Mesut Ozil discussion

I feel Ozil has been just as good this year...I don't know what you guys are talking about. His role with us has changed and he has adapted pretty effortlessly to it. Like Zealous mentioned we control the game way more with Ozil dropping deep. Mou purposely did this I feel.

People should think thrice why we enjoy more possession this year Come back again if you know the answer then we'll discuss again. As long as we win, I don't care in which role he plays

He definately hasnt been as dangerous as he was last year, nor has he created as much but he does control alot of the fluidity of our game in the final third which has been pretty impressive if i must say

I think he played ok vs gijon, and so far I think he's making progress in his changed role, still managed to be dangerous in number of occassions as well (I know people expected more)
That whole thing indeed made him looked less a beast than what we used to because now he's less committed himself in attack than last season, but our collective game improvement spoke for itself and as long as the team is benefited I don't really care.
Whether that did more good or damage for ozil development himself in short and long term is another story and only time will tell.

babun1024 wrote:People should think thrice why we enjoy more possession this year Come back again if you know the answer then we'll discuss again. As long as we win, I don't care in which role he plays

We enjoy more possession because of our new style of defense Babun... the pressure is put on much earlier on the opponent and is designed to force turnovers. Last year, we sat back in our half of the field for the most part. Nothing has changed in terms of our attacking philosophy as we're still very direct. We do not play possession attack... so that has nothing to do with our added possession.

Hardly Özil that's the cause of all the possession. Kaka has played aswell in his position and done a better job.

He's done a better job of being injured. While Kaka has been doing OK it's Ozil that's first choice and he's been doing well.

Although I agree that Ozil's change bring positive thing to collective play, I too don't really get that thing about more possession. He indeed did more in helping ball winning and also sometimes playing it very safe & looked like a bit reluctant in making risky passes, both are positively affecting possesion. But don't think that's the main reason of us getting more possession.

I don't know about kaka did a better job, when has he been really good (bar villareal and maybe ajax or rayo)? Ozil did better that those in tougher games/situations.

BAUZZZ

Mesut Ozil, not tunnel-visioned Cristiano Ronaldo, is the key to Real Madrid’s future, but Jose Mourinho must change his tactics in order to eclipse Barcelona

In the aftermath of last Saturday's Clasico, there has been quite a stir in the Spanish press over the state of Mesut Ozil. The Real Madrid playmaker has taken heavy criticism for failing to provide his trademark final passes in the Primera giants’ 3-1 home loss to arch-rivals Barcelona, and has even been rumoured to be close to an exit from the Spanish capital.

Reviewing his performance, Ozil indeed did not provide the creativity, the through balls and crosses that have come to characterise his game. His biggest contribution was in the opening seconds, when his blocked volley led to Karim Benzema’s opener, but that was his only highlight before being replaced by Kaka on 58 minutes.

But to blame Ozil alone for his performance would be nothing more than scapegoating. In Real Madrid's attack, he is an anomaly, a very specific type of player who requires a very specific environment in order to thrive. When in the wrong setting, he struggles.

"At Real Madrid, Ozil is an ‘extra’ in the attack. For Germany, every move runs through him"

Angel di Maria, Kaka, and to an even greater extent Cristiano Ronaldo have the pace, acceleration, and strength to impose themselves individually, engaging defenders one-on-one. Ozil, for pragmatic and cultural reasons, plays a more subtle game. He is not powerful, and comes from a German background that emphasises short, one-touch passing sequences and places little value on one’s ability to beat opponents on the dribble.

In the right context, a player whose strengths are so polarised towards passing can be magnificent. But elsewhere, his brilliance can go under-appreciated or wasted. Xavi, for example, spent most of his career playing well, but not being recognised for his true quality: only at age 28, when he finally had a fit and mature Andres Iniesta at his side, did he appear in his first major international final. He is now regarded as one of the best central midfielders of all time, and rightly so.

