Earlier today quotes emerged from a Mesut Ozil interview with SportBILD, in which he talked about how he was singled out for criticism, his ‘heart’ beating for Real Madrid and more.
As ever with these things, mere snippets don’t provide the full context, so with thanks to Lewis Ambrose (@LGAmbrose), we can give you that.
This is all the Arsenal related stuff from his interview.
PLEASE NOTE: To websites/blogs/media organisations: if you take the translation from here, a link back to this article would be greatly appreciated.
Mr. Özil, in 31 games for Arsenal you’ve scored nine – more than ever before – and got nine assists. Why are you still criticised so often?
Actually it is extreme in both directions. When I’m out and about loads of fans call my name, they want a photo. The national team fan club just voted me player of the year, millions visit my social media sites. Numbers don’t lie.
On the other side there are critics and the expectations on me are extreme. People know what I’ve achieved. That I’m a world champion, have played for Real Madrid, had 20 assists last season. So when it isn’t going great for the team, someone gets picked out – unfortunately, often it’s me.
How do you deal with that?
Eventually you have thick skin. It used to trouble me, I thought about it, but if you continue like that you’ll be broken. I have become stronger and not everyone can like you. But you know what makes me. Proud? That the Arsenal fans have written an Özil song.
In that the fans sing you’re better than Zidane! You wrote about that in your book, ‘Magician of the game’.
I have never experienced something like that in a club. Every time the fans sing it I get goosebumps.
How would you rate your season?
I started strongly but – like the team in general – not kept up my performance. When it isn’t going well overall it is twice as hard for a creative player. Take the games against Bayern, for instance.
Arsenal lost 5-1 twice! You were accused of sinking again
Exactly. But I’m not the type of player to chase after the ball the whole time, everyone knows that. My potential lies far more on the offensive side. I’m supposed to be dangerous, create chances, score goals. When I don’t get the ball, that’s difficult.
Your contract expires in 2018. Is it right that Arsenal have withdrawn their offer to you?
You must not believe everything you read. I will just say I have one year to go and I love to run onto the pitch for the club. At the moment everything is open. Let’s wait and see what happens.
The fans would like to chase Arsène Wenger away! Mats Hummels recently said after Carlo Ancelotti was spat at (by Hertha Berlin fans, not Bayern) that fans have less and less respect. Do you see it similarly?
I appreciate the enthusiasm of our fans, the passion. But there have to be limits. I agree with Mats there. We are people, we make mistakes like everyone else. Anyone who works in football and in the public eye has to deal with pressure, that’s a part of it. But one should maintain respect for people and not exceed certain limits.
Is a Bundesliga comeback conceivable one day?
I wouldn’t want to rule it out. Many relatives – especially my mum – would welcome it if I were closer- But you can never plan these things in football.
—
So, there you go, unsurprisingly they’re being sensationalised elsewhere.
We could definitely use the Ozil from the first half of the season if we’re to finish strongly, and Sunday would be a great start there.
Is this the season with the most # of interviews by Mesut?
“But you know what makes me. Proud? That the Arsenal fans have written an Özil song.
I have never experienced something like that in a club. Every time the fans sing it I get goosebumps.”
I can’t help but think if we had more fans singing and supporting our players at home matches we’d have a much more productive team. Yes football is overly expensive, but it’s a two way experience not a passive one. Sing up gooners!
Agreed. It’s so quiet at the Emirates unless it’s a big match. Sad really.
Look at the prices. The club push passionate fans away. More interested in tourist £’s
Long story short, Arsene and Mesut will stay, Alexis will go.
Alexis will stay – he loves Arsenal, and the feeling is mutual!
Alexis loves playing football and open spaces for his dogs. We need to find a unique way to combine the two ?
Why are there so many toxic fans disapproving of this comments ?
Probably because its nonsense, as much as I want players of his quality to stay, it seems very unlikely that will happen now.
I approved the said comment but would have down voted yours 1000 times if I could because of freedom of speech.
Is there space for more crests in his shrine in Tocopilla?
Would much much prefer it, if it were the other way around.
Sanchez to stay is a must. Ozil if he signs great, but he is replaceable. As for Wenger staying, that would just kill the club.
Nah. Rate Ozil more. Less of a prick.
Seems he wants to stay…
Have a feeling this break will do wonders for us. Foot in mouth but I think we’ll beat City this weekend.
” But I’m not the type of player to chase after the ball the whole time, everyone knows that. ”
this is exactly whats wrong with ozil. however good player you are you need to do the defensive part of the game. there are no individuals , team is what matters . this kind of behaviour will never be tolerated in teams coached by the best managers in europe . you will never see a single individual staying still in guardiolas team. even neymar and messi defends for the team , why cant he
Neymar and Messi defend??? Oh, ok… There are other ways to defend than making ugly tackles. Mesut is used to block the connections between opponents and prevent them from a passing solution. Check it out, it’s very interesting to see…
Btw, do you include Löw and Mourinho into the circle of the best coaches in Europe? They work(ed) with Özil, you know…
agreed.
thats fine if you can deliver like ronaldinho but when i see 34 year old rosicky chasing to press opponents and mesut jogging around chewing gum…thats where i draw a line…
oh and imo..when rosicky broke out as ten in the early 00’s…infinitely better than anything weve seen from mesut.
tomaas very unlucky with injuries…him and totti and kaka perhaps the last actual tens of world football.
So convenient, comparing a player who hardly played, with Mesut.
What’s next? Ledley King was infinitely better than Koscielny/Mustafi?
Walob.
