I know, and it does eventually affect the talent pool of journalists who want to do the job. Once you get over the glamour of sitting in front of Manuel Pellegrini on a Thursday morning, do you really want to write up an article where you've been forced to ask him endless inane questions? No, you want to do something interesting.
Mesut Özil
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
I know, and it does eventually affect the talent pool of journalists who want to do the job. Once you get over the glamour of sitting in front of Manuel Pellegrini on a Thursday morning, do you really want to write up an article where you've been forced to ask him endless inane questions? No, you want to do something interesting.
It's fair enough to criticise Ozil's flaws (which are often obvious) or poor performances (of which there have been a few) but some of the criticism levelled at him is either irrational or totally ignores all mitigating factors.
For example, people who claim his body language proves he isn't really interested, even though that's the way he always looks. Or people who claim he's lazy, even though that would mean he's found a way of magically covering more ground than most of players on the pitch without making any effort at all.
Add the fact that he's adjusting to a new team, a more physical league, increased responsibility in a team with greater flaws and much greater strain on his fitness, stamina and endurance. With all that considered, surely being one of the key factors in his team's title challenge is a pretty decent return from his first season?
Yet if you believed some of commentary you'd think he was somehow holding Arsenal back, even though there are so many other glaring flaws in their team.
For example, people who claim his body language proves he isn't really interested, even though that's the way he always looks. Or people who claim he's lazy, even though that would mean he's found a way of magically covering more ground than most of players on the pitch without making any effort at all.
Add the fact that he's adjusting to a new team, a more physical league, increased responsibility in a team with greater flaws and much greater strain on his fitness, stamina and endurance. With all that considered, surely being one of the key factors in his team's title challenge is a pretty decent return from his first season?
Yet if you believed some of commentary you'd think he was somehow holding Arsenal back, even though there are so many other glaring flaws in their team.
It's probably AVB's fault.
Of course he bears a responsibility to help Arsenal control a game. If you actually believe his job is to do next to nothing until the ball arrives at his feet then he must look like the best player in the world.
You're making too many excuses for him.
Sort of reminds me of some Utd fans blindly defending Kagawa, at least with Ozil you have something to defend - he has outstanding ability, but he goes missing, always has done and that's probably why the press get on his back.
@Eyepopper agreed. just think ozil is easy media target. singling out arteta wouldn grab the same attention as expensive buy for wenger having 'poor' game in europe. Papers dont care about perspective or accounting for the various factors unless it's about someone they want to effuse a positive perception. not sure how the nature of journalism in that sense will change.
Really? From what I've seen of John Cross he would even flash his Gooner knickers to show his allegiance.
Really though, how is the Torres transfer even comparable to the Ozil one?
99% of football journalism is an insult to the term journalism. But the blame should also be aimed at the people who consume such poor media work. It's a vicious circle and football editors know they can get away with pretty much anything.
Ozil is probably a victim of this.
Ozil is probably a victim of this.
I'm pretty sure Cina is wumming, but EssexRob is genuinely that thick.
You're just touting the press line here. If you truly believe that statement then you haven't watched him much.
The press don't need a legitimate reason to get on someone's back. They did it with DDG (while everyone here to a man defended him). I said in the match thread, he didn't stand out amongst the other attackers, but is getting singled out. If we're using price tags to weigh criticism going forward, then Rooney should be getting lots of stick, seeing his salary is top 5 caliber.
The press are always either building someone up or knocking someone down.
I don't know why people waste their time reading some of the shit they print, much less believing it.
I know Cina is wumming the thread, but Rob seemed serious.
Yeah, he's seriously not a very smart person.
Well I don't read much press and rarely stories about players from Arsenal so I'm not trotting out any press line.
I'm not using his price tag as a basis for criticism per se, more to point out that comparing him to the likes of Giroud is pointless. Ozil, on his day is worth the money, it's just his day is generally against the likes of Everton and not Bayern.
Rooney doesn't get criticised
Ozil is an easy target.
Not British, has a languid style of playing. He isn't a blood and thunder type player like a Gerrard or a Rooney, he isn't explosive like a Suarez. He plays for Arsenal under a manager who the media have never truly accepted.
He has a much more refined, subtle style of play where his best work goes missing if you aren't paying close attention.
For this big game player thing. He scored vs Napoli, got an assist vs Dortmund and got an assist vs Liverpool (H). I can't remember the City game though.
He was subbed because he was injured and his injury explains his poor performance in the first half, but the journalists have papers to sell and the plain truth is just too boring to get the job done these days.
Not British, has a languid style of playing. He isn't a blood and thunder type player like a Gerrard or a Rooney, he isn't explosive like a Suarez. He plays for Arsenal under a manager who the media have never truly accepted.
