Mesut Özil

JazzG said:
His initial positioning is usually better, he is able to better anticipate what the opposition will do with the ball. I think he covers spaces left by others better as well. As with more mobile and quicker players they usually are able to get themselves out of trouble whereas Arteta has slowed down in that respect. He is kind of like Busquets (obviously not as good) or like Carrick is for your lot. Flamini is the type of guy who might cover 12km in a match and so it appears he is literally everywhere but Arteta is someone who knows where he can and can't go and hangs around in those areas.

I'm not saying Flamini isn't good but in our first XI Arteta would start and I'd say rightly so. Arteta has off the pitch had a big influence as well, a really big character in the dressing room and well respected.



That is the case with many players, when they are slower physically they make up the yards in their head. Per Mertesacker is another like that and in the past we have had players who don't read the game well enough imo.
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I'm sorry. You havent been watching flamini closely then if that's how you're going to sum him up. Arteta is vulnerable when opponents get past him. In terms of directing players in relation to their positioning, he doesnt do it enough. Arteta does a good job of covering the spaces in front of him but he also does get drawn out at times and it can lead to situations where he makes silly fouls. Would flamini make the same silly fouls? I'll leave that for you to decide.

For me, Arteta controls the offensive part of Arsenal's play better than Flamini while Flamini is a better organizer of the defensive side of Arsenal's play. Feel free to disagree but that's just the way I see it. But you seem to not realize why Flamini floats into these spaces.
 
Additionally, I'm guessing you also forgot how easily Barkley got past Arteta on several occasions.
 
One bad game doesn't make him a bad player, for the record I didn't watch the Everton match but according to many he had a poor game.

I agree that Arteta is more vulnerable when players get past him, his injuries have slowed him down a fair bit. I've said it in the summer and I'll say it again but we do need to start looking at a more long term option for that position.
 
JazzG said:
One bad game doesn't make him a bad player, for the record I didn't watch the Everton match but according to many he had a poor game.

I agree that Arteta is more vulnerable when players get past him, his injuries have slowed him down a fair bit. I've said it in the summer and I'll say it again but we do need to start looking at a more long term option for that position.
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Definitely. Next summer is going to be one massive search for a top class DM and a centre forward. Arteta's coming to the end.
 
JazzG said:
One bad game doesn't make him a bad player, for the record I didn't watch the Everton match but according to many he had a poor game.

I agree that Arteta is more vulnerable when players get past him, his injuries have slowed him down a fair bit. I've said it in the summer and I'll say it again but we do need to start looking at a more long term option for that position.
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Yeah not trying to be harsh Jazz. From your posts, I think I'm just going to accept we see the game differently. I do wonder though, how do you feels about flamini and arteta playing in midfield as a solid defensive base versus one or the other?

And what's this from Wenger about tiredness? If he keeps talking about it, they'll believe it wont they?
 
He masters hiding in big games so fecking well. I know he's had an assist, but he was invisible for most of the game.
 
He was better than at OT but he still faded away badly in the second half. I struggle to think of a single Arsenal player who did well in the second half.
 
Walked straight down the tunnel. Mertesacker wasn't happy with him.
 
Amar__ said:
He masters hiding in big games so fecking well. I know he's had an assist, but he was invisible for most of the game.
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That's what you have to live with when you're playing him. You know he can drift and fade in and out of games, you just have to trust in the fact that he's likely to contribute assists even when he's otherwise poor.
 
I hadnt watched a lot of him at Real but the claims of him going missing in big games seems to be justified after all. And in the case of Arsenal, they probably cant even dare to sub him off in such cases, like the Real managers used to do.
 
For a 42 mill pound playmaker he isn't the best at playing his way out of tight situations. He always woke up in the game when city dropped deep and held their positions, whenever they put pressure on them he went into hiding, or did something pointless with the ball.
 
Orton said:
Much like our whole team when we went there.
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Our number 10 was exceptional that day, even in a side playing horribly. The idea we would have been better off replacing him with the German was always patently a load of bollocks.
 
And JazzG, have to admit you made some fair points on Flamini. It was his turn to have a poor performance and he was all over the place
 
He's a cracking player and one of the main reasons why Arsenal are top of the table. Watch him leading Arsenal to a victory vs Chelsea.
 
Great by Mertesacker. He is not the best Central defender, but his leadership is fantastic. A real German this guy.
 
Archie Leach said:
The Ozil hate is pretty silly after a match we conceded six in.
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Obviously the difference is no-one was saying Flamini's a top class DM or Arsenal have the best defence in the league.
 
Brwned said:
Obviously the difference is no-one was saying Flamini's a top class DM or Arsenal have the best defence is the best in the league.
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Our defence had been the tightest in the league and I think for the top team to concede six against anyone is a talking point, not the form of a player getting to grips with a new league who despite a few indifferent performances is leading the league in assists.
 
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