"Ronaldo would not be substituted even if he were having the worst game of his career. These days, Ozil is withdrawn well before his fatigue point"

Even amid his club slump, Ozil has been stellar for Germany: since September he has scored four goals in as many matches and given three assists. He thrives for country because the German attack is built around him. He often plays the ball 100 or more times in a game as the likes of Thomas Muller and Miroslav Klose exchange passes and make runs to open up space for him to use. The second and third goals in Germany’s 3-0 prestige friendly win against bitter rivals the Netherlands last month - which he assisted and scored, respectively - show just how good Ozil can be when placed in the right tactical set-up, alongside the right players.


- A TALE OF TWO OZILS -
2011-12 IN STATS

FOR GERMANY
GAMES PLAYED 4
BENCHED FROM START 0
MINUTES PER GAME 84
GOALS 4
ASSISTS 3
GOALS & ASSISTS PER GAME 1.75


FOR REAL MADRID
GAMES PLAYED 22
BENCHED FROM START 5
MINUTES PER GAME 67.4
GOALS 2
ASSISTS 6
GOALS & ASSISTS PER GAME 0.36

But as Real Madrid are currently playing, Ozil is in the wrong environment. Reviewing the Clasico, there was no team-work within the Madrid ranks. Over and over, Ronaldo and Di Maria would receive possession and sprint up the touchline into an inevitable cul-de-sac. Their runs included no shortage of effort, but lacked even the slightest amount of finesse, and were all too easily predictable. Ozil became irrelevant as time and time again his team-mates were mobbed by a swarm of defenders, and ultimately dispossessed.

Ozil’s support in defensive midfield was sub-par as well. For all his physicality and strength in defensive play, Lassana Diarra is no technical wizard, and cannot be counted upon to help make space for a No. 10. It is no coincidence that Ozil’s best performances have come with Sami Khedira - a footballer of limited technique, but superb positional instincts and a culturally-embedded sense of one-touch passing - in the same XI.

Even Xabi Alonso is not enough support in midfield, especially without a suitable partner: he is typically an excellent player, but against Barca has often struggled. Because his team-mates were neither quick enough in distributing the ball, nor clever enough in their movement, Ozil hardly had an inch of space in possession. He was rarely dispossessed, and even less frequently misplaced a pass, but without room to work with simply couldn’t split the defence with a trademark ball. Accordingly, he was effectively relegated to a defensive midfield role, with the purpose of retaining possession rather than creating goals.

"Individualism works against lesser opponents, but only team-work can overcome the world’s elite"

The question naturally follows: why should Jose Mourinho adjust his tactics to accommodate just one player? And indeed, a simpler option would be to replace Ozil with Kaka, who, although unable to provide the kind of passes typical for the German, still has much more physicality and the one-on-one skills to fit into the current system. The trainer has done this time and time again, and in general - but not on Saturday - it has worked for the team. But the truth is, even with Kaka in their line-up, Real Madrid will not be the best they can be, not without tactical changes.

Mourinho’s men have had a successful season on the whole, no doubt because individualism can be effective against lesser sides. However, the quality of a team is not measured in whether they beat a relegation-battling side by two or eight goals. Rather, it is found in the results they obtain against the world’s elite. And while the Clasico was decided by a few critical moments - a wayward Ronaldo header among them - there is no denying that Real Madrid failed to keep consistent offensive pressure, and were held to a couple isolated opportunities. They can do and have done better than this: previous encounters with Barcelona were heated to the final whistle. Last Saturday's installment ended with a whimper. Without technical quality and invention in midfield, this will only continue.

The Clasico was a clear measuring stick: Real Madrid may have the quality to consistently hammer lower opponents, but are still lacking on the grandest stage. They need a glue to bind them together. They need Mesut Ozil.

By Clark Whitney.

Mamad wrote:Mesut Ozil and Karim Benzema not tunnel-visioned Cristiano Ronaldo, is the key to Real Madrid’s future, but Jose Mourinho must change his tactics in order to eclipse Barcelona

In the aftermath of last Saturday's Clasico, there has been quite a stir in the Spanish press over the state of Mesut Ozil. The Real Madrid playmaker has taken heavy criticism for failing to provide his trademark final passes in the Primera giants’ 3-1 home loss to arch-rivals Barcelona, and has even been rumoured to be close to an exit from the Spanish capital.

