey, Jack, Santi & the Ox would be our main creative players. I think the Ox has proven more than once it's his best position. Plus that kind of formation gives the freedom to our wide players as they have less defending to do. If Özil could play ALM then yeah I'd happily keep him but I'm not sure he would be happy there.

The money we would get from his sale could be put to far better use in strengthening the team.

Özil is bad out wide. Totally agree, we'd be better off selling and investing that money back into improving the team.

 

[Hunta]

I'm honestly now happy for him and Alexis to leave to a foreign side. Alexis seems like he's off anyway and I'd prefer us changing to 3 in midfield over paying Özil £200k plus to stay.

Assuming we get a new manager and Özil stays, I'd hope they would have a better idea of using him than Wenger, to sacrifice so much for a player who has been truly world class for 1 of his 4 years here isn't worth it.

 

[ARSNLNO1]

I'm honestly now happy for him and Alexis to leave to a foreign side. Alexis seems like he's off anyway and I'd prefer us changing to 3 in midfield over paying Özil £200k plus to stay.

Assuming we get a new manager and Özil stays, I'd hope they would have a better idea of using him than Wenger, to sacrifice so much for a player who has been truly world class for 1 of his 4 years here isn't worth it.

I forgot about that part, no way Özil is worth £200k plus a week

 

[CurryFlavoured]

Assuming we get a new manager and Özil stays, I'd hope they would have a better idea of using him than Wenger, to sacrifice so much for a player who has been truly world class for 1 of his 4 years here isn't worth it.

I don't even know if I'd fancy that if it means keeping a #10. I mean Germany are World champions, they have had Kroos, Khedira and Schweini in midfield over the years, but they would still rather shift him out wide (where he's not as good) than play 2 midfielders and a #10.

He's a very good footballer but I don't think the club needs him. Personally I'd be all for moving to a 3 man midfield.

 

[chessygoal]

Özil is a number 10 that's his position he plays in the hole. Mourinho used to fall out with him because when Real were up against it he's not the type of player you need. He's a showman and a classy player but he's a luxury, a luxury that does not fit in this Arsenal team I'm afraid.

Ramsey, Jack, Santi & the Ox would be our main creative players. I think the Ox has proven more than once it's his best position. Plus that kind of formation gives the freedom to our wide players as they have less defending to do. If Özil could play ALM then yeah I'd happily keep him but I'm not sure he would be happy there.

The money we would get from his sale could be put to far better use in strengthening the team.

There is a huge difference between the way Özil played last season (as a true n°10) and the way he was asked to play this season (Second striker making runs in behind). The Özil we had last season until december wasn't a luxury player.
Can he play in the system we use in FA Cup and against Bayern? Maybe, we haven't tried it.
But if you think that Ox, Jack or Ramsey are as good as Özil to create goal scoring opportunities, then I strongly disagree. As Mourinho also said, he's the best n°10 in the world. There is no way we can sell him and buy someone remotely as good as he is for a similar fee.
We just need a manager that can make it work, like Conte did with Hazard, Mourinho with Mata, Ancelotti with Thiago...

 

[samshere]

We're having a really under par season even by our low standards. I would never use our play of this season to judge any of our players. I mean, if a person just woke up from a 10 year cryogenic sleep and watched Chelsea last year, they'd be mystified why the little belgian player was being played all the time. But last season was an anomaly for Hazard, the same way this season is for us. When the team was actually playing well around October this year, Özil was amongst our best players. He had adjusted well to his new role and was contributing to our play. Is it a coincidence that his form went down the drain as soon as Santi went down and the team started playing with a lot less cohesion. No, I say, we keep our best players and give them another chance to shine under a changed set of circumstances.

 

[CaseUteinberger]

our British boys played with more passion yesterday than our foreign imports - add Jack and Danny into the mix and perhaps we can get our mojo back next season

Think that is mainly because they know that with a new manager they could be shipped out quicker then you think. Wenger has been cuddling his "British core" so much it is unreal. They will never have it better than what they have had the last 5-10 years with Wenger and they know it. That is why they show at least some fire. Guys who are much better and have real options like Sanchez don't have to do that. Sanchez is sought after. What club would take Walcott and Ramsey and match the money they are making now? Danny for example was dropped at once as LVG came in. When he was made available I so hoped we wouldn't pick him up but here he is making good wages and doing **** all. I'd bust my gut in the same situation too.

 

[mm76]

Danny for example was dropped at once as LVG came in. When he was made available I so hoped we wouldn't pick him up but here he is making good wages and doing **** all.

i'm not sure citing LVG as having good managerial sense is the way to go... a lot of Moan U fans wish he was still there. He's been unlucky with injuries and then prone to Wenger's erratic selection strategy but i was pleased when we got him - i'd ship out Giroud before him

 

[4R5Emaniac]

There is a huge difference between the way Özil played last season (as a true n°10) and the way he was asked to play this season (Second striker making runs in behind). The Özil we had last season until december wasn't a luxury player.
Can he play in the system we use in FA Cup and against Bayern? Maybe, we haven't tried it.
But if you think that Ox, Jack or Ramsey are as good as Özil to create goal scoring opportunities, then I strongly disagree. As Mourinho also said, he's the best n°10 in the world. There is no way we can sell him and buy someone remotely as good as he is for a similar fee.
We just need a manager that can make it work, like Conte did with Hazard, Mourinho with Mata, Ancelotti with Thiago...

We don't need a specialist no.10 to create chances or actually replace Özil like for like. We need to improve our quality overall and benefiting the entire team instead of to get one individual to shine. He is not that good and is a limited player. Gives nothing in defense and defensive transition. And "the best no.10 in the world" at his best didn't make our atrocious football last season any prettier. I'd rather we not play so badly for just Özil to stand out in a shower of sh!t and be comfortable.

Whats interesting is that his fans and defenders can't point to a big sample size of great performances to justify the theories they put out. Its always a few games, a month and half a season at a stretch rather than consistent performances for a whole season or two. He has been playing for a pretty long time and for sometime at Arsenal alone.

t And the best no.10 isn't even trusted to play no.10 for his national team either with world class midfielders, attackers and defenders.

 

[Big Poppa]

There is a huge difference between the way Özil played last season (as a true n°10) and the way he was asked to play this season (Second striker making runs in behind). The Özil we had last season until december wasn't a luxury player.
Can he play in the system we use in FA Cup and against Bayern? Maybe, we haven't tried it.
But if you think that Ox, Jack or Ramsey are as good as Özil to create goal scoring opportunities, then I strongly disagree. As Mourinho also said, he's the best n°10 in the world. There is no way we can sell him and buy someone remotely as good as he is for a similar fee.
We just need a manager that can make it work, like Conte did with Hazard, Mourinho with Mata, Ancelotti with Thiago...

I'd argue that the best quality chances are initiated from turnovers in play - a trequartista like Özil merely enhances the quality of your final ball but he won't be able to get you the first ball. To that end, having players across the team who are both capable of winning first ball and releasing crisp, accurate passes forward should be a bigger priority. Not only that but it spreads the risk of a whole team malfunctioning due to the non performance of one individual who relies on service.

The great shame is knowing that if we sell Özil to a side that is better drilled than ours defensively, with a solid shape, like Atleti, Bayern or Chelsea, he will make them devastating.