He has a much more refined, subtle style of play where his best work goes missing if you aren't paying close attention.
For this big game player thing. He scored vs Napoli, got an assist vs Dortmund and got an assist vs Liverpool (H). I can't remember the City game though.
He was subbed because he was injured and his injury explains his poor performance in the first half, but the journalists have papers to sell and the plain truth is just too boring to get the job done these days.
I like him, he's a good poster, but I don't subscribe to his views upon Ozil at all.
aye think the issue becomes when those who do believe it start spouting some of the same reasoning here and it just gets gobbled up by those who vehemently disagree with it.
Feck me, are Gooners taking over the victim mentality from scousers?
The media loves Wenger usually because he's excellent at giving a quote or two. He's had some crap written about him over the last 2 years or so, but that is simply because they haven't won anything in eons. The press had been remarkably lenient on Wenger until the last 2-3 years. Someone like AVB for example was hounded out much more quickly.
People seem to have forgotten the vomit inducing fawning over "Arsenal's lovely (and losing) football" or "Arsenal's magnificent youth", all of which was credited to Wenger.
Ozil is starting to remind me much of Veron, brilliant in one league, a ghost in another, hopefully it's a transitional year for him, he's done well but I just hope it's not something in his mind like doubts his move for instance.
i'm curious, if the press actually focused more on the finer aspects of the game, say a thorough breakdown of a player's performance or a tactical aspects which played a part in the game, would fans in UK find that just as interesting as the supposed controversy or attention-grabbing headlines spouted out by the media?
Someone should have told Andy Townsend about the media bias against poor Arsenal.
Players are only easy targets if they are under performing. I think even the biggest critics would find it difficult to deny that Ozil is a world class talent when he's performing, but when he's not his game isn't really dynamic enough to contribute to the side beyond criticism. To take a non-arsenal perspective, consider Berbatov, a sensational player on his day but his style of play makes him look incredibly lazy when he isn't performing (I am only comparing their languid playing styles here, not their games).
When you have a £42m tag on your head you have to contribute so much more than the odd assist here and there. His performances in the majority of the 'big games' certainly haven't reflected his price tag, nor has he performed at the level he is capable of. I don't think the media are being unreasonable in giving him criticism, though granted it probably is a little exaggerated. If you think he has been performing to a level you are happy with, then just take comfort in the fact that he has so much more to give. Hopefully we will see that level from him soon.
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Same happened with De Gea though, young player, sizeable price-tag, they want a flop... Ozil it could be a transition year but he needs to perform more often, he doesn't seem to be a player at Arsenal who says "give me the ball, I always want to ball" like David Silva does, maybe he is just not settled yet.
Nailed.
He hasnt been the same since he faced Phil Jones :P
But seriously, hes a real good assist guy and its hard for him to pick the assists when he doesnt have people like Walcott and Ramsey making the runs. TBF to him, I dont think Arsenal would be challenging right now if they didnt sign him. I dont think Giroud and Ramsey would have had as many goals as they do without him (though its hard to say as a definite)
But seriously, hes a real good assist guy and its hard for him to pick the assists when he doesnt have people like Walcott and Ramsey making the runs. TBF to him, I dont think Arsenal would be challenging right now if they didnt sign him. I dont think Giroud and Ramsey would have had as many goals as they do without him (though its hard to say as a definite)
ToeKnee? FFS @SteveJ 
Nothing about a victim mentality. I just feel that compared to other top managers, Wenger gets and has always gotten a rough ride from the press. That is just my opinion, even when we were successful all you heard about was how "dirty" our team was and how we didn't have a lot of British Players. Now all of a sudden we're too soft and need to get back to those days. No matter what WEnger does he gets criticized.
From the time AVB started to go to war with the old guard at Chelsea, better known as England's three favourite sons (Cole, Terry and Lampard) that was it for him with the media.
I would say no, there are a lot of people interested in the tactical side of the game, don't get me wrong but controversy creates cash and attention grabbing headlines catch the eyes of the reader a lot better than say "An under performing, injured Mesut Ozil was subbed at half time".
Never said I was completely happy with his performances. I just understand that he is adjusting to a new league, new system and style of play and instead of Ronaldo in front of him he has Olivier Giroud. He needs time to adjust but he still hasn't been as poor as some people are making out.
One difference between Ozil and Berbatov, was that Berbatov was never bought to be the main man at Man Utd, and even if he was he always had Rooney, Tevez and Ronaldo ahead of him. I think he spent one season as first choice striker, 10/11. Whereas Ozil is our main man so he's coming in for a lot more flak than Berbatov ever did. Besides the odd assist what more does everyone want? He isn't a great goal scorer but he's 4 behind his all time total of 10 goals in a season so far having played around 20 less matches, in a new league.
