Mesut Özil: 2019/20 Performances

[celestis]

'98 Dutch team was the first I saw and it might be subjective but that has been the greatest team I've ever seen. Bergkamp, Overmars of course but also Van der Sar, Stam, De Boer, Davids, Seedorf, Kluivert..
I still remember Van Hooijdonk being pulled back in the penalty area vs Brazil in extra time. With VAR that would have been a penalty. Not that we'd score penalties in that time (anyone remember us vs Italy in 2000? )

Still feel that was our time. But France and Brazil were class too of course.

Holland 87 was right up there . Holland v Germany 87 Euro semi was one of the greatest matches I have seen ,

 

[RUS arsenal]

For what it's worth I hate using tournaments and international football in general to support any kind of debates about individual players.

The point I was making is Cesc competing for starts with Xavi, Iniesta, Cazorla, Silva and Xabi Alonso while Özil competing with Gotze, Draxler and Podolski is kind of important context as to why the former was a sub.. that's what I meant by it being a reach.

If we're talking impact - that sole assist he made as a sub in the final was the same number of assists (+1 goal) that Özil managed in 7 games for Germany as a "core part" of their team in Brazil.

Their roles are fundamentally different so this is all kind of moot. It's really about being the core part of Arsenal's team I'm focused on.

Hate to nit pick because I agree with some of your points but just to get the facts straight, Özil had a goal and 2 assists in the 2014 tournament.

As you mention context is important so while it is true that Cesc had stiffer competition for spots in that Spanish team, it is also true that you can't judge Özil's quality just because he had less competition in the squad.

Anyway, I wasn't the one who brought International football into the conversation neither did I ever directly compare the two players. For me, both were world class in their prime in their respective roles but were never in the conversation for best...

 

[Big Poppa]

Please tell me this is a joke.

I think he was being serious

 

[albakos]

'98 Dutch team was the first I saw and it might be subjective but that has been the greatest team I've ever seen. Bergkamp, Overmars of course but also Van der Sar, Stam, De Boer, Davids, Seedorf, Kluivert..
I still remember Van Hooijdonk being pulled back in the penalty area vs Brazil in extra time. With VAR that would have been a penalty. Not that we'd score penalties in that time (anyone remember us vs Italy in 2000? )

Still feel that was our time. But France and Brazil were class too of course.

I still remember the sheer excitement I had when Kluivert scored a bullet header from a corner kick.

 

[krengon]

I think he was being serious

I refuse to believe it's serious

Must have fortgotten how good Vieira actually was or never saw him play, this shouldn't even be up for debate.

 

[freeglennhelder2]

Now you guys got me crying watching old PV4 vids. I swear Vieira used to win a lot of games in the pre-match lineup. You could see a lot of opposition midfielders thinking “I don’t fancy this at all” .... At his peak for us he was so far ahead in midfield he straight up looked like an adult having a kickabout in a kids game.

 

[Big Poppa]

I refuse to believe it's serious

Must have fortgotten how good Vieira actually was or never saw him play, this shouldn't even be up for debate.

I think many have unfortunately.

There was one match away at Stamford Bridge, where I think Gudjohnsen scored first and we came back to win 2-1. Vieira was unplayable that day. He was chesting it down from goal kicks under pressure and laying it off in two touches.

Huge pressure match and he just looked like he was playing in his back garden

His goal when Pires made that run to drag the defender away and Bergkamp made an outside of the foot through ball was nut-worthy.

 

[Eaststander74]

I think many have unfortunately.

There was one match away at Stamford Bridge, where I think Gudjohnsen scored first and we came back to win 2-1. Vieira was unplayable that day. He was chesting it down from goal kicks under pressure and laying it off in two touches.

Huge pressure match and he just looked like he was playing in his back garden

His goal when Pires made that run to drag the defender away and Bergkamp made an outside of the foot through ball was nut-worthy.

I watched about 60 minutes of that match over xmas funnily enough. Tried to find the final we lost V Liverpool where he was ridiculous as well, but couldn't find it.

 

[yorch44]

Shut up and enjoy your best footballer in the club.

 

[Eaststander74]

Shut up and enjoy your best footballer in the club.

What happened v Leeds? I think he was still recovering from the massive shock to his system caused by giving 100% in two consecutive games. Rest up, sweet prince. Look forward to your next 12km game in April.

 

[Fewtch]

Shut up and enjoy your best footballer in the club.

Why we watch the beautiful game. Incroyable as Le Prof would’ve said. Rip

 

[A_G]

I watched about 60 minutes of that match over xmas funnily enough. Tried to find the final we lost V Liverpool where he was ridiculous as well, but couldn't find it.

 

[Riou]

Best Premiership midfielder ever...also this game nearly broke me when I was 9, plus this match wasn't long after Austin turned heel at Mania...I was on **** watch by my parents basically

 

[Bloodbather]

That Brazil team of 2002 with the three Rs was the most entertaining WC winning team of the last 30 years. France weren't too bad 18 months ago though.

