Before the season started Arsene Wenger called on his midfield to take the pressure off Arsenal’s attackers by scoring more goals.
His players didn’t appear to disagree with Mesut Ozil admitting: “I think now and then I need to become a bit more selfish- then I’d definitely score more goals.
The German added: “In truth I’m more the sort of player who doesn’t really go for goal, I tend to look for my team-mates and think, ‘Can I play this pass?'”
So far – Mathieu Flamini’s unexpected brace against Sp*rs and the Ox’s strike in the Community Shield aside – the midfield have not exactly delivered.
Indeed, despite racking up 22 appearances (not inc. Community Shield) between them Aaron Ramsey, Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil are yet to register a goal and it’s a state of affairs that appears to be a source of frustration for the latter.
Speaking after yesterday’s win over Leicester, Arsene Wenger noted that Ozil, who delivered a passing masterclass including a deft cross for Alexis’ second, was upset not to bag a goal having had three opportunities to do so.
“It [his assist for Alexis] was classy and the little frustration I have today is that he could not score a goal or the chance he had.
“He is really upset because he know he needs a goal as well but the ball he gave to Alexis as fantastic.”
Ozil netted five goals in 36 appearances last season and seven in 40 games in his debut season – stats he should probably be improving on given his technical quality and the number of chances Arsenal create as a team.
This year (as the below graphics from FourFourTwo’s StatZone app reveal) he’s not exactly been prolific at taking on chances with only nine shots in his eight appearances.
We’ve no doubt the goals will come for the midfield – Ramsey and Cazorla have scored in spurts in the past – but it’d certainly be good for Ozil to overcome his hoodoo sooner rather than later.
Will be unstoppable if he can add that to his game. Defenders will have too much to think about, stopping a shot, stopping a pass or stopping him skipping past them.
And we will be 10% better, at least.
Fucking love the attitude though, after playing superbly and completely smashing what was the only unbeaten team in the league at their ground he still wants more. Grumpy. Pig-headed. Winning.
http://untold-arsenal.com/archives/46809 tells how bad Mike Dean was. We would be joint top of the league if his refereeing had been fair.
What happened with Mike Dean? Have I missed something?
s/fucking/f
Hi… Mike Dean is a cunt, couldn’t possibly miss that you are a gooner!
You have missed that we could be joint top of the league and Chelsea could be on 5 points, if Mike Dean hadn’t cheated us out of it (due to his biased reffing again, see link above and his history with us).
I’m sure you’d be upset as a gooner if you had caught on to this.
We score five and worry about our assist king not scoring! Jeez!!
More of those first world problems please.
and he was unlucky not to score a couple of times. I watched the game again and some of those shots were well saved by Schmeichal. Their keeper was, by far, their man of the match even though we scored 5.
Yesterday he overplayed it sometimes when he tried to shoot. He should’ve taken some shots with his first touch but that’s not easy when you aren’t already confident about scoring.
Ozils left leg has undergone some kind of adaptive evolution to assists. His head says shoot but the leg (with a brain of its own) keeps finding assists. it’s not his fault really
[and no there is no other logical explanation to his lack of goals so stop looking]
Plus he has chameleon eyes and can see two separate vistas at the same time.
don’t bother yourself because he scores when he wants
Eh, I’m happy if his key passes become assists for someone else. That would relieve some pressure on him personally.
let’s hope he doesn’t damage his knee ligaments with those croses
Who da assist king?
M’suts da assist king!
da da fucking da!
Is that a Conchords ref? Kudos – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT5AQIlmM0I
How about the strikers put the chances he createa away. If only Ozil had a clinical finisher ahead of him.
Agree. All of our strikers are 1 or 2 touch finishers, which is a great attribute to have but we’ve not got a striker who when isolated with a defender can leave them for dead with close control or trickery. Welbeck and Walcott are great in a race for a loose ball, or Giroud at holding someone off to shoot, but if we had a striker who could beat a man in the box with his feet we’d be a whole new animal. Seeing Sturridge’s goals this weekend I couldn’t help but picture how badly we need someone like that… Read more »
If he makes the runs behind the defence like he did last season he will score. Sometimes you do get lucky in the box and get a pass or rickshay and shoot but most of his goals came last season from runs behind the defence with pace.
l think you meant rick o’shay
the irish magician
I am a firm believer in teams making their own destiny. For that reason, I do hold our charity in front of goal responsible for our leave standing.
However, were it not for a wrongly disallowed Ramsey goal against the Mugsmashers and appalling officiating against Chelsea, I also believe Arsenal Football Club would be top of the league today.
Lots of games left, let’s find some momentum against Man U…
Göals will come!
Keep making strides as lately.
#YaÖzilYa
Thought Rafa whats his face made some very interesting comments on Ozil yesterday on the ABW podcast. Would pretty much agree with everything he said.
He’s just upset because his bro Flamini just keeps bragging about having more goals than him this season.
Ozil is like a conductor with an orchestra. If those around him play the instruments he conducts beautifully. When they don’t play he appears redundant.
