Mesut Özil: 2019/20 Performances

[DJ_Markstar]

He played like a senior skiller in a pickup match yesterday. His single remarkable contribution was when he made a correct pass during a counter-attack, and he tried a couple of flicks and chip-passes that didn't any yield positive outcomes, whatsoever.

Those are all of the things he did on the ball. When he didn't have it he didn't drop back to help our defense out at all in the first half, like the BBC showed during halftime.

Obviously Holdini and David Luiz looked clueless out there at times, but every single player except Sokratis was being pressed and a long ball to a man-marked Özil or Lacazette is never a good option anyways.

His "press" of the ball is also often times half-hearted and easy to bypass. It's a symbol for his contributions to the team, which is close to nought. Xhaka played better than him yesterday. Much better. Xhaka.

Both bring very little to the team anyways. Sell them and bring in actual midfielders, or play the youth, idc anymore. Can't do that now obviously since you wouldn't get 10m for them in the summer then. But I don't want to see either in the team next year.

(BTW the Lacazette/Firmino discussion in the other thread made me tear up a bit because Firmino would be our best player by a mile. Whether at striker or at #10. We'd be talking about how he's better than De Bruyne and the best Brazilian player after Martinelli)

Yes lad, that's the spirit!

 

[Ash10]

Old but still

 

[DJ_Markstar]

Old but still

No wonder he's butthurt.

 

[Big Poppa]

He played like a senior skiller in a pickup match yesterday. His single remarkable contribution was when he made a correct pass during a counter-attack, and he tried a couple of flicks and chip-passes that didn't any yield positive outcomes, whatsoever.

Those are all of the things he did on the ball. When he didn't have it he didn't drop back to help our defense out at all in the first half, like the BBC showed during halftime.

Obviously Holdini and David Luiz looked clueless out there at times, but every single player except Sokratis was being pressed and a long ball to a man-marked Özil or Lacazette is never a good option anyways.

His "press" of the ball is also often times half-hearted and easy to bypass. It's a symbol for his contributions to the team, which is close to nought. Xhaka played better than him yesterday. Much better. Xhaka.

Both bring very little to the team anyways. Sell them and bring in actual midfielders, or play the youth, idc anymore. Can't do that now obviously since you wouldn't get 10m for them in the summer then. But I don't want to see either in the team next year.

(BTW the Lacazette/Firmino discussion in the other thread made me tear up a bit because Firmino would be our best player by a mile. Whether at striker or at #10. We'd be talking about how he's better than De Bruyne and the best Brazilian player after Martinelli)

Özil is one of the softest footballers I’ve ever seen.

 

[Santi's Left Foot]

If we're just going on stats...(according to Transfermarkt)

For Barcelona:

Cesc - Games: 151 Goals: 42 Assists: 51
Iniesta - Games: 674 Goals: 57 Assists: 140
Xavi - Games: 769 Goals: 85 Assists: 184

Obviously stats aren't everything, but I posted this up because of the idea that his impressive stats are only due to being in a successful team was mooted. This doesn't seem to have made an impact on Iniesta or Xavi's stats. His goal or assists per game is sitting at an output of 0.62 per game, vs 0.29 for Iniesta and 0.35 for Xavi.

In fact, his output of 0.62 per game is just shy of the combined output of Xavi AND Iniesta per game, which sits at 0.64

Of course these are career stats and there needs to be more in-depth analysis etc. but I think the stats quite clearly show that he was not a flop and performed to an exceptional level for his role, which as a creative goalscoring midfielder means he should score and assist as his primary roles - he did that to an elite level here and at Barca.

You could argue he didn't fit their system, and that's a different argument, but I just can't get behind the idea he flopped.

Good post, I agree with all this.

As bizarre as it sounds he was a bit wasted at Barca. Had he have stayed with us more of his career he could have been an all time legend along with Henry, Bergkamp etc..

I think deep down he wishes things would have worked out, our identity was almost shaped in his image and we was lucky to get Santi and Arteta to buffer that legacy.

 

[Trilly]

If we're just going on stats...(according to Transfermarkt)

For Barcelona:

Cesc - Games: 151 Goals: 42 Assists: 51
Iniesta - Games: 674 Goals: 57 Assists: 140
Xavi - Games: 769 Goals: 85 Assists: 184

Obviously stats aren't everything, but I posted this up because of the idea that his impressive stats are only due to being in a successful team was mooted. This doesn't seem to have made an impact on Iniesta or Xavi's stats. His goal or assists per game is sitting at an output of 0.62 per game, vs 0.29 for Iniesta and 0.35 for Xavi.

In fact, his output of 0.62 per game is just shy of the combined output of Xavi AND Iniesta per game, which sits at 0.64

Of course these are career stats and there needs to be more in-depth analysis etc. but I think the stats quite clearly show that he was not a flop and performed to an exceptional level for his role, which as a creative goalscoring midfielder means he should score and assist as his primary roles - he did that to an elite level here and at Barca.

