Hi, Ja606. Long time reader, first time poster.
There’s no doubt that Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil was unspectacular last season. The excitement of the Arsenal fans was understandable given his status as the best #10 in the world but, after hitting the ground running, Ozil’s form dipped dramatically after Christmas.
So, at a club-record £42.4m, was it a bad signing?
No. It was a masterstroke.
The signing of a bona fide world-class star changed the perception of Arsenal as a team and of Wenger as a manager. The fact is, Ozil is the biggest signing in Premier League history. Signing a player of Ozil’s reputation, in his prime at 25 years old, from Real Madrid, where he was the No.2 guy, was unprecedented in the PL. It was especially huge for Arsenal & Wenger, who had specialized in signing mediocre players in the £8m-12m bracket.
Ozil is by far the biggest star on the star-studded World Champion Germany team. He’s the one with the biggest social media following, the biggest endorsement deals. To put it into context, Ozil has more twitter followers than the rest of the German 1st XI combined. Ozil also sold the third most jerseys in football last season, only Messi & Ronaldo sold more.
http://www.givemesport.com/402994-top-10-football-shirt-sellers-in-201314/page/9
Having a player of this calibre will help attract other elite players. That’s already been demonstrated. Alexis Sanchez probably would have signed for Juventus if it wasn’t for ‘The Ozil Factor’.
Beyond that, Ozil’s first season, while well below his usual world-class standard, was still relatively good. He was a Top 4 player in the league till mid-December. Only Ramsey, Suarez & Aguero (in that order) were better. The lack of a winter break affected him but he improved at the end of the season and was one of the best players at the World Cup. In fact, after Ozil received his winner’s medal, legendary former France #10 Michel Platini asked him for his shirt.
http://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/michel-platini-asked-mesut-ozil-for-his-shirt-during-germanys-world-cup-celebrations-picture/
After completing his first PL season and with the confidence boost of a World Cup win, normal service will likely resume next season and Ozil will reclaim his rightful place as the best playmaker in football.
The reason Manchester United are tagged is because of the following question: Would United fans have preferred Ozil at £42.4m, or Mata at £37.5m?
Was €50m Ozil a good signing?
posted on 25/8/14
Very true Skins!
But Nasri starts and is an integral part of your side right? Give it a rest kiddo. Forget Ozil. Cazorla would start week in, week out for you. Clown."
No he wouldn't, it would unbalance our setup. Nasri was one of our best players last season not for assists but for ball retention, he played a pivotal role in our tactics as a whole.
posted on 25/8/14
Oh dear. Oh dear. Both Ozil and Cazorla are superior players to Nasri. They could do everything that ponce can do including ball retention.
Regardless, my point was Pellegrini can make space for average players such as Nasri and Navas but he wouldn't for Ozil? That's how much of a farce this whole obsession with him has become. It's just nonsensical.
posted on 25/8/14
lol at the comments on this thread. Never realised how bitter and obsessed people are with Arsenal.
Saying Mata is better than Ozil is actually insulting not just to him, but my eyes. I shouldn't have to read such trash. You won't find a football fan outside of England saying otherwise, but whatever. If one year ago people asked who the better player was, we all know what the answer would be. And that's because he wasn't an Arsenal player. Likewise 3 years ago if you asked the question, everybody would have said Ozil was better than Cesc but now that Ozil is an Arsenal player and Cesc is not, we all 'know' who the better player is (Cesc is better but that's not the point).
Wonder how long it is until poverty footballers like Schurle, Lamela and Navas are better than Alexis. That's if they aren't better already. I mean he has played 3 games for us, I think that's long enough for him to be branded overrated and shít.
posted on 25/8/14
Mata at £25 was a much better buy than Ozil at £40. Ozil will come good though. Form is temporary. Class is permanent.
posted on 25/8/14
Nasri better than Ozil?
posted on 25/8/14
Mata ain't a patch on Ozil.
posted on 25/8/14
He's clearly better, based on performances in the PL. He proves it on pretty much a weekly basis
posted on 25/8/14
"Regardless, my point was Pellegrini can make space for average players such as Nasri and Navas but he wouldn't for Ozil? That's how much of a farce this whole obsession with him has become. It's just nonsensical."
Yes because then we would have too many attacking players, we don't play a setup that would suit Ozil. It's not about who is the better player, it is about who suits the way the team is set up as a whole and Nasri plays deeper for us than Silva or Ozil would.
posted on 25/8/14
If you read what has been put, no-one has said that that Nasri is better than Ozil (though your hatred of Nasri is ridiculous, he had a fine season last year), just that Nasri suits City's set up more.
If you use Sanchez on the wing, you will get a better use of Ozil, but still not the best out of him until you get a striker. City use Navas to stretch wing play when needed, Sanchez can do the same for Arsenal, but he needs a striker in the middle.A striker gets you the Ozil you thought you were buying, and the best out of Sanchez.
posted on 25/8/14
Fair point Bomdia. Good point actually.