Arsene Wenger says that although Mesut Ozil is feeling the pressure of his price tag and his recent lack of form, the German should enjoy his place in the team and not worry.
Ozil started his Arsenal career with a bang, but has since found it hard to maintain that consistency, leading to questioning, some criticism, and witless articles making spurious Bergkamp/Arshavin comparisons.
With a massive game against Manchester United coming so soon after the defeat at Anfield, a lot is expected of the team and the former Real Madrid man, something Wenger is aware of.
“He feels the pressure of course,” he said. “Because he knows a lot is expected when you are a big transfer like that. There is a big expectation level but he should not worry about that, just play in the team and enjoy it, give his best. That’s the best way to deal with it.”
The manager also hinted that others could do more to bring out the best in the club’s record signing.
“He’s not a guy who doesn’t care. His style can sometimes look like that, but he’s really the opposite character. He cares about the game, he wants to do well, he needs more support.”
He also called on Ozil to be a little more selfish when he gets a sight of goal.
“You want the guy who plays behind the striker to score some goals and sometimes he is too obsessed with making the perfect pass when he could take a shot at goal.”
Tomorrow night would be a good place to start.
This is a storm in a tea cup. Everyone keeps going on about Ozil when they know that John Terry is a cunt
The best opening post that I have had the pleasure to read!
You sir, win this comments section.
That’s it isn’t it? whenever anyone thinks of vitriol to write about Ozil. Just stop what you’re doing and Remember Terry is a cunt. Works like charm.
The negative pressure on him is unfair although unexpected. But I reckon his game is suffering due to the rhythm of the game in England that he’s not used to yet. Fans are easy to moan but it’s very hard to adapt to a new league & team and reproduce your maximum level straight away. Very few players do that, and even those that do don’t sustain it very long.
I still thinking he is suffering from a lack of Ramsey. I think when they were on the pitch together they were always up there for most pass combination in a match. Someone will have to correct me on this, but can you remember Ozil having to drop as deep as he did against Liverpool get the ball?
The midfield and the attack are terribly unsettled at the moment. I think this offseason will work wonders for team cohesion — assuming that Sagna signs!
Allow me to correct you. On average, Ozil was the most advanced player on the pitch. He also had just 4 touches in our half
Agreed completely. At Arsenal, Ramsey is to Ozil what Ronaldo was to him at Madrid.
Darting runs, clever 1-2s, constantly running around terrorizing defenders. Just one player like that makes it a lot easier on any No. 10.
Ironically, Ozil’s former-team Real Madrid BOUGHT THE WRONG WELSHMAN.
No they bought the right one because we still have Rambo.
This could be a one-off, but what about a pairing of Rosicky/Arteta? Rosicky loves to get forward like Ramsey was doing when he was playing central? It would be a bold experiment at this juncture of the season…probably the wrong timing and Rosicky’s always more forward…hmm. Poldi on the left …but has to track back and do his share defensively like a few matches ago. Ozil in the middle. Cazorla to the right At 50′-70′ minutes when Little Mozart is gassed bring on Chambo. Yeh, there’s some holes in this idea, but I think some merit too as we’re missing… Read more »
He’s stats are still good. But personally, I don’t think we’ll see the best of Ozil until we have a striker that can work off his game. We saw how effective he was in the few games he and Walcott played together… Ozil needs a player who can make those well timed runs behind the defence and unfortunately, Giroud is NOT that type of player and so Ozil has to pass sideways.
Well said Arsene. Well said. Now to that small matter of united.
Now that Chelski have dropped points the game against Utd is the perfect time to put everything right with the universe. An Arsenal win, an in form Ozil and back to top of the league
Let’s hope manutd won’t be motivated for the game as well.
Motivated or not we better put our boots in rvps cunt….
If we win, we go top.
Crisis, what crisis …
Yeah, a big “if” is the word. I’m a fucking optimists too!
If we lose i will most likely
http://weknowmemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/ill-beat-a-motherfucker-with-another-motherfucker.jpg
beat a mother fucker with another mother fucker
Patrice Evra you have been warned
We complain about not signing “world class” players. Soon as we sign one and he has a run of bad games, we bring out the daggers. He is a top player and we need to allow him time to settle into a new team and a new league.
Ozil, Gibbs and Rosicky to start I reckon
We need some o’ dat Rosicky pressing.
rosicky? oh you mean slidey mc slide-slide? the czeck mayor of slide town?
he gonna press the bejaysus out of the mancs.
I came here for the biscuits…
Well pleased that chelski drew tonight! Ozil to get winner will be perfect to forget kidneypool
Completely agree. The Arsenal need to show that they’re over this “February jinx”. A strong start would help.
