What an awful post. I'm not sure if you're trying to be controversial or not, but do you really believe what you just wrote?
Mesut Özil
- Thread starter RDCR07
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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.
Of course it matters. He has already shown he's a top class player over the course of several years at Madrid. Surely that means he's earned a certain amount of patience? Someone who was a top class player last season isn't going to suddenly become terrible, which means it's very reasonable to assume Ozil is going to improve.
Hell, he's already shown plenty at Arsenal to suggest it'll happen. Far from his best yet still has the third most assists in the league? Pretty impressive considering he was always going to struggle with the physicality of the PL.
As for his teammates shouting at him, maybe they should be looking at themselves first. It wasn't Ozil who allowed Liverpool score all those goals, for example.
Its not as though hes just playing poorly though, as many have said its more his attitude.
We're basically judging his attitude on his body language though, aren't we? I've seen a few people suggest his casual manner on the pitch is a bit misleading. Have many of his previous managers criticised his attitude?
For example, Mourinho was full of praise for the guy, both while he was managing him at Madrid and afterwards. He even said he was the best number 10 in the world and compared him to Zidane. Could you see Mourinho praising him that much if he had a poor attitude? Same thing with the Madrid players and fans, they were pretty unimpressed when Ozil was sold. You'd think a player with a poor attitude would've been a lot less popular.
I dont think Jose would have been praising him this season. It could be first season syndrome, but he just doesnt strike me as the sort of player who needed to adapt to this league.
Jesus Christ.
I've been reading this thread all day at work and it's just post after post from you talking completely speculative bollocks with absolutely no basis in fact.
I get home, and you're still doing it. I want to self-harm.
My word.
He's just winding you up. Ozil has been very good all season and a key factor in us being right up there in the league and cup.
Özil is a hell of a football player, capable of supplying that special moments i, for my part, go to watch football for. A leader he isn't.
I don't know what people are expecting in terms of leadership here.
Genghis Khan? Churchill?
Genghis Khan? Churchill?
David Moyes?
I can't wait to see Özil in the 2nd leg
Big test for him
Big test for him
It's more important that he slices up the mackems on Saturday.
That's another point. As I see it two of his main weaknesses are a) the fact that he's not a natural leader and b) he is defensively weak. With that in mind, look at how he fit into the Madrid set up. In terms of leadership he was surrounded by players like Ronaldo, Alonso, Ramos, Casillas and Pepe. All strong characters in their own way. In terms of defensive responsibility he was part of a midfield that had players like Khedira and Alonso behind him, players you would expect to offer quite a bit of protection to their back four.
Now compare that to Arsenal. Does the same level of leadership run through their team? I don't think so. Is their midfield balanced enough to cover Ozil's flaws while also making the most of his strengths? Not as far as I can see.
Basically, Arsenal's problems are less about Ozil and more about other flaws in the team which also happen to leave some of Ozil's weaknesses exposed. Ozil is meant to provide a lot of things but leadership and defensive security aren't really among them. That's what his team mates are supposed to be providing and, at times, they've come up short.
Sometimes it's just way early too judge a player properly. He certainly has the skill to become one of the best players in the world.
Since he stopped playing, has Stuart Pearce got anything right? And I literally mean anything.
I knew that sports fans are generally fickle, but this is insane.
Alright, Ray?
al, you didn't answer my question about why you thought it was unfair criticism that he goes missing in big games (I'm genuinely interested in your views).
You mean 'El General'?
I actually don't think Özil goes missing in big games, he does what he always does, it's just less effective. He's not better or worse, he's actually pretty consistent, imo. I wrote several posts about him and his role in his teams in the summer when the general opinion on the Caf sounded like he was the new Zidane. But he's not a player who controls the flow of the game, so he rarely takes over a game, turns it around when the team is playing badly. The expectations in him were ridiculous and simply wrong, that's why the criticism now is also way over the top and equally wrong. He's just a completely different type of player than most on here expect him to be.
His problems aren't that different from Kagawa's at United actually. He's all about movement that complements his teammates and drags players all over the pitch and he combines it with brilliant passing. He really needs a perfect foundation to shine, he's not a player who makes average players around him better, he's not the one who makes a disfunctional team tick. I was laughed at for my opinion on him countless times on the Caf, but it shows again at Arsenal. He needs a specific setup to work. At the worldcup the triangle Klose - Özil - Müller worked so well, because of their flawless off the ball movement, they clicked instantly. Same could be said for his understanding with Ronaldo and Benzema. If you can't provide that for him and force him to do things on his own, he will struggle, a lot.