Mourinho worked out that no one provides the bullets for strikers better than Mesut.Ronaldo loved him (no not the fat one).Löw ditto.Both managers used him and once a victory is secure he was pulled because he’s not a defensive minded player. This crap only gets wheeled our when we lose. Something that’s more down to our none existent midfield shield or no defensive strategy.
low plays ozil frequently , i agree.because its easier for them , they have sauch talented players in every position that they dominate every game they play, so all ozil needs is to create chances. mourinho never favoured him. he always favoured other players over ozil so they had bad blood between them and by the end of season he was out of the first team altogether , thats how arsenal got him in the first place. theres whole bunch of articles with ozil quoting on this. this is the same mournho that critisized and benched player of the year… Read more »
The former Real Madrid manager José Mourinho, spoke about Mesut Özil’s departure from his old club: “Özil is unique. There is no copy of him – not even a bad one. He is the best number 10 in the world.”
In particular, Ozil recounts an episode where Mourinho called him out at halftime of a match, undressing him verbally in front of the whole team. “You think two beautiful passes are enough,” raged Mourinho. “You think you’re so good that fifty percent is enough. You think you are too nice to tackle.” “He pauses. Stares at me with his dark brown eyes. I stare back. Like two boxers at the stare-down before the first round. He shows no emotion. Just waits for a response from me. How much I hate him right now. And I love Mourinho actually.” Mourinho then… Read more »
The comment about him not the type of player who chase after the ball the whole time, is that kind of mindset detriminal to him? Nowadays, even creative players need to prepare to chase and press the ball in unity everytime the team out of possession. I think it’s better if rather than concede that he’s not good at it, he should want to improve that side of him.
The problem is that whe he tackles more than Xhaka + Coquelin in Munich, nobody cares. I’d be very curious to know how often the untouchable Sanchez tackles
I just think that it would stunt the creative/attacking side of his game. Currently, he depends a lot on being free to take up spaces so that when the team has the ball, he’s able to capitalise. Chasing after the ball means the other team’s possession determines where he finds himself. But perhaps you’re right. He’s intelligent. I think he can find a way to press while keeping alert on what space is available to him when the team gets back possession. On the other hand, perhaps it’s a matter of systems. If Arsenal had a system that’s more set… Read more »
I believe this is what was meant by his comment. It’s to say that he is more effective for the team if he looks to space to launch counter-offensive moves. Not that he’s above pressing.
I really don’t understand the willingness to let a player like Özil go. People seem to have forgotten that just last season he had the top assists in Europe! The system this season hasn’t suited that side of his game quite so well but he’s still a massive player for us.
There are two ways of looking at it. You either work on your flaws to round out your overall game or if your strengths outweigh your weaknesses, the coach can always implement systems that don’t expose it. Mesut turns 29 this year. I think it is unwise to work on his flaws, rather than using him properly to maximize his obvious strengths. There are many examples of players who don’t really “chase the ball” or “get dirty in the ditches”. That doesn’t mean they don’t ever press or defend. We only perceive the tangible things like chasing and harrying and… Read more »
“When it isn’t going well overall it is twice as hard for a creative player.” I feel for him on that. Wenger specifically wants him to focus on attack and his natural talent, and he seems to be very happy being given that freedom. If people want to complain that he doesn’t contribute enough defensively then they should have a go at Arsene because it was the same with Fabregas. He wants them free of responsibility- you get 20 assists when it works, you get hammered when it doesn’t. But it’s not really the player’s fault. It’s kind of an… Read more »
I know that this may be sacrilege, but I saw Bergkamp have stinkers too. When you buy a player of this ilk, you can’t expect him to perform the chores he wasn’t bought for. Ozil is a luxury player (and a very good one at that) – but you can only afford this type of player if you have the rest of the team play around him and cover for his deficiencies. IMO, we don’t have this at the moment. The resolution is to either get rid of him, or build the team around him. Given his obvious talent, I… Read more »
I think what he means is he’s not N’Golo fucking Kante and in this respect I do have sympathy for him. But on the other hand he did beg Wenger to switch to the middle a couple of seasons back. In this league, a creative no.10 that doesn’t press and can’t tackle is really going to put pressure on his team mates unless he takes up a ‘drifting winger’ position and is supported by a 3 man midfield. It makes us way too top heavy in attacking transitions and I feel it is part of the reason our midfielders and… Read more »
*form
Guys, guys, it’s truly time to give him a break with all the “defensive” critics! Mesut is used by wprl d class coaches who have never complained about him, he has won several big trophies, he’s got the same rate as Sanchez against the big PL teams… It’s time to just look at his way of playing, look at the team with and without him (much better without than with then defensively speaking if we follow your thoughts, no?) and to stop listening to MOTD or s*** like this!
I think a couple of things : 1) He mentions his relation to the rest of midfield which I think becomes acute in bigger games when the deeper midfield drop too far back and is seperated. We have had issues functioning in midfield this season. Granit is naturally a deeper playmaker but Coquelin is also naturally more cautious by nature as a DM. When instructed to sit deeper, they get dissconnected with Ozil and the German drifts out of the picture. 2) He’s stronger this season but Ozil still pretty much performs better over one half of season. We need… Read more »
Even if should we retain Ozil for one more season, I think Wenger will do himself a massive favour by looking into our current issues in deep midfield. Granit looks solid. There is a good player in Coquelin but we know he works better with certain players only at the moment. There is still a chance he can work a better relationship on the pitch with Granit. The superb Santi is over 30+ and carrying injury so should not be relied upon to be available (see Arteta and Rosicky last season) Ramsey I feel is better attacking midfield in lieu… Read more »