Ozil - Do we need him?

[IBK]

https://metro.co.uk/2018/07/29/jose-...mates-7772508/

Was going to post in general football nonsense that schadenfreude is present and correct when we consider that Alexis has scored just 2 league goals for Mourinho at Manure, but thought that this headline is interesting when you consider what has been said about Oxil. Do we agree with Mourinho, and are his comments about Alexis evidence that Arsenal players are better than Manure's - given the shed full of goals Alexis scored for us?

[SMatthews]

https://metro.co.uk/2018/07/29/jose-...mates-7772508/

Was going to post in general football nonsense that schadenfreude is present and correct when we consider that Alexis has scored just 2 league goals for Mourinho at Manure, but thought that this headline is interesting when you consider what has been said about Oxil. Do we agree with Mourinho, and are his comments about Alexis evidence that Arsenal players are better than Manure's - given the shed full of goals Alexis scored for us?

Completely Maureen’s fault. Alexis needs to be the focal point of the attack, not out on the left playing second fiddle to Lukaku. Even when Giroud was in the centre everything was channelled into Alexis. He was the boss. He knew it, Giroud knew and so did everyone else in the team. Either drop Lukaku, or let Alexis be the main man in the frontline, even out wide. Unless that happens he’ll continue to be ineffective.

[Power n Glory]

Mourinho can't get the best out of Pogba, flopped with Salah, failed to spot the talent in De Bruyne and Lukaku, hasn't gotten much out of Willian and Cuadrado, Shevchenko was a world class striker and flopped under Mourinho....Jose just isn't good with attacking players.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Yup, the biggest factor is him, though Alexis' best days are probably behind him. Duracell bunnies don't last forever.

United have a plethora of talent at their disposal and I would stay bite their hands off for Martial or Rashford.

[GP]

Yup, the biggest factor is him, though Alexis' best days are probably behind him. Duracell bunnies don't last forever.

United have a plethora of talent at their disposal and I would stay bite their hands off for Martial or Rashford.

Mourinho is busy ruining them both.

[Power n Glory]

Yup, the biggest factor is him, though Alexis' best days are probably behind him. Duracell bunnies don't last forever.

United have a plethora of talent at their disposal and I would stay bite their hands off for Martial or Rashford.

We had Alexis at his peak where he scored the most career goals in a season and won back to back Copa America titles. Bit of a waste.

Best days are probably behind him but then I guess the same can be said for Ozil, Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan. How likely are they to explode into action for us now when they're all approaching 30 but off form?

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

I think he's taken his eye off the pair of them and is focused in on Pogba. Pogba has just won the bleeding world cup, but Jose enjoys a challenge.

[IBK]

Completely Maureen’s fault. Alexis needs to be the focal point of the attack, not out on the left playing second fiddle to Lukaku. Even when Giroud was in the centre everything was channelled into Alexis. He was the boss. He knew it, Giroud knew and so did everyone else in the team. Either drop Lukaku, or let Alexis be the main man in the frontline, even out wide. Unless that happens he’ll continue to be ineffective.

So...the question is that if this idea that Alexis' poor form is the fault of his team mates is rejected, then isn't the same also true of Ozil, who in contrast to Alexis is failing to perform in much the same Arsenal team that Alexis did so well in?

[selassie]

It could be as simple as Özil being under the weather, Emery deciding not to play him as he wants a 100% fit team for each game and Özil being annoyed at being dropped. Nothing more than that. Any player who does not feel upset about not being selected should not be in the club, never mind the squad, so if Özil is upset about not being selected, that is not a bad thing.

Özil does get effected by the mood of the rest of the team - he is not the born leader type - but when he plays well, he gives brilliant and penetrating delivery of the ball. Players like him need drivers and leaders around them. I think that is one of the places where Wenger missed out - he didn't seem to think captains were so important. When we had success, we had the Vieira, Adams, Bergkamp and so on - key leader-players in different parts of the pitch - who drove the players around them.

Özil is not one of those players but he is not alone in this. Having said that, if Emery makes an example and gets rid of him in January resulting in the team working better, so be it.

Ozil is on 350k per week, he earns "elite" player money, like top 10 world class player money. Is he delivering?

[SMatthews]

So...the question is that if this idea that Alexis' poor form is the fault of his team mates is rejected, then isn't the same also true of Ozil, who in contrast to Alexis is failing to perform in much the same Arsenal team that Alexis did so well in?

Never a doubt in my mind Ozil is failing to live up to his potential. I could care less about how much he earns and it’s strange so many non-ticket holders harp on about it. The biggest disappointment is he doesn’t live up the talent he possesses. I’m not sure if it’s appication, if the league is too fast for his style of play or if it’s also perception and expectations on the part of the fans. Maybe it’s a combination of all three. Either way, I wouldn’t miss him if he left - as long as we had a replacement player added to the squad of some description.