Emeryball was even worse
But Freddieball? I mean what on earth is this?
Despite the fact that we won today, 80 minutes of that game displayed some of the most abject football I've ever seen in my life from Arsenal. And I mean my entire life.
I don't even know where to start - so let's start with Xhaka. He has got to be the worst midfielder we've ever had, period.
Pepe - yes he scored, but the amount of great opportunities he wastes by getting dispossessed on the cusp of a shooting chance, due to his own inept "skills" that never come off is ridiculous.
I'm an Ozil supporter but my goodness he had a shocker today. Couldn't find a man to save his life.
AMN - all he can do is backpass and fall to the ground.
The one shining light today was Martinelli. His attitude, workrate, and actual ABILITY are all very commendable. He makes the likes of Joe Willock and Reiss Nelson look like frauds.
Wengerball was bad
posted on 10/12/19
Why pay him to handicap the team when you can just as easily pay him to sit at home and rot there, instead of stinking up the team rotting onfield.
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Because I think Ozil was never able to deliver what Wenger asked of Ozil. But in trying to do that Ozil has lost his way. Ozil was very direct at Real Madrid. The coaches wanted him to always look forward. Thats why he topped assists statistics in Liga even when the likes of Xavi, Inesta and Messi were all at their pomp. At Arsenal we needed someone to replicate what Cesc did for us. That is link the deep midfield to the strikers. That meant much more emphasis on keeping possession. That was especially important when we had a very slow forward in Giroud leading the line. There was no point in playing balls behind the defence because Giroud was never going to get to them.
Thats what has to change in Ozil and I am willing to see if a new voice, whether Freddie, or whoever succeeds him to get him back to that. We now have fast forwards like Martinelli, Pepe, Lacazette, Aubameyang, Nelson and even Nketiah. A very different style.
posted on 10/12/19
comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 2 hours, 8 minutes ago
Why pay him to handicap the team when you can just as easily pay him to sit at home and rot there, instead of stinking up the team rotting onfield.
-----------------------------------------
Because I think Ozil was never able to deliver what Wenger asked of Ozil. But in trying to do that Ozil has lost his way. Ozil was very direct at Real Madrid. The coaches wanted him to always look forward. Thats why he topped assists statistics in Liga even when the likes of Xavi, Inesta and Messi were all at their pomp. At Arsenal we needed someone to replicate what Cesc did for us. That is link the deep midfield to the strikers. That meant much more emphasis on keeping possession. That was especially important when we had a very slow forward in Giroud leading the line. There was no point in playing balls behind the defence because Giroud was never going to get to them.
Thats what has to change in Ozil and I am willing to see if a new voice, whether Freddie, or whoever succeeds him to get him back to that. We now have fast forwards like Martinelli, Pepe, Lacazette, Aubameyang, Nelson and even Nketiah. A very different style.
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Ozil only succeeded in a team of superstars, 10 other excellent players to carry his deficiencies - which we do not have.
posted on 10/12/19
Pipe dream Jenius. And YCBC is correct. Team full of superstars required for Ozil to shine in the way you're wishing for. Everyone knows this, same way everybody knows we don't have and can't afford to buy that many top notch players. That is why it's the utterly pointless, metaphoric flogging a dead horse repeatedly starting Ozil. If Freddie had gotten through then Ozil would have put on one hell of a show. He didn't.
He hasn't lost his way, he never ever had what it takes because he won't press the ball in the attacking 3rd nor run with it, taking players on. You can say he doesn't have to track back but any CAM MUST press the ball in the attacking 3rd and HAS to run with it. A CAM simply can't be idle, attempting to never run more than five yards and only pass the ball. Both skills actively used alot is vital when you don't have a top notch defence to stop everything a lazy CAM wants to let waltz by him wherever he is on the field. Probably exactly why Jose let Wenger have him when he hates Wenger. He KNEW the problems Ozil would cause him. Sly ol' dog
He's GOT to go mate, particularly when you can visibly see the other players getting sick of him refusing to play because he doesn't have billion pound team to work with. Can't keep sticking two fingers up at players busting their asses for 1/3 or less of what he gets. It kills/has been killing morale, totally understandably IMO. He's supposedly getting 350k a week because he's so talented he doesn't need anything but his boots to be a marquee wonder player. Like most other players commanding that kinda salary. He's pushing Messi/Ron money there and neither of them require a full superstar 11 to show how good THEY are. He's supposed to make us better. Not require us to spend a billion quid so he can look good being lazy and not giving a damn whether we win or lose cos he's cashed up already either way.
posted on 10/12/19
I think both of you are ignoring that we have no choice. No one wants him. Even the Turks don't want to give him £350k a week for just political reasons.
If we want to recover any of that money we are paying him we have to keep him involved and in the limelight for his sponsors or we are liable for that entire amount. Thats why I believe he will always be about.
My hope is that there is someone who can get something out of him for the next two seasons.
So I am looking at it tactically and what he can contribute. Standing in midfield passing side to side and backwards doesn't do that. If someone can just get him back to being more direct and bring back his final ball we could still use him.