Really makes me sick to see Ozil being targeted. we are not ones to unneccesarily unsettle player. Real madrid as much as i’m a fan is notorious for this, not us. They choose who to like and who not to. They like bale so they will despise Di Maria. They liked Higuain so they disliked Benzema. Ozil knows he has been below par and if fans think having a run of bad games is so unusual then Messi would be shit. Lets get behind Ozil, he arrived world class, still is world class so don’t hide behind silly jibes or… Read more »
We kinda, sorta unsettled Gervinho, you know. Just as an example. But you’re right, this is not so typical of us. This is more typical of us in the wilderness years (circa move to Emirates till about now). There are clear residual effects: We’re having a good season this time around, but one bad game and we all start acting a little like it’s the tail-end of the 2010/2011 car crash all over again. I do wish we supported our players going through difficulties more though. Again citing Gervinho, there’s a point where he was just never going to recover;… Read more »
Not so sure about the Gervinho part. I mean he did get his fair share of backing in the entire first season. It was after a dreadful run of form that eventually culminated with a point blank range 2 yards in front off an open net miss vs Bradford that fans really started getting on his back.
I remember a lot of fans moaning about us signing him before he’d even played, considering he was “another one from the French league” and we were about to lose Fabregas and Nasri. Then he scored twice in the friendly against Cologne and it went quiet for a bit. That’s how I recall it.
For same price as Ozil, Gooners could’ve had Suarez. End of story. Near enough to best striker in the world at the mo.
Everyone now knows Ozil had a habit at Real of going missing in big games, which is why they let him go, and picked up 40 mill for their troubles. Good bit of business for them, in my humble opinion.
We shall see where season goes from here, by end March we shall know our fate.
Not true. This is a bit of a misguided fact. Came across a card on he web , Özil more often than not has had key contributions in big games (be it assists or goals) riight from his Bremen days. Let’s not forget how good he was when we played Napoli at home, Liverpool at home , Bvb away.
And Ozil had a habit at Real of scoring/assisting in almost all big games.. Here>>>>> https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=617439834994840&set=a.404920926246733.93190.403984833007009&type=1&theater
Gibbs to start for sure.
Zidane would struggle to get assists if he had Giroud in front of him. Where’s Kevin Davies.. Weren’t he available in January?
Yes, but Zidane would get goals if he had Giroud in front of him. Runs off the ball and intricate link-up play creates space for midfielders. What we need is either a player who can effectively be a replacement Walcott, or just a replacement Giroud. Giroud IS a fantastic player, but he is a type of player. People moan about Ozil not having any pacy players to pass to and Giroud becomes the scapegoat for that. But Giroud himself creates space for such players, and isn’t averse to playing a perfectly-weighted through ball – although he’s not quite as reliable… Read more »
Here Here!
And hear hear!
We have Ozil who has world class qualities. It could be worse, we could have Tom Cleverly instead.
That pretty much sums up our 1st world problems!
We’ve seen glimpses of great talent. But shouldn’t we expect the finished article, when a player of 25 is bought for £42m? I don’t see the mental toughness of Thierry, Dennis, Patrick, Sol etc….he is a hider. I’ve watched football for 40 years and he is a fuckin’ hider.
Haha. Not to be rude but considering the fact that you’ve watched football for almost 30yrs more than myself you should also, surely, be aware of the fact that adapting to a new league , team , style of play etc takes time right? Also picking on a few off games is fair!
why is it we have to always put a player on a pedastool and chastise them form is temporary class is permanent
he will come good his stistics prove this time and time again #Ozil
I’d agree he could do with more support from an offensive point of view. Its not like he has plenty of options ahead of him when he’s looking to make a killer pass. Walcott and Ramsey are probably the most aggressive in terms of breaking the opposition back line, though Wilshere and Ox are slowly improving this aspect of their games. Giroud is far too static, even for a “target man”, and it’s just not Cazorla’s game at all. Saying that, Ozil has to do more to impose himself on a game. Driving with the ball, closing down opponents, even… Read more »
Utterly, utterly ridiculous how media and some our fans have castigated Ozil. This is Mesut ‘fucking’ Ozil. The player we were all having a sing and dance about on Sept 2nd. The player rival fans were all eyeing with jealousy. Granted, he’s playing nowhere near his best, but does that mean we should get on his back and examine every misplaced pass? We as fans have a tendency to demoralise our players, and thank god Ramsey didn’t go the way of Gervinho and leave the club. Give him time and I’m sure he’ll come good. If he’s still performing badly… Read more »
I’m a loyal supporter not just when things are great but in the hard times as well. To be critical of a players performance not his character or ability is valid. I really dont care if we bought him for 42 pounds or 42 million. I know he has the technical quality but he has to learn other qualities like rolling up his sleeves ( ala Flamini) and working his socks off for the good of the team. What pissed me and everyone else off was not the fact that he was giving away possession cheaply and needlessly, but the… Read more »
Hopefully none of the players are romping any fucking model tonight!. And if they are, the good thing is its not another fucking midday game this time.
Wenger is right to say things like this. The fans need to support the players, not tear them down. Hate how there always has to be a scapegoat when there is a bad team performance.
He may have been poor but so was the team. Even if he had squandered possession, it doesn’t mean the team should have leaked goals.
That said, he deserves a bit of criticism and this could be a bit of a back handed way for Wenger to fire him up a little.;)
Özil. This seasons Ramsey.
