All about Mesut Özil

sportsczy wrote:Doesn't Germany play with 3 midfielders other than Ozil?  Namely 3 of Lahm, Piggy, Khedira and Kroos.  Low uses a 433 and sometime even a 343 from what i saw...  Ozil doesn't figure in the midfield of any of those.  he's always on the front line with Mueller, Goetze and Schurrle occupying the 2 other spots.

Never seen Germany run a 4231 with a 10/AM under Low.

He doesn't play enough defense AND he doesn't have the work rate to play CM.  So unless a team plays a 4231,  Ozil has to play as a creative wing player.  Even in a 442, you need the 10 to play some defense nowadays as your two strikers usually aren't good at it.

Are you for real? How often have you seen Germany then in recent years?
All through the qualifications for Euro 12, the Euro 12, and the qualification for the World Cup we played a 4-2-3-1, with Schweinsteiger and Khedira, at times Gündogan or Kroos, as double pivot, Podolski/Reus/Draxler on the left, Müller on the right, Özil as AM, Gomez/Klose up front.

If Kroos played maybe it sometimes became more a 4-1-4-1 as he played slightly further ahead of Schweinsteiger/Gündogan.

But anyway the 4-2-3-1 was the basic formation of our national team for years, and Özil nearly always played as AM in the middle, not on the wing.

Löw only changed stuff at the WC, not least because Reus, and later Podolski too, were injured; and because Gomez wasn't part of the team so Müller played striker/false nine.
So then to accomodate Schweinsteiger, Khedira AND Kroos, Özil played on the left, while before he played as the right one of two AMs behind Müller.
Generally imo IF you play him on the side, the right side is much better for him, but Wenger apparently disagrees.

Well... i don't remember the 4231 being played by Germany since 2013 sometime tbh mainly because of some really bad defensive results and Low deciding to go Pep-happy. You can't be a Pep disciple and play a 2-man mid. His whole system is predicated on having both man and technical dominance in the midfield. With Gomez perma-injured and Klose geriatric, it kind of made sense. A lot of false 9 setups. A lot of strange things where he was trying to emulate the Barca shape and play while using players out of position.... the players on the pitch looked like they could be set up in a 4231 on paper. But the actual shape was a total football flat 433 or Pep's new 4141.

Whether he plays center or wide is irrelevant. He can also play wide. His best ever Clasico performance came from a wide position. What matters is that he's mentally in retirement mode already. He's made the $$$ and he's got the fame. He tasted Madrid. He won some trophies. He won the World Cup. There isn't much left for him to push himself as a pro footballer. It's his character, it's what he is. He must be enjoying the nightlife in London a lot. That assist statistic in his first few games compared to the last 19 doesn't surprise me. New environment, had to show something. Once he got comfortable => "my job is done here." Sneijder is also like that. Guy is still only 30. Feels like he retired 4 years ago.

I would agree except that he was pretty dismal at the WC as well.

I think he's a Crystal Palace fan tbh

I dont think Ozil is playing bad because his position. I think he is just having a bad patch...which can happen to anyone, so I dont understand the big deal. He is struggling right now, but we are just a few games in. Relax.

Again, I dont think his position is the reason why. He simply isnt playing well.

However, playing wide surely wont help and I dont think I ever seen a player recover his form by playing out of position.

Also you waste some of his game wide, because one of Ozil biggest strengths for me is that he can move laterally in between the lines to the flanks and create 2 v 1's. With Arsenal's various other good ball players (Wilshere, Santi, Ramsey etc) you would imagine he would get alot of opportunity to do that.

i don't buy this " playing wide " excuse either .

one of his best games for madrid was a cup game against barcelona where he pretty much destroyed abidal for 90 minutes.

It's not one specific thing or the other.

He's playing decently but not at his best. Playing out wide won't help him, especially on the left, not on the right where he could cut in onto his left foot and drift centrally much more easily (I'm assuming the match farfan is talking about is one where he was deployed on the right, if it was Abidal who he was tormenting)

He's just come back from the World Cup with no pre-season or time to adapt to this new system that was implemented to bring out the best in Wilshere.

I'd argue that Ramsey isn't playing too much better than Özil, the only difference is that he still manages to score/assist, even if he's had a generally poor game.

But Gooners insist on being sucked in to this media crap that Özil has fallen off four games in when in reality he's just doing alright.

bump

Bild went from saying Özil didn't 'earn his money' vs Dortmund, giving him the worst possible rating, 6/6 which was ridiculous

to referring to him as 'Our World Champion Özil'

All the Arsenal fans will tell you Wilshere has been more effective than any Arsenal midfielder this year. That is not to say he is better than Ozil. Its a good problem to have . Unlike Ozil, Wilshere can play in multiple roles...so perhaps we will be able to accommodate the 2.

We make a big issue about placing Ozil on the side but according to this picture, you can see why Wenger tries to put him there.

Now know this, Wenger's Arsenal midfields have never had individuals with specific jobs. The only ones who did in the past were Gilberto and pre-milan Flamini.

The 3 midfielders behind the striker can play interchangeable roles.

This thread has been derailed to an amazing degree.

Goes from Özil's playing style to Wilshere apparently hardly being a decent player to Salieri's alleged obsession with Mozart.

GL

Ehh, I've been hesitant to criticize our clubs biggest transfer coup since Bergkamp but I have to admit I've shared some of you're cynicism since last year. Ozil might shine against the Villa's & Stoke's & the cannon fodder in La Liga & International football(No, his WC2010 performance wasn't that impressive) but I don't feel likes he's anywhere near what he was hyped up to be by the continentals, since moving to the EPL that's become apparent.

let's just accept that Ozil is a marvelously talented player with ridiculous class, but a small bits footballer ok?

Has been absolutely fantastic since coming back from injury. Bulked up and is physically miles better. Has been outperforming the likes of Silva, Cesc and other pretenders. Only Cazorla and Hazard have been better

Should have had another assist today



http://streamable.com/hehd

Shoving Crystalona rugby stars off and defending for all he's worth, plus that gorgeous run Alexis should have finished, he's stepped up to the plate and delivered

RealGunner wrote:Has been absolutely fantastic since coming back from injury. Bulked up and is physically miles better. Has been outperforming the likes of Silva, Cesc and other pretenders. Only Cazorla and Hazard have been better

No.

Who renamed my thread title??
Surely there's a breach there somewhere on my privacy and right to freedom of speech.

Art Morte wrote:

RealGunner wrote:Has been absolutely fantastic since coming back from injury. Bulked up and is physically miles better. Has been outperforming the likes of Silva, Cesc and other pretenders. Only Cazorla and Hazard have been better

No.

Come off it, he's a much better playmaker than Thiago Silva.

More goals and assists than him since coming back.

Better performances too.

Silva was invisible in every match before today's since Jan.

lol Ozil hasn't been better than Silva.

El Gunner wrote:lol Ozil hasn't been better than Silva.

why not?

El Gunner wrote:Who renamed my thread title??
Surely there's a breach there somewhere on my privacy and right to freedom of speech.

I do agree. Unacceptable, revisionist, unneccesary.

Think a mod merged a different Ozil thread with this.