Ozil - Do we need him?

[Niall_Quinn]

Yesterday proved what was patently obvious in the first place. If we use the talent we have at this club in an ambitious manner we can stand toe to toe with almost any opponent. Yes the chavs were poor, but I'm sure they didn't choose to be that way. We pulled their defence all over the place, we made them look bad. The chavs didn't sit back and invite us to have the ball, we harried them all over the pitch and when we regained possession we passed it quickly and accurately into the danger zone. We did the opposite of what we usually do. Can you imagine a similar result had we played the tippy tappy bollocks we've been suffering for several seasons now? About a year ago we ripped Utd apart in a similar manner. The challenge now is to build on this and not slip back into the conservative ways that have dragged our standard of football into the sewer. We KNOW we can do a lot better and we just saw the proof. How do we take this ambition and intensity into every game for the remainder of the season? That's the question and the challenge the manager faces now. No point making a bold statement if you don't follow it up decisively.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

As much as I rate Ozil and I do, I don't think yesterday proved a lot, the Chelsea defence was so amateurish and the midfield so lacking in commitment that Denilson could have looked like a world beater against them.

You've completely overstated the second point but I agree with the bold.

He was excellent regardless of the goal and hasn't been nearly as bad as many have stated the last few games.

Better wear your tin hat PG Tips

[Herbert_Chapman's_Zombie]

I don't think the second point can be overstated, Chelsea were diabolical defensively

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

I was more referring to Denilson looking like a world beater...... Losing Kante as Ozil did is the sort of thing he does quite regularly albeit not always in such spectacular fashion or to that level of opposition. It won't always be lauded if it doesn't end in anything though.

Why not focus on how good we were.......and this time we were superb. It's not as if the performance was no better than PSG with the only difference being the opposition.

[Dicks and chicks]

Sell him and buy back bichoff quite frankly.

[Dicks and chicks]

I was more referring to Denilson looking like a world beater...... Losing Kante as Ozil did is the sort of thing he does quite regularly albeit not always in such spectacular fashion or to that level of opposition. It won't always be lauded if it doesn't end in anything though.

Why not focus on how good we were.......and this time we were superb. It's not as if the performance was no better than PSG with the only difference being the opposition.

I remember there was 1 season in which denilson did actually look like a world beater

[Power n Glory]

Yesterday proved what was patently obvious in the first place. If we use the talent we have at this club in an ambitious manner we can stand toe to toe with almost any opponent. Yes the chavs were poor, but I'm sure they didn't choose to be that way. We pulled their defence all over the place, we made them look bad. The chavs didn't sit back and invite us to have the ball, we harried them all over the pitch and when we regained possession we passed it quickly and accurately into the danger zone. We did the opposite of what we usually do. Can you imagine a similar result had we played the tippy tappy bollocks we've been suffering for several seasons now? About a year ago we ripped Utd apart in a similar manner. The challenge now is to build on this and not slip back into the conservative ways that have dragged our standard of football into the sewer. We KNOW we can do a lot better and we just saw the proof. How do we take this ambition and intensity into every game for the remainder of the season? That's the question and the challenge the manager faces now. No point making a bold statement if you don't follow it up decisively.

This is a very tip tappy goal, NQ. I can't speak for the overall nature of the game because I've only seen the highlights but if Iwobi takes a heavy