Once Again Mesut Özil Almost Costs Arsenal Dearly

Arsenal only know how to play one way and in a way the game panned out how you would have expected – giving 110% going forward but leaving gaps at the back.

Arsenal gave everything going forward, with Jack Wilshere and Alexis Sanchez in particular lighting up The Emirates Stadium. Wilshere looks like a real player now after several seasons with in and out of the team and looks confident. And Sanchez, is fantastic going forward but gives Arsenal so much defensively as well, always tracking back and showing a phenomenal amount of energy.

But Mesut Özil again had a poor performance.

Once Arsenal went 2-1 up against Manchester City with 15 minutes to go, it was obvious that the visitors would be throwing everything forward and with our defensive frailties, you almost expected Arsenal to concede. And only a few minutes after Sanchez’s fantastic volley, Manchester City equalised.

We’ve conceded 4 headed goals already this season and from set-pieces we look vulnerable. We’ve been defensively sound over the last couple of seasons and you wonder if the absence of Kieran Gibbs (who is a better defender than Monreal) and Bacary Sagna (who we all know was very strong in the air) is a factor in all this.

Mathieu Debuchy is a very good defender but Bacary had an excellent jump and how many times did we see Szczesny aim goal kicks towards Bac during matches?

With 15 minutes to go and with Arsenal leading 2-1, Mesut Özil had to come off. He was poor during the game (with Wilshere and Ramsey doing most of the creating) and was completely outshines by Alexis Sanchez, who looks like a real star. Even Danny Welbeck put in a very good performance, and was unlucky not to put Arsenal in the lead when his chipped effort hit the post.

Once Sanchez’s effort flew past Joe Hart my very first thought was “Özil needs to come off now”. We were leading against the Premier League champions and that is something that needed to be protected. Defensively, Özil is a big liability and the bottom line is he is costing Arsenal football matches. He has talents but is badly out of form and when you’ve got a slender lead and have your backs against the wall, he’s not a player you can count on.

And before you get defensive and think I’m wrong, think about Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid. Love him or hate him, he is a top class manager who wins trophies and even he, a manager who used to sing Özil’s praises time and time again, would substitute Özil towards the end of games, usually with 15 minutes to go. If you’ve got yourself into a winning position then you need to see it out.

There is no doubt that when he is on song, Özil is a good player but to leave him on when he is obviously struggling for form and we’ve got a lead to defend, it really beggars belief.

Arsene needs to have a major rethink and not feel obliged to leave on his record signing just because he arrived with a massive price tag.

 

17 thoughts on “Once Again Mesut Özil Almost Costs Arsenal Dearly

  1. Gus let not point finger at the players to me at 80mins arsene could have brought mikal and gibbs in for welbeck and Ozil bse at that point you need to pack defensively since you are playing last season winner

     
  2. I totally agree…ozil should be benched.we have hungrier players wastin’ on the bench,to me carzola,should start playin’ that no 10 role.

     
  3. Of course Ozil’s not playing his best, he’s being wasted on the left wing! Stick Jack out wide and Mesut in the middle where he’s best.

     
  4. Ozil is a confidence player, he is a guy when is playing badly you put your arm around him and reassure of his abilities. Dropping him to the bench will not motivate him it will do the opposite. You also have to remember his isn’t playing in his right position. We have stuck on the wing which also make him look worse. He is not a winger, he doesn’t have the pace or the trickery to play on the wing.

     
  5. We will continue to experience these same old shortcomings year after year until our team’s management is changed for a manager with vision and tactical nous.
    As much as it hurts to mention Mourinho’s name on here, but he does have a superior knowledge regarding the game as well as player quality.

     
  6. What garbage! Get off Ozil’s back!

    If Ozil knew Wenger was planning to play as a left winger, he would never have signed with Arsenal in the first place.

    Cazorla also has been missing in action on the left wing.

    Then there is Podoliski.

    By now you would think Wenger could have worked out that this team lacks a left winger!!!

    Yet the stubborn bastard still will not give Campbell a go?

    The problem is not Ozil, it is Wenger.

    By trying to cover for one weakness, he simply creates other weaknesses elsewhere.

    Sadly this team has far too many weaknesses to be a real threat.

     
  7. I completely agree with this article. Wenger should have replaced Ozil and maybe Ramsey who looked tired.
    The Ozil dilemma is not surprising, he is best in a free role in midfield. The is that we also have Wilshere, Ramsey and Carzola who need to play in the middle . 1 year ago , I said the Ozil was a panic buy, he did not fill a position that we required at the time we needed another striker and a DM.

    Welbeck is a great buy , but for the last 3 years we have not bought a defensive midfielder.

     
  8. In my opinion, Ozil has be benched for the next few matches. I’d rather sell Ozil b4 its too late, hes not premier league fit.

     
  9. Wenger is the problem not the players. I hope ozil does not turn out as arshavin did. If u give wenger this complete chelsea team, he will only win carling cup with them. He lacks that competitiveness like sir Alex Ferguson had. If u look at our players, we shouldn’t be struggling. wrong team selection is always the problem with wenger.

     
  10. I think I will leave team selection to Arsene Wenger. He seems to have managed the club well over the years. I will continue to support both Mr Wenger and most importantly the players whilst they continue to wear the shirt. As a fan it isn’t disrespectful to make constructive criticism, however some of the mindless tripe thrown out by some of the so called fans is senseless. Better to throw that energy into slagging off Spurs and their fans. I suggest it’s rather pointless to erode the confidence of your own team, assuming you are indeed a fan of Arsenal. It wasn’t long ago that some fan sites were shouting abuse at Ramsey, some have started targeting Wilshire in the same way. It reminds me of some sections that were shouting at Wenger when Pires was struggling during his first season and the first few months of Henry’s conversion to centre forward, when he couldn’t buy a goal. Tony Adams used to get a hammering when he first started playing for Arsenal.
    If you were Mr Ozil and your fans were constantly barracking you, how would you feel? He could play for any major football club in the world, he plays for us, has first class stats, I woul;d suggest we should be happy, we should encourage our players, look at what Gervinho has done at Roma. I think had he received the support from the fans he would of flourished under the tutorship of Mr Wenger.
    Support your team!

     
  11. Its just a carousel, what is it with Arsenal fans, it swings from Eboue to Denilson to Santos,,Arshavin,Walcott, Gervinho,Giroud, Arteta Ramsey Wilshere and now flavour (urghhh) of the month moaners is Ozil, Try getting behind the players instead of getting on there backs, If one fan ever concedes his moaning and groaning ever helped the side, I will show my arse at WHL. (Unlikely).

     

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