Mesut Ozil was quick to thank Freddie Ljungberg for his support after the Swede and his players enjoyed a first win in over two months.
The Gunners looked to be heading for another damaging defeat when they fell behind against West Ham but an equaliser from Gabriel Martinelli set up a stunning comeback that was completed inside nine minutes by Nicolas Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
After the 3-1 win, Ozil faced the Sky Sports cameras. Here’s what he had to say.
On the performance…
Especially in the second half, we showed what we can do on the pitch if we believe in ourselves. We deserved to win and we are now happy, especially for our supporters.
On goalscorers Martinelli and Pepe…
We are happy for them. We know they have the quality they showed today and we are happy they scored important goals for us. We will continue fighting hard to reach our goal for the season.
On the new manager…
He was a football player and he understands us as players. he has already shown his quality as a coach and we are thankful we have him. Today was a successful day for him and us. It is always hard for the club to change the coach. Freddie is a young coach and he is always there for us, which is what we need.
One of the weaker performances from Ozil
Ozil if not The best was one of our best players on the pitch tonight. Don’t know what game you saw but that was Mesut Masterclass tonight!
Lol Ozil was masterclass today? Maybe the worst player in premier league now in my opinion, just useless doesn’t do anything, just walking on the pitch like david luiz is doing
I wouldn’t call Ozil’s performance yesternight a masterclass, but it wasn’t weak though.
Ozil’s game is heavily dependent on movements around him. When the spaces began to open in the second half, we saw what Ozil is all about.
We watched a different game
Seemed OK to me. With a bit more confidence and movement around him he’ll surely start picking defensive locks
You should watch it again mate.
I’m definitely one of Ozil’s biggest critics but he played much better today then the previous 44 games.
Tim Sherwood seemed to think the opposite
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dva_P0DQy0
A Spud pundit says Ozil is the motm. I think I will make my own mind up. Martinelli for me was the stand out player his skill,industry and actually putting the ball in the net from open play earns him that honor as he played the whole match not just a part of it like some. But let’s not kid ourselves any other team in league would have finished us off last night. Their confidence is more fragile than ours and Noble makes Xhaka look mobile and effective. How many times was the ball played back or sideways in the… Read more »
You do know that despite managing the spuds he was and is actually an Arsenal fan?
The dark side he has taken
Alan Shearer seemed to think everything good we did came through Ozil. But what does he know?
Freddy looks like Ragnar here…
What managing Arsenal can do to you in just days!
Ozil wasn’t that bad. Xhaka was really bad!
I thought he was ok, neat and tidy but without being decisive in the final third. He’s not someone that will get 15 goals 15 assists, not direct or consistent enough, but he helped control the game in the second half after a very quiet first.
People see game with lenses. I agree with you Ozick was awful. Minute 4 he got dispossessed like a ten year old , the opposition almost scored. He got disposed easily another 3 times . He was nowhere to be seen until we were 3-1 up . What a leader! What a player ! But let’s see the positive with Martinelli, Pepe, Chambers and the full back ( special mention to Torreira too)
I think I’m personally done with Ozil being a leader. He’s never going to be that kind of player for us, he’ll never win games on his own or justify his wages. A top player in his position would be look at around 10 goals 10 assists minimum and generally being more direct offensively and defensively. But he’s probably the best we have right now in his position, even if he’s not nearly as good as some on here think. Someone that, if the opposition back off, can control the tempo of the game and keep our attack ticking over.… Read more »
Me too.
I think we all knew it would take a little time to get going, but really hoping the darkest days are behind us.
Could be quite a different atmosphere by next Monday if we can take advantage of a wounded Man City at the weekend….
Some classy answers from the German, whichever your opinion of him as our player is. I mean he could have taken a dig at the previous manager while singing praises on Freddie.
So what happened… did not show up for the first hour and then became world beaters for the next ten minutes?!
But for 10 minutes, it was magic!
Confidence.
Martinelli happened, and we got a bit of our belief back.
This is what these players are capable of on the flat track.