Reviewing his performance, Ozil indeed did not provide the creativity, the through balls and crosses that have come to characterise his game. His biggest contribution was in the opening seconds, when his blocked volley led to Karim Benzema’s opener, but that was his only highlight before being replaced by Kaka on 58 minutes.

But to blame Ozil alone for his performance would be nothing more than scapegoating. In Real Madrid's attack, he is an anomaly, a very specific type of player who requires a very specific environment in order to thrive. When in the wrong setting, he struggles.

"At Real Madrid, Ozil is an ‘extra’ in the attack. For Germany, every move runs through him"

Angel di Maria, Kaka, and to an even greater extent Cristiano Ronaldo have the pace, acceleration, and strength to impose themselves individually, engaging defenders one-on-one. Ozil, for pragmatic and cultural reasons, plays a more subtle game. He is not powerful, and comes from a German background that emphasises short, one-touch passing sequences and places little value on one’s ability to beat opponents on the dribble.

In the right context, a player whose strengths are so polarised towards passing can be magnificent. But elsewhere, his brilliance can go under-appreciated or wasted. Xavi, for example, spent most of his career playing well, but not being recognised for his true quality: only at age 28, when he finally had a fit and mature Andres Iniesta at his side, did he appear in his first major international final. He is now regarded as one of the best central midfielders of all time, and rightly so.

"Ronaldo would not be substituted even if he were having the worst game of his career. These days, Ozil is withdrawn well before his fatigue point"

Even amid his club slump, Ozil has been stellar for Germany: since September he has scored four goals in as many matches and given three assists. He thrives for country because the German attack is built around him. He often plays the ball 100 or more times in a game as the likes of Thomas Muller and Miroslav Klose exchange passes and make runs to open up space for him to use. The second and third goals in Germany’s 3-0 prestige friendly win against bitter rivals the Netherlands last month - which he assisted and scored, respectively - show just how good Ozil can be when placed in the right tactical set-up, alongside the right players.


- A TALE OF TWO OZILS -
2011-12 IN STATS

FOR GERMANY
GAMES PLAYED 4
BENCHED FROM START 0
MINUTES PER GAME 84
GOALS 4
ASSISTS 3
GOALS & ASSISTS PER GAME 1.75


FOR REAL MADRID
GAMES PLAYED 22
BENCHED FROM START 5
MINUTES PER GAME 67.4
GOALS 2
ASSISTS 6
GOALS & ASSISTS PER GAME 0.36

But as Real Madrid are currently playing, Ozil is in the wrong environment. Reviewing the Clasico, there was no team-work within the Madrid ranks. Over and over, Ronaldo and Di Maria would receive possession and sprint up the touchline into an inevitable cul-de-sac. Their runs included no shortage of effort, but lacked even the slightest amount of finesse, and were all too easily predictable. Ozil became irrelevant as time and time again his team-mates were mobbed by a swarm of defenders, and ultimately dispossessed.

Ozil’s support in defensive midfield was sub-par as well. For all his physicality and strength in defensive play, Lassana Diarra is no technical wizard, and cannot be counted upon to help make space for a No. 10. It is no coincidence that Ozil’s best performances have come with Sami Khedira - a footballer of limited technique, but superb positional instincts and a culturally-embedded sense of one-touch passing - in the same XI.

Even Xabi Alonso is not enough support in midfield, especially without a suitable partner: he is typically an excellent player, but against Barca has often struggled. Because his team-mates were neither quick enough in distributing the ball, nor clever enough in their movement, Ozil hardly had an inch of space in possession. He was rarely dispossessed, and even less frequently misplaced a pass, but without room to work with simply couldn’t split the defence with a trademark ball. Accordingly, he was effectively relegated to a defensive midfield role, with the purpose of retaining possession rather than creating goals.

"Individualism works against lesser opponents, but only team-work can overcome the world’s elite"

The question naturally follows: why should Jose Mourinho adjust his tactics to accommodate just one player? And indeed, a simpler option would be to replace Ozil with Kaka, who, although unable to provide the kind of passes typical for the German, still has much more physicality and the one-on-one skills to fit into the current system. The trainer has done this time and time again, and in general - but not on Saturday - it has worked for the team. But the truth is, even with Kaka in their line-up, Real Madrid will not be the best they can be, not without tactical changes.