Next season (maybe even end of this one) people will be on here giving it “I’m sorry I doubted you” and “I don’t mind admitting I was wrong…” Etc Etc.
Come on, he is one hell of a player. He just needs some time adjusting to the PL’s physical nature. I hope Mozart will show him how to do it!!
PS: I’ve heard there is some cunt-stabbing lad in here? COYG
In many ways reminiscent of Fabregas. There was a time Fabregas was providing assists galore but couldn’t translate his performances into goal scoring. Then he added a bit more adventure to his game with a bit of improvement on the aggression field and started plundering goals. Similarly, Ramsey was insipid form until he put in 10% more aggression to his game which transformed him into a much improved player this season. Ozil is already at a high level despite his lack of ‘form’. He needs to be more positive and not drop his head so quickly when things do not… Read more »
Like to add that in many of our games, there have been decent balls whipped in by either MOnreal and Gibbs on the left or Sagna and Jenkinson on the right. But we never seem to have someone gambling on the far post for a tap in and many a chance has been squandered. One of Ozil, or the opposite winger must make a run close to the edge of the 6 yard box whenever he sees the fullback overlapping to the byline (Particularly Jenkinson who you know will cross it for want of better technical skill) Giroud must be… Read more »
wow wow wow i am still feeling the pain of that defeat against liverpool!!!i am devastated and angryyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.i just want to forget that game forever.
What i want to say is “Our players go and die on the field on our game against Manu and give us our three points and pride back.please do not let AW and us down”.Chelsea already dropped point and if we win,we can be top of the league again.We have a chance to win the league this season.
come on you gunnerssssssssss!!!
Another area we can really improve is set pieces.
We have been limpid scoring from them for quite a while now.
Ozil is one of the players who can start to revise this trend. Kallstrom may have also been brought on in some ways for this reason as the season gets tighter toward the close.
IN OZIL WE TRUST
Reading all this, there are several issues. The club is coming up on 10 years since the invincibles, clearly the fans are frustrated over the past decade, this leads to frustration being directed on the players. For me, Ozil has had 2 very poor games, he needs to do better, he will do better, but we don’t exactly have a team that suits him. Ozil needs fast attackers around him, Walcott had a great (if short) spell before getting injured, we just don’t have any speed in this team really. Giroud, he’s good at what he does, but he is… Read more »
“Giroud, he’s good at what he does, but he is limited”
“Wouldn’t you prefer Costa, Falcao, Benzema, Aguero, Cavani, Suarez?”
So then none of those guys are limited, right? Right. Now… what’s the special code I enter to get one of those players. Is it X O Triangle Triangle Square, or what?
Wenger is spot on here. While Özil has every reason to be concerned about his performances of late, he need not be worried. Just chin up and enjoy the game. A lot can be achieved that way. Özil started brilliantly but now he needs to reinvent and up his game to PL standards, especially the physical nature of it. Right now it appears that his gameplay is being found out as the likes of Chelsea City and Chelsea have done their homework on him. Also as Wenger says he should be selfish and shoot when there is a chance. COYG!!!
I can remember when Dennis joined us – it took quite a while to get used to the Prem. Then in one game, against Southampton, it was like everything suddenly clicked and he muscled/elbowed his way past two players and scored a cracking goal. It seemed as if he suddenly realised the amount of aggression needed to compete in this league. The rest, as they say, is history. I’m sure we’ll see a lot more from Ozil once he’s fully adjusted.
Imagine what a 3-0 win tonight would do to confidence? Top again and proving critics wrong again.
Can’t remember the last time that an Arsenal Man U premiership game wasn’t on TV. Sign of the times.
It’s on BT
I think the injuries to Theo and Aaron have proved somewhat costly for Arsenal, which is why I was hoping Wenger was going to buy a speedy goal scoring winger in January – not to be, probably due to lack of options available, but just wish Theo hadn’t got a season ending injury!!!
Ozil of course is adapting to prem football, its one of the fastest football in the world the teams build up for goals is a lacking pace, can win games, now we got ramsey, verm & other team players coming back into the team even flamini will soon be back, concentrate teams chavs game last night brom fought back well, coyg
I hate to be the one to mention it, but the divine one also had spells where he didn’t play well. I believe that this was due to him being human.
I think we will see the best of Ozil next season when he does the some strength and explosive training in the summer
Nothing like blowing a few things up with C4 to improve your game, I always say.
The papers saying tonight is not a must win game but a must not loose game.
We’d all be shitting ourselves if one of Chelsea, Man city & Man utd had Özil in their ranks. Fans would go “Arsenal have no ambition, how didn’t we get him? Now see what he’s doing at [insert club]… Wenger Out!!!” We have one of the best players in the world, strutting the Emirates, gracing the Red and White / Yellow and Blue. He brings quality to the team, forget the form book. Afterall, form is temporary, class is permanent. Fans should get behind the team, chant our players’ names and give the boys a conducive environment for some serious… Read more »