Anyone can overload the wings, and even if he does it intuitively, you still need a system in place for other players to love forward or react if it breaks down. Ozil is truly at his best when he has even half decent movement ahead of him, or especially running past him, from several players. Unfortunately the team had been built (or rather taken apart) for good reason or not for longer term aims. So those who would have helped him in particular Ramsey, Bellerin. And to lesser extent Miki, Iwobi. Have now left a very industrious but unadventurous midfield.… Read more »
If Freddie can convince the FEC to buy a footballing cb then he should get the job permanently imo.
The next manager needs to be able to keep results as well as handle the FEC convincingly.
Sure it’ll be impossible to keep your hairs from going grey. But that’s the structure at this club.
FEC? Flesh Eater Courts?
Front End Colonic
What the FEC
Ozil – please fuck off. Give Freddie a chance.
Boohoo, Emery lover cannot get over his departure.
Emery lover! Yeah right…Arsenal lover mate. Get a fkn grip.
People can read and remember your previous posts, Mintoes.
I backed giving emery 2 years then seeing where we’re at before deciding whether to honor the 3rd year or not. I get why we felt we needed to fire him right now but I also think he had a tough gig cleaning up Wenger’s mess and giving him time to clear the decks might have worked in the long run. As it is, we are now in Man U territory with the club run by fools who will kneejerk coaching decisions every 18 months. Not the way to run Arsenal.
In other words, you thought Emery should continue until the end of this season and that there was a decent chance he might have “worked in the long run.” I’m not distorting your view in any way, am I?
So, we are entitled to view all your subsequent posts in that light. Someone who could not see what was happening on the pitch, who let his hatred for Wenger colour his understanding of our performances–well, why would I take you seriously about Ozil?
In the opening 30 min s the gunners were pussy footing around and afraid to make mistakes.When the hammers scored I switched off my tv. It was 430am local time. I got up at 5 to see that our Brazilian dynamo had equalized. Having been invigorated I stayed on to watch the balance of the game. The defence has to improve when they face MC . To do that every gunner must get in the blues faces. Not an inch and a second for them to pass and shoot like w hat MU did. Theres no reason why the gunners… Read more »
Im just hoping that freddie ljunberg our legend can emulate juergen klopp but i love the way he handle things now.. I hope our legendary dennis bergkamp can join forces there and share his expertise too. I think the club need our legend back.. thierry henry, tomas rosicky, robert pires, vieira,…. U r always in my heart
There’s one reason. Xhaka.
Absolutely gutted that ljungberg couldn’t take over sooner. Emery absolute shat on arsenal’s easy fixture run and left
Don’t remember you saying that last 2 games…
“we are thankful we have him” means “I am thankful Emery is gone”. That is Ozil.
Aren’t that speaking for most of us?
We need a solid holding midfielder better than the one’s we have in January or a young active center back from the lower leagues. Time to start plugging holes with our recruitment.
Özil’s comment that Freddie “is always there for us, which is what we need” seems to be telling about how things might have been between Emery and the club. I don’t think we should underestimate the effect of publicly telling two players to fuck off might have had on the whole squad. And I think it’s time to reintroduce Guendouzi (sp?) to midfield—recently he’s been playing the ball more aggressively forward, and the midfield yesterday was absolutely dire at connecting to the attack. I’d have Xhaka take a seat because right now he contributes least among the sideways, back-passing unit.… Read more »
Midfield did improve in the second half, thanks to Torreira pushing it forward quickly and Ozil always being available. Xhaka does have to sit. He’s lost his bearings as a midfielder, and needs to regain those before he starts again. Guendouzi can do a job and one day he’s brilliant, but the next he’s worrisome, so Freddie has to learn that tune and know when to play it. I think Willock could also be an option against weaker opposition when we want someone to drive forward with the ball (Ramsey reminiscing) but it might be time to bring in Luiz… Read more »
Thanks for the clarification—looks like I need to spend some time with the DVR!
Emery sucked the life out of these players and us fans. It’s going to take some time to revive everyone.
If the club name a new manager that person should be required to keep Freddie on the staff.