I don't see him in "big games" for his clubs and for Germany.
Mesut Özil
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Some people look at one bad game and suddenly he isn't all that, a few Dortmund players were poor against us and some people were like what is the fuss about these guys.
Part of the problem imo for us as been lack of pace recently, need Theo & Podolski back because those guys actually offer a threat in behind and as we've seen in their limited playing time together Ozil will see and pick out the required passes.
I think ozil is now understanding how much less "protection" attacking players get than in la liga. He'll have get used to it, as well as the pace of the league.
He whines too much at almost every single rough contact.
Him and Cazorla are both a bit rusty at the moment.
Probably used to the refs blowing the whistle at even the slightest contact in Spain.
Looked much improved today, I think all the games he had been playing for us had started to catch up with him but looked a lot more fresh and lively today.
Like most players who come from abroad it takes them a bit of time to adjust but he'll be fine. Will see the best of him next year when he is fully settled on and off the pitch.
Like most players who come from abroad it takes them a bit of time to adjust but he'll be fine. Will see the best of him next year when he is fully settled on and off the pitch.
Debatable really. Not all players just improve when they settle. Players like Silva for example got worse after their great first season. No winter break, playing every game. He could be burnt out by next season, especially in a world cup year. In fact I'd go as far to say he'll probably be worse next season. Still very good but worse.
We've had worse players than Ozil who have improved after a season so I'd say I'm pretty confident he will be fine. We don't need to play him in every game once we we have our injured players back because we have other players (Cazorla) who can be the main creative force and set up differently.
As for Silva IMO his problems are more down to injuries than him not settling in well.
As for Silva IMO his problems are more down to injuries than him not settling in well.
Ozil did well today, if a little subdued at time because of the insane pressing on him in particular.
He needs a bit of time. If he's still contributing well during this bedding in period, I'll be more than happy.
He needs a bit of time. If he's still contributing well during this bedding in period, I'll be more than happy.
Every game he does one of those dummies where the defender runs off into the stand - worth the admission money alone.
Worse players have a much greater room for improvement though. Usually a bad player is going to get better with time. Ozil is already playing well. I don't think Ozil is going to be dropped from the team very often, it doesn't matter how many players are back from injury he's still the best player. He's going to be playing nearly every game as he does now. Maybe he'll be less relied upon but he'll still play.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to doom monger about Arsenal and their players, I'm just trying to point out the assumption that he'll magically improve over time can't be made. It doesn't always work like that.
Ozil turned up and immediately looked the best player in the league. He hasn't looked the best player in the league for a couple of games. He'll level out and be one of the best players in the league very soon. He's still a fecking incredible signing.
Isn't Silva the perfect example of players needing about a year to settle? I remember his first season being pretty low key.
Yeah, but after settling and hitting some unplayable highs, he's since been really underwhelming and barely turned up in the last 12 months, no? Seems almost complacent.
This being his first season in the PL, he needs to be rested instead of playing almost all the games. After the match against Liverpool, he has looked a little jaded.
Are you serious? That is a huge misconception because of how great his best season was. Even last year he was rated the 17th best player in the EPL going by his average rating. This season he is ranked 3rd, only bettered by Ramsey and Suarez.
Only Hazard had higher average rating last year of all the wingers/left-right midfielders. So if the team of the season was a 4-2-3-1 Silva would be in that team. Bale of course considered an AM/2nd striker last year.
He apparently caught that cold that kept Mertesacker and Rosicky out against United. Think with Theo back he might be given a break here and there.
It's not just about improvement though, it is about coming into a new country and settling into life on and off the pitch which is something that takes time. When our players are back we are in a better position to rotate him, of course he is now the main creative hub in the team but that doesn't mean he will play all the time. When games are won he can be taken off more earlier and against so called lesser teams we can go with Cazorla & Rosicky so unlike past years we have options.
Of course it can't be assumed but I'd say it is pretty likely he will improve. His understanding with the team will improve further and his finishing and goal scoring is somewhere I see him improving, he gets into the right positions but kind of like Ramsey last year doesn't always look convinced he will score. Something the coaches will work on with him.
He has had to play in nearly every game for us this season because we have had so many players out. I think this league is a lot more demanding than Spain so it has caught up with him a bit. The German International set up confirmed he wasn't well against your lot and I think only playing 30mins during the internationals has given him a much needed rest.
Özil's quite a peripheral playmaker, in the sense that he spends large periods of games not dictating. He's not a player that orchestrates everything, which is why is sometimes easy to overlook his contribution. He's going to be like a deep lying van Persie for them, in that he'll be all about telling contributions at key times. He's a player that might only touch the ball 40 times in a game, whereas someone like Arteta will touch it 80, but he'll end up with two assists.
His level has definitely dipped in the last month or so though. Natural really, given that it's a new environment and a different type of football. Sadly, it won't last.
His level has definitely dipped in the last month or so though. Natural really, given that it's a new environment and a different type of football. Sadly, it won't last.
I don't care what your stats say, Silva barely did anything last season, for various reasons. Just watching the City games will tell you that, not some bizarre stat that claims he was the 17th best player. The stat generation for you. Trying to make football like baseball.
This season on the other hand, he has shown signs of getting back to his best, before injury struck.
He'll be a better player for being in the premier league.. for a player of his physical capabilities, this is without doubt the hardest league to thrive in. It is why I was questioning whether he'd be a success for us, he would never have succeeded under Moyes at this club. At Arsenal he'll be given time to adapt and they'll build the team around his weaknesses.