Ramsey and Wilshere fill that role in terms of always calling for the ball. Ozil wants to be on the ball as well but he isn't as vocal as those two.
'Oh the old us English aren't intelligent enough to understand him argument'
Its £42 million. You have to judge him on a ridiculously high standard because thats what was paid for, and it was at the expense of several other positions Arsenal needed to strengthen. However, we need to measure Mata a similar way.
Nonsense, sorry that's a flimsy excuse, so you are saying a world-class player doesn't call for the ball in a game because it's not his role?
If you are a player of his supposed caliber, in a big game like tonight, the world stage, against a huge team like Bayern, you don't try show your ability? if that was any top player they would run into space, call for the ball, look for runners play the ball, inspire the team around you to make those runs because he has the quality to find you.
It's what he was bought for, any top class talent would want the ball as often as it was available, when he isn't on the ball he's getting in a better position to pick up the ball again, but he doesn't seem to do that, he should.
He has the ability, it's a mentality issue right now, and that penalty miss at the emirates didn't do much for himself either, he didn't even hit the ball with much conviction, I think he needs to show it on the field how good he is, and off the field train as hard as he can for the next match day, he doesn't look to be smiling and happy right now, now he's injured, I wonder if Wenger has decided to give him a break for a while.
There are very few players who have commanded such a fee, not that he asked for it, but it will be a stick to measure him by
Whenever I watch him, I never get the feeling he is content, moreso that he is restless somehow. There's just something about his his manner and particularly his reaction to events on the field that come across almost like he's agitated.
I wouldn't be surprised to discover if he regrets the move, and in particular I don't think he likes being 'the main man'. If Arsenal make a headline signing or two this summer, the burden of expectation may transfer itself, and he may flourish. If not, I can actually see him moving on at the end of next season.
I wouldn't be surprised to discover if he regrets the move, and in particular I don't think he likes being 'the main man'. If Arsenal make a headline signing or two this summer, the burden of expectation may transfer itself, and he may flourish. If not, I can actually see him moving on at the end of next season.
It wasn't a big game, it was a perfunctory end to a foregone conclusion ( I wouldn't have started him or others in the first choice XI but saved them for Spurs, Chelsea, City, Everton and Wigan). Ozil is the kind of attacking midfielder who requires the CM to provide possession and a platform for him to perform, he didn't get it tonight.
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I never said it wasn't his role, I just said he isn't vocal.
I agree with your second and third paragraphs completely but he had a hamstring injury which hampered his game, I'm not making excuses for him, its a simple fact.
That is how he always takes penalties, bare in mind he isn't our 1st choice pen taker. Order goes Arteta, Giroud, Podolski, Ozil/Cazorla. Arteta was suspended and Giroud was on the bench.
Why would Wenger give him a break when our next three games are Spurs, Chelsea and Man City? Is he really that confident that he thinks we could beat those three without our best player? He always says that a player in poor form needs to play constantly to get back into form.
If Ozil doesn't play its because he's injured. If Wenger is giving him a "break" in our most difficult and important part of the season then I honestly wouldn't know what to say.
One of the things that doesn't help Ozil is, for Arsenal, he's the player you build a team around, yet he's been implemented in a squad that's already built, you'd have to rebuild to accomodate him fully, I guess we will see most during the next transfer window.
I won't lie, at the start of the season, United fans were being wummed to the tits about how we could have had Ozil and how Ozil was going to lead them to the title.....So I'm pretty much enjoying this. Rightly or wrongly
Players always need time to adapt, not only on the field, but off the field too, new country, new lifestyle it's not easy.
David Silva has been mentioned in this thread, but people must remember that he wasn't anywhere near as good as he is now in his first season in the PL. Mata has yet to show us anything close to what he can do in a United shirt too, and he's been playing in this league for a good while now. Ozil has to deal with a new league and team.
Don't get me wrong, Ozil has been poor by his own standards, and when you consider his transfer fee, it's even worse. However, I'm not going to write him off this soon.
Don't get me wrong, Ozil has been poor by his own standards, and when you consider his transfer fee, it's even worse. However, I'm not going to write him off this soon.
Stupidly I'd say since Ozil is a vital part of us being well ahead of you in the league and on track for a an FA cup final.
What a waste of money. It's insulting to the game that a guy that expensive should be so anonymous. He'll never make it on these shores. It's not that the British are too thick to appreciate him, it's that he's too soft to possibly be worth appreciating. Certainly will go down as a massive flop.