I don't blame him, if he can't contribute that much offensively in a game, because his teammates aren't doing what he needs them to do. What annoys me so much about him, is that he gives up, when that's the case. He does that against smaller teams as much as against big teams, it's infuriating. I don't care how much distance he covers, if it doesn't have a purpose. He needs to change that attitude in general and do things that he doesn't want to do when a game isn't going his way. That's what I like about Götze so much, he had to play a peripheral role in the game against Arsenal, while Kroos ran the show. He had a bad day, his dribblings didn't work, his runs were well covered, but he worked a lot and everything he did had a purpose, it was never alibi jogging and it helped his teammates. Özil never does anything like that, he's either the main man or useless. I'm sure with Walcott and Ramsey back in the team, Özil will look like a different player again, not because he's all of a sudden better or mentally stronger, but because what he does so incredibly well will work with the right players around him, it's always been that way and nothing has changed in the last 4 years. If Wenger can provide him with the players he needs around him (and enough backups for them, in case they are injured), he will be brilliant and a joy to watch and he will rock quite a few big games as well. It's a big 'if' though, imo. And it's one of the main reasons, why afaik all Dortmund and Bayern fans on the Caf wrote that they wouldn't want him at their club and don't want him to be the player the nationalteam is built around.
That's a great phrase!
Cheers for your views Balu, always a pleasure to read! 
Nice alibi for Gotze who was totally ineffective all night even against 10 men.
Yes, he was ineffective, like I said, he had a bad game. His attitude on a day like this is totally different to Özil's though.
Gotze caused Arsenal all sorts of problems when the game was a bit more open, in the early stages. Not so much when Arsenal had 9 men camped in their own box but it wasn't easy for him to impress in those circumstances. All the more so once Bayern realised Arsenal's left flank was there for the taking and spend the rest of the game finding different ways to run rings around Monreal and Ozil.
Nachoman has been surprisingly shit for the Arse so far.
I'd ship him out - little or no defensive ability and physically weak.
Nacho's perfectly capable against mid-table and lower opposition. Out of his depth when facing top quality opponents.
Wrt Ozil, I'm not too concerned atm. The price tag is making people all the more hysterical after a few poor performances. He just looks knackered to me right now, and doesn't seem to be fitting in the current system. To be fair, he looked sublime when playing with Ramsey and Theo earlier on in the season...as I said, not too concerned. this is the first time he's played without a winter break, and completed more games than ever before.
Could see him rested for the next couple of games, I would imagine.
Could see him rested for the next couple of games, I would imagine.
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Would anyone here actually take Ozil over Rooney? I certainly wouldn't.
He can play better and he knows it but this team is not suited to his strengths currently. Wenger in the summer said the market was inflated and he is right 42 million for a player should guarantee more than Ozil has given thus far. I reserve judgement on him fully because it is his first season. Instead of posting sorry messages of facebook, twitter etc. he should do his talking on the pitch. He has never really been a big game player but he is a top player. I think he has a level above what he was at Madrid that he can reach.
Wenger in the media today saying that he's still recovering from that penalty miss. I can't get my head around someone who lets their head go down after missing a penalty that early in a game.
Troubles of modern footballers. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.
Weak mentality if true. It's gone, there's nothing you can do, you have man up and move on. Loads of great players have missed crucial penalties in their careers.
He and Podolski have been on about it the last few days. Social media is so important to some of these players these days. The Arsenal ones especially.
Tongue seemed firmly in cheek to a pretty daft question about facebook sorrys.
Sure he has.....
Why are you comparing Ozil to Rooney? One is a striker and the other is a midfield player.
In attack he is good but he can't deal with good wide players. Last season this was the case as well but gave him time to adjust but he looks even worse right now.
It is easier to have a more positive attitude when your team is on the front foot and you haven't just missed a penalty! I do agree with your assessment that Gotze is the more adaptable player, your team seems to be full of players who can play more than one role and do it bloody well!
Özil? Yeah we agree.