He's been gash with a while now, yet we never hear a peep about it.
Gash is probably a bit harsh. He was quiet at the weekend and anonymous against us.
He's extremely feeble in front of goal.
Been poor for few weeks only won't be long till he's back terrorising defences.
He's hardly done anything since those first 2 games. He's top class though.
The problem with football fans is they think he isn't scoring or setting up goals so what is he doing. Like how Ramsey was supposedly shit last season but good this season, people don't realise he has been playing the same way for most of 2013.
Main problem for Ozil has been without someone like Theo or Podolski the through ball is never on for him, Giroud isn't like RvP who will want the ball slipped between defenders so he can score. However what Ozil does better than anyone is keep the team moving the ball efficiently and his movement between the lines and passing is creating a lot more freedom for other players around him. Essentially that is one of the key things about him is he makes the pitch open up for players around him. Always in space himself and more often than not plays the right pass.
He will improve further as he settles more into this team and to life off the pitch
Absolutely clueless.....
Main problem for Ozil has been without someone like Theo or Podolski the through ball is never on for him, Giroud isn't like RvP who will want the ball slipped between defenders so he can score. However what Ozil does better than anyone is keep the team moving the ball efficiently and his movement between the lines and passing is creating a lot more freedom for other players around him. Essentially that is one of the key things about him is he makes the pitch open up for players around him. Always in space himself and more often than not plays the right pass.
He will improve further as he settles more into this team and to life off the pitch
Absolutely clueless.....The honeymoon period is over now. Going about his business a bit quieter but he's still a class act.
He's not exactly been bad whilst he hasn't been as brilliant as he was in September.
He's not exactly been bad whilst he hasn't been as brilliant as he was in September.
Ozil's form has been decent enough, though obviously not as good as a few weeks ago, but he's still contributing positively. Weird bump because he was excellent today in the second half. The thing with his position is that he needs players to make vertical runs ahead of him. Wilshere, Ramsey, and Cazorla (when all are played on the wings) don't do that. He's missed Walcott. However, he's still doing well. He's a different kind of #10 (you could call him a central winger) because he's one that moves laterally and drags midfielders out of position. Here's an example:
People don't realise these things, when he is drifting around it is pulling players out of position and letting the likes of Ramsey have more space.
I do think we need to manage his fitness though, take him off when games are won and rotate him more now we have options. No winter break and a gruelling Christmas period always is a bit of a shock to the system when players come from abroad, usually more telling in 2nd half of season as is the more physical nature of this league. Cazorla noticeably dropped off abit around January time.
I do think we need to manage his fitness though, take him off when games are won and rotate him more now we have options. No winter break and a gruelling Christmas period always is a bit of a shock to the system when players come from abroad, usually more telling in 2nd half of season as is the more physical nature of this league. Cazorla noticeably dropped off abit around January time.
Yeah ok but there's nothing really genius about that, being a decoy for other players isn't exactly the role of a playmaker. Saying he's a virtual passenger in a lot of games isn't really an insult to him by the way, it's criticism that's been levelled at him before he arrived at Arsenal, and I think it's pretty true. But it's not much of a problem because even when having such a game, he can come up with the goods with a killer pass at a crucial moment. It's what Feed Me was talking about a bit higher up I think, I agree with him.
The really problem with Özil, in my opinion, is this disappearance act in really big games. He is a playmaker, and he seems to not be able to have any influence whatsoever in certain games, just can't seem to grab them by the scruff of the neck and dictate anything. I'd say that's the main problem, rather than having him be quiet for 70 minutes against Norwich and then coming up with a superb assist, because that's what you'd want this type of player to bring to your team.
Where do you have the options though? Cazorla still seems a little rusty. Podolski has just started training. Walcott might be back, but I don't think you'd want to rely on him considering he can be on and off a bit. Who else is there.
Admission money he's worth but £42m is debatable.
His form has dipped and its right to bring it up because he cost so much money. Just as it was right to bring it up when he was absolutely fantastic at the beginning of the season.
Jeez, he just landed in his league. He has performed well enough for Madrid in big games as well so I don't think that will be a problem going forward either.
My issue is that he's just a bit cocky sometimes. The penalty was ridiculous, whilst his miscontrol in front of goal in the first half was a simple case of taking his eye off the ball.
When he missed the penalty, he strove to make up for it, and proceeded to play great. There's more to come, but I just want him to keep his head down.
When he missed the penalty, he strove to make up for it, and proceeded to play great. There's more to come, but I just want him to keep his head down.
Probably one of the last words I'd use to describe him. The penalty wasn't 'ridiculous', it was very well saved, and not very well taken. Are you seriously going to blather on about his lack of control on one occasion when he's shown over the course of the game that he can step up the tempo or take several opposition players out of the equation with one or two touches?
I would've loved to see the reaction on here to Veron.....
Don't think he's cocky - he's always seemed a grounded, sensible person. Perhaps just still so extremely confident in himself, while going through a bad run of form the last few games - that isn't necessarily a bad thing, i'd hope Valencia could learn a thing or two from that. For what it's worth, I think his drop in form (that has been quite exaggerated) is nothing more than a blip - it's more physical than anything (his technical game has suffered, yes, but as a result of him being exhausted), and I am sure Arsenal will know to put him on a special programme. It's nothing new - he finished 90 minutes just a handful of times over his entire Madrid career, so moving to the most physical, fastest league around will only make that problem worse. He'll be back, but could do with a bit of rest it seems.