Mourinho’s men have had a successful season on the whole, no doubt because individualism can be effective against lesser sides. However, the quality of a team is not measured in whether they beat a relegation-battling side by two or eight goals. Rather, it is found in the results they obtain against the world’s elite. And while the Clasico was decided by a few critical moments - a wayward Ronaldo header among them - there is no denying that Real Madrid failed to keep consistent offensive pressure, and were held to a couple isolated opportunities. They can do and have done better than this: previous encounters with Barcelona were heated to the final whistle. Last Saturday's installment ended with a whimper. Without technical quality and invention in midfield, this will only continue.

The Clasico was a clear measuring stick: Real Madrid may have the quality to consistently hammer lower opponents, but are still lacking on the grandest stage. They need a glue to bind them together. They need Mesut Ozil.

By Clark Whitney.

ozil will get benched today according to marca

Kaka will replace him?

Ozil is getting undeserved criticism and punishment (assuming that is why he is being benched).

no,not for kaka,a 3 man mid of Lass-Xabi-Khedira with Di Maria on the Left.Mou is scared of Navas

Mou is destroying Ozil. we should build the team around him not Ronaldo.

in last few weeks Ozil played CM and RW roles which are not his position. i don't blame him if he didn't perform well.

Ganso wrote:no,not for kaka,a 3 man mid of Lass-Xabi-Khedira with Di Maria on the Left.Mou is scared of Navas

Wtf...lol

Navas is so over rated. We need to play our game and not change our formation because of Navas. Oh well it is Marca so they are probably wrong.

Mamad wrote:we should build the team around him not Ronaldo.

This.

EarlyPrototype wrote:

Ganso wrote:no,not for kaka,a 3 man mid of Lass-Xabi-Khedira with Di Maria on the Left.Mou is scared of Navas

Wtf...lol

Navas is so over rated. We need to play our game and not change our formation because of Navas. Oh well it is Marca so they are probably wrong.

most of the time they are right....

Mamad wrote:Mou is destroying Ozil. we should build the team around him not Ronaldo.

in last few weeks Ozil played CM and RW roles which are not his position. i don't blame him if he didn't perform well.

No he s not destrying Ozil. This is the true value of ozil. What did you think, lol, that he's another Zidane?

Ozil is 24. He's not even young anymore. He will never reach the heights of Zidane and Kaka.

Ozil recently turned 23.

EarlyPrototype wrote:Ozil recently turned 23.

Messi is 24.

huntsman wrote:

Mamad wrote:Mou is destroying Ozil. we should build the team around him not Ronaldo.

in last few weeks Ozil played CM and RW roles which are not his position. i don't blame him if he didn't perform well.

No he s not destrying Ozil. This is the true value of ozil. What did you think, lol, that he's another Zidane?

Ozil is 24. He's not even young anymore. He will never reach the heights of Zidane and Kaka.

Play Zidane in the wings and he will suck too. play Kaka as CM and he will suck too.

hrealmadrid wrote:

Mamad wrote:we should build the team around him not Ronaldo.

This.

Neither.

We should build the team around Kaka, until we find a perfect replacement. If this replacement is Ozil then so be it, but right now, Ozil and Altintop are at the same level.

Mamad wrote:

huntsman wrote:

Mamad wrote:Mou is destroying Ozil. we should build the team around him not Ronaldo.

in last few weeks Ozil played CM and RW roles which are not his position. i don't blame him if he didn't perform well.

No he s not destrying Ozil. This is the true value of ozil. What did you think, lol, that he's another Zidane?

Ozil is 24. He's not even young anymore. He will never reach the heights of Zidane and Kaka.

Play Zidane in the wings and he will suck too. play Kaka as CM and he will suck too.

Mamas, by now you should have seen it, Ozil is a good player but he's not showing signs of greatness. You can tell if a person has true potentials to become one of the best.

Kaka doesnt suck at playing on the wings but at his current state, we better deploy him in the middle because we dont have a maestro that can orchestrate our play. We need a brain which we dont have.

I think at 29, Kaka can perform best at CM.