You could argue he didn't fit their system, and that's a different argument, but I just can't get behind the idea he flopped.

He played a lot of games as false 9 and as an attacking midfielder for Barca.

why are you comparing his stats to Xavi and Iniesta who were less direct players? John Terry has more goals than Iniesta or some crazy stat like that.

 

[Trilly]

'The fans' said ... Players fall out of favour with fans for all sorts of reasons, it doesn't render their time there as a 'flop'. He got booed once as a sub and a vote by Marca had 50% wanting him sold... So we're left his on field stats...

More Gooners wanted Özil gone ffs, does that render him a flop irrespective of his stats? If anyone is going to ignore what the player contributed and determine whether a player flopped or not, it's the club.

Come on lad, your goose is cooked. It's simply horseshit.

The fans didn’t like him, the club deemed him surplus to requirements and sold him.

He was bought to replace Xavi/Iniesta and failed to do so despite arriving as probably the best young if not overall CM in the world.

You’re just typing bare now for no reason. The signing wasn’t a success. Leave it and move on.

 

[Santi's Left Foot]

He played a lot of games as false 9 and as an attacking midfielder for Barca.

why are you comparing his stats to Xavi and Iniesta who were less direct players? John Terry has more goals than Iniesta or some crazy stat like that.

He's only making a point that he wasn't exactly a flop per se but obviously wasn't good quite good enough to replace Xavi and Iniesta.

 

[Eaststander74]

The fans didn’t like him, the club deemed him surplus to requirements and sold him.

He was bought to replace Xavi/Iniesta and failed to do so despite arriving as probably the best young if not overall CM in the world.

You’re just typing bare now for no reason. The signing wasn’t a success. Leave it and move on.

Im pumping you with facts and solid reasoning and you're like

Move on? No, admit your strange 'Cesc was a flop' thing is nonsense then I'll move on. I'm already sensing a climb down with the new 'wasn't a success' term now. You'll get there of we carry on.

 

[Trilly]

Im pumping you with facts and solid reasoning and you're like

Move on? No, admit your strange 'Cesc was a flop' thing is nonsense then I'll move on. I'm already sensing a climb down with the new 'wasn't a success' term now. You'll get there of we carry on.

If the transfer was a success why did they ship him off after three seasons?

Why was his contact not renewed? Why was he sold at his peak? Why did the fans want him out? Why was he sold at a loss?

I feel like you don’t want to admit he wasn’t a success at Barcelona because you somehow think it validates Özil. This is nothing to do with Mes, leave your agenda at the door.

I mean, just google ‘Fàbregas Barcelona Flop’ and you’ll see the general opinion of the football word on that move. But you won’t. Because this is somehow about Özil and admitting things didn’t work at Barca for Cesc would somehow validate your nemesis. Pitiful stuff from you sir.

 

[Eaststander74]

If the transfer was a success why did they ship him off after three seasons?

They signed him with a view to him replacing Xavi, their greatest ever midfielder. Turns out he wasn't quite that type of player. He decided to leave. So he flopped?

Why was his contact not renewed? Why was he sold at his peak? Why did the fans want him out? Why was he sold at a loss?

Ummm... because he asked to leave. The president tried to block it.

I feel like you don’t want to admit he wasn’t a success at Barcelona because you somehow think it validates Özil. This is nothing to do with Mes, leave your agenda at the door.

What you feel, matters not. Just let your eyes do the work. This has nothing to do with Özil.

 

[Eaststander74]

Back on topic though If we sell Özil in the summer, whether he asks to leave or not, will he have been a flop here?

 

[Eaststander74]

 

[RUS arsenal]

Nothing divides the fan base quite like Cesc and Özil talk

 

[Football Manager]

Nothing divides the fan base quite like Cesc and Özil talk

Because some people here underrate Fabregas and overrate Özil.

 

[TinFish]

Because some people here underrate Fabregas and overrate Özil.

This is true, Fabregas at Arsenal was a monster. Best central midfielder in Wenger's era. Outshone Viera.

 

[Manberg]

On a technical level, Cesc was the best player we ever bad. Ever.

 

[Garrincha]

Im just amazed how both have been washed up so bad by 30 & really ****ed up career choices.

How neither ever made it to Italy in their post prime years is beyond me.

 

[RUS arsenal]

What have I done? I just added fuel to the fire!

Now I am not gonna enter the debate and I know the two played in different eras of the club's development but it is a fact that Özil won 3 FA Cups with Arsenal while Cesc won one. Well then carry on

 

[Football Manager]

What have I done? I just added fuel to the fire!

Now I am not gonna enter the debate and I know the two played in different eras of the club's development but it is a fact that Özil won 3 FA Cups with Arsenal while Cesc won one. Well then carry on

Mustafi won a World Cup. Terry and Ferdinand are nothing compared to Mustafi.