Agreed 100%. First World Cup I watched, so there's a bit of nostalgia swaying my opinion possibly, but that team was simply spectacular. Arguably one of the greatest sides too, not just the most entertaining.

It wasn't just Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho; they had Roberto Carlos and Cafu at the flanks, Gilberto Silva in midfield and Lúcio in defense, too. Just an insanely good team. They'd have Emerson in midfield too, had he not been injured.

 

[Eaststander74]

Gods work, lad.

 

[Football Manager]

Shut up and enjoy your best footballer in the club.

He has good touch, passing and off the ball movement. That’s it.

On the ball he is far from cazorla level, Özil doesn’t have the close control, techniques, skills dribbling. That’s why Özil was never anywhere close to iniesta, modric, Isco, Erikson, Coutinho, Kaka level.

If you are able to dribble past a player, you suddenly have much more space to exploit, more options to pass to, creating more space and chances on the pitch.

When Özil gets the ball, most of the time it’s just a simple pass back to another teammate. If there’s no passing options, he lost possession.

 

[yorch44]

He has good touch, passing and off the ball movement. That’s it.

On the ball he is far from cazorla level, Özil doesn’t have the close control, techniques, skills dribbling. That’s why Özil was never anywhere close to iniesta, modric, Isco, Erikson, Coutinho, Kaka level.

If you are able to dribble past a player, you suddenly have much more space to exploit, more options to pass to, creating more space and chances on the pitch.

When Özil gets the ball, most of the time it’s just a simple pass back to another teammate. If there’s no passing options, he lost possession.

You wish to have the 1/100th of his intelligence and football ability and it would be still a lot more of what you have if you think dribbling is everything in football

 

[Football Manager]

You wish to have the 1/100th of his intelligence and football ability and it would be still a lot more of what you have if you think dribbling is everything in football

In passing, the two conditions you need on the pitch are passing options and a small pocket of space for the receiver to receive the ball. A great passer like Özil can do nothing if the opponent shuts down both conditions. Mark him tight to limit his passing options, and closes all the gaps with disciplined defence to cut potential receiver’s space.

That is why people believe Özil is “inconsistent”. I don’t believe a great passer like him will be a great passer in one game and suddenly lost his attributes in another game. So I don’t think he is inconsistent. His limited ability help him to play well in some matches but not in some matches when the conditions he needed are not fulfilled. What really happened is, defending against Özil is easy, just eliminate the two conditions and when the opponent team is doing it right, Özil will have a bad game.

If you dribble past a player, you suddenly open up lots of spaces and lots of passing options. You also disrupted their marking. Should the opponents’ defence stay with a potential receiver of the ball? Or charge out to mark you instead? By this you create those small gaps to pass into.

Özil needs certain conditions to exist for him to showcase his passing quality. Other world class attacking midfielders create those conditions for themselves and for their teammates.

This is Özil left with no passing options. He can do nothing even he is such a talented passer. (Please ignore the other players’ name on here)

If Özil can dribble past his marker, there will be a lot more passing options available. Number 4 will have a headache on who he should mark.

 

[RUS arsenal]

Skill is not everything, it’s just a foundation, like legs, if you don’t have legs you can’t be a good footballer. But it doesn’t guarantee that you will be a good footballer if you have it.
Like the players I’ve stated above, they have both skills and top class football intelligence. They have both. They are true world class players. Özil is second tier.

In passing, the two conditions you need on the pitch are passing options and a small pocket of space for the receiver to receive the ball. A great passer like Özil can do nothing if the opponent shuts down both conditions. Mark him tight to limit his passing options, and closes all the gaps with disciplined defence to cut possible receiver’s space.

That is why people believe Özil is “inconsistent”. I don’t believe a great passer like him will be a great passer in one game and suddenly lost his attributes in another game. So I don’t think he is inconsistent. His limited ability help him to play well in some matches but not in some matches when the conditions he needed are not fulfilled. What really happened is, defending against Özil is easy, just eliminate the two conditions and when the opponent team is doing it right, Özil will have a bad game.

If you dribble past a player, you suddenly open up lots of spaces and lots of passing options. You also disrupted their marking. Should the opponents’ defence stay with a potential receiver of the ball? Or charge out to mark you instead? By this you create those small gaps to pass into.

Özil needs certain conditions to exist for him to showcase his passing quality. Other world class attacking midfielders create those conditions for themselves and for their teammates.

This is Özil left with no passing options. He can do nothing even he is such a talented passer. (Please ignore the other players’ name on here)

If Özil can dribble past his marker, that will be a lot more passing options available. Number 4 will have a headache on who he should mark.

I'm sorry, but what an ignorant post

 

[Tosker]

I don't know where this quote originates from, but I like it anyway