If we replace Xhaka with a more physical, faster player Ozil can do just that. Stay in the final 3rd and keep on sliding in the fast players around him. Convincing him to rediscover that though won't be an easy task.
posted on 10/12/19
I think myself and WB2 would love for Ozil to show us something different and go on a good run of form with plenty of assists and some goals but the chances of that happening are so slim. We can't hinder the team just to try and reinforce his value in the market because unless he plays well that's not going to work anyway. Sometimes in life you have to accept your mistakes and the repercussions of them, he should be axed from the starting XI in any game that matters permanently.
posted on 10/12/19
We can't hinder the team just to try and reinforce his value in the market because unless he plays well that's not going to work anyway.
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You are of course 100% correct. My point is that where he plays and what he is asked to do is very important on how he can contribute. I think he has been misused by Wenger and to an extent those habits have ingrained into his play. This has to be undone. Emery never tried to fix him so its not that new managers have failed to resurrect his career. A new voice may help especially if the new man limits Ozil's role. Ozil is not a player who can run the game. I think that has been the mistake made from the very start.
I don't buy into attempts at trying to devalue what he has achieved before he came to Arsenal. Or even times when he was playing well for us. The man has talent. Whether he has to self respect to work hard and rebuild his career is another matter.
posted on 10/12/19
comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 1 hour, 15 minutes ago
We can't hinder the team just to try and reinforce his value in the market because unless he plays well that's not going to work anyway.
---------------------------------------------
You are of course 100% correct. My point is that where he plays and what he is asked to do is very important on how he can contribute. I think he has been misused by Wenger and to an extent those habits have ingrained into his play. This has to be undone. Emery never tried to fix him so its not that new managers have failed to resurrect his career. A new voice may help especially if the new man limits Ozil's role. Ozil is not a player who can run the game. I think that has been the mistake made from the very start.
I don't buy into attempts at trying to devalue what he has achieved before he came to Arsenal. Or even times when he was playing well for us. The man has talent. Whether he has to self respect to work hard and rebuild his career is another matter.
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Well one thing is for sure in my mind, he has only excelled in teams that dominate matches, dominate possession - like when he was at his peak with RM, needless to say we are a long way away from being this type of team again and several players short to boot.
posted on 10/12/19
comment by You Can't Buy Class (U12019)
posted 16 minutes ago
comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 1 hour, 15 minutes ago
We can't hinder the team just to try and reinforce his value in the market because unless he plays well that's not going to work anyway.
---------------------------------------------
You are of course 100% correct. My point is that where he plays and what he is asked to do is very important on how he can contribute. I think he has been misused by Wenger and to an extent those habits have ingrained into his play. This has to be undone. Emery never tried to fix him so its not that new managers have failed to resurrect his career. A new voice may help especially if the new man limits Ozil's role. Ozil is not a player who can run the game. I think that has been the mistake made from the very start.
I don't buy into attempts at trying to devalue what he has achieved before he came to Arsenal. Or even times when he was playing well for us. The man has talent. Whether he has to self respect to work hard and rebuild his career is another matter.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Well one thing is for sure in my mind, he has only excelled in teams that dominate matches, dominate possession - like when he was at his peak with RM, needless to say we are a long way away from being this type of team again and several players short to boot.
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I agree. Think the first job for Edu should be to replace Xhaka. That will help the whole team retain possession and improve we how protect the defence.
posted on 10/12/19
comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 22 minutes ago
comment by You Can't Buy Class (U12019)
posted 16 minutes ago
comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 1 hour, 15 minutes ago
We can't hinder the team just to try and reinforce his value in the market because unless he plays well that's not going to work anyway.
---------------------------------------------
You are of course 100% correct. My point is that where he plays and what he is asked to do is very important on how he can contribute. I think he has been misused by Wenger and to an extent those habits have ingrained into his play. This has to be undone. Emery never tried to fix him so its not that new managers have failed to resurrect his career. A new voice may help especially if the new man limits Ozil's role. Ozil is not a player who can run the game. I think that has been the mistake made from the very start.
I don't buy into attempts at trying to devalue what he has achieved before he came to Arsenal. Or even times when he was playing well for us. The man has talent. Whether he has to self respect to work hard and rebuild his career is another matter.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Well one thing is for sure in my mind, he has only excelled in teams that dominate matches, dominate possession - like when he was at his peak with RM, needless to say we are a long way away from being this type of team again and several players short to boot.
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I agree. Think the first job for Edu should be to replace Xhaka. That will help the whole team retain possession and improve we how protect the defence.
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We're most desperate for the type of midfielder you describe and another CB, a more imposing dominating CB. Then we could have good competition with: the new CB, Saliba & Holding, keep Luiz as backup maybe, let Sokratis & Mustafi go for certs.
posted on 10/12/19
The self respect to step up is the most critical thing here Jenius and he doesn't have it. If he had it, he'd have shown us something already. He wasn't even interested when a good show from him would have gotten the team back to CL football. I See where you're coming from, just think you're sorely underestimating the effect Ozil's repeated presence whilst doing nothing, is demoralizing the rest of the team. Never mind being liable for all his wages. Because it's worth the money to get his negative effect as far away from the team as possible, asap.
YCBC
Spot on, the reason I get so mad is because he can blatantly do more than he does, even with all the things against him accounted for. I see a player satisfied he's made it and happy to simply be present and cash his big fat cheque that he has NEVER been worth because he's lazy and apathetic. Few thing annoy me more than someone who craps away their immense god given talent because they're too damned lazy to work. The boy is INFURIATING!
I'da decked his ass by now if I was one of the others