Divided_Pie
Active Member
Willock has struggled at #10. Sure, you can take a snapshot (such as in the last EL match) where he played well, but in terms of consistency and long-term fit he's definitely a more natural B2B than a #10. Ceballos as well has struggled at times, as you mention - he tends to need multiple touches to get the ball in a position where he can make a pass - he doesn't have the vision/anticipation/touch/decisiveness that Özil has and so the brief windows and tight spaces that Özil finds are gone by the time Ceballos plays a ball.I didn't say he has been crap either. In my view Willock and Ceballos have put out similar performances as Özil. Ceballos **** against Liverpool, but was it Burnley match MotM that evens it out.
Regardless, main point is that if you take the best moments of Willock and Ceballos, sure, they have looked good at AM. Taken as a whole, and considering level of competition, they haven't been as good or consistent as Özil (albeit in only two matches).
I feel like critics take a player like Willock's best moments, compare them to Özil's worst, and use that to argue that he's an upgrade, when he really isn't at this point and long-term will be playing much deeper. Neither Ceballos nor Willock have demonstrated that they can consistently dictate play in and near the final 3rd.