Read an article yesterday that Ozil has created the most goal scoring chances in the league this season. Santi 2nd, Hazard 3rd and Silva 5th. Ozil is doing his part,but others are making him look bad. Ozil doesn’t need the added pressure of scoring but a few here and there would be welcome.
Love how it’s others fault, when discussing the fact that Ozil doesn’t score enough.
Ozil can be a great player on his day but he can also be a crap player just like everyone else, just needs to be treated the same as others not on this mighty pedestal that so many fans put him on.
Hey, guy, only by reading your nickname, we know that your comments are totally biased and uninteresting.
Players are allowed to have off days. His main role on the team is to create, which he does better than anybody. If he had the assists that he should, his lack of goals wouldn’t even be mentioned.
Troll be trolling.
Make no mistake, Ozil is world class through and through and is the x-factor that can lift this team to high(er) honours. Nothing he does on the pitch is wasteful or without thought, and I am enjoying every friggin’ moment of him in an AFC shirt.
Put it this way: whom do you trust most with ball at feet in and around the opposition box? He’s a genius and I’ve seen a lot of them over the years.
The guys must move, if Theo and Giroud go on good runs Ozil will find them with his amazing vision
Wenger needs to find out why Ramsey is not scoring and fix it. Ozil not scoring is less of a problem than Ramsey’s average performance for a year and half.
Here we go, so it’s ok for Ozil to stumble around the pitch as we know that he will come good but heaven forbid that Ramsey should do it to.
Did Ozil bang your Mrs or something?
If creating the most goal scoring chances is ‘stumbling around the pitch’, then Stumble On, Mesut!
This guy is unbelievable right?….mebbe he is another thumb down baiter like fatso?
Nah, he actually makes positive comments when something he finds to be good happens. This one seems only fashioned to get a negative response. Wouldn’t expect anything but from a troll name like that.
I’d be okay if he finished the season with 0 goals but 45 assists.
He creates chances with his vision and suberp passing skills. I dont really care if scores only 3 this season. We need Ramsey to step up and find his scoring boots imo.
How many assists did he have last season and how many sofar this season?
He will score against Olympiacos.
How many?
There have been many opportunities this season already where Ozul has also made the run to the back post ready for a sitter on breaks where either he wasn’t spotted, or the pass was off, or it went to someone else. He’ll get some.
I often see him make great runs behind defenders whenever the opportunity is there. I get frustrated when his teammates miss the run, fail to make the proper pass or appear to become too selfish with the ball (I’m looking at you Ramsey). Those times I wish we had another Ozil passing to our attacking version of Ozil
Haha Mpls! We expressed the same observation at the same time!
Well done to all those who signed the petition about that twat. 100k it is now debate worthy at the parliament. Corbyn is a red blooded Gooner. So let’s see. Oh well Pelle too. I always knew he had class
I’m a fan of Ozil but I think sometimes people are just too keen to blindly support him no matter what just because of the pricetag and they can’t accept that he should be doing more at times. The last game I really understood why some people criticise him. In the 31st minute he basically lost the ball from the poor dribble and he just looked at the sky and threw his hands down nonchalantly – he gave up. I was actually quite disgusted because if that had been Sanchez he would have been charging back like a mad man.… Read more »
Yeah. Count Joachim loew, Wenger and all Real Madrid squad in that mate. You clearly know football and can read the better all of them. So if you think he is crap, them they must be all wrong
Not sure why you’re so mad and I never said he was crap I said he was great. But if he added some more harrying and chasing to his game and a bit of grit he would not hesitate criticised. Only connoisseurs of footy can appreciate his talents right now. Statistically badass but when you watch him he looks frail and disinterested sometimes.
I still don’t know why people think Ozil can do no wrong, Ozil is one of my favorite players ever, well before he signed for Arsenal. He’s sublime, he’s a genius and he’s world class but he has to be more aggressive. I don’t think his defending is bad, it’s the way he loses the ball atimes, sometimes he’s too easily pushed off it. I want to see a bit more grit, a bit more fight. He’s not lazy, I don’t require stats to notice that he runs a lot but more strength, more bite in his shots would make… Read more »
Take a leaf ffs
Ozil is a genius, a truly sublime footballer. I think if he can find a few more goals from somewhere, great. It would make him nearly unplayable, however, I’m not too fussed; provided he keeps finding those passes… and I mean with eyes like that he can probably see passes in games that haven’t even been played yet.
The broadcaster started showing “distance covered” in recent matches, and Ozil has been consistently been the top 2 runner in the team (second to Ramsey). Yes, his body gesture may signal frustration, and he may at times stroll back to defense when he lost the ball — I think that was OK as he judged that the situation allowed so. I have seen many times where he lost the ball, hustled to recover the ball by making a crunching tackle (le Coq style) or disrupt the attacker by nudging him off the ball and earn a DM-like dirty foul —… Read more »
That says to me get on ozil to score first v olympiacos on Tuesday night
10/1
His pass with the right foot to belerin for the first alexis goal totally caught them offguard.
He’s just not a goal scorer. ‘Don’t know why but he’s just not. And I’d rather he not feel pressured (be that of his own volition, or externally) to do something that doesn’t come naturally to him, to the possible detriment of all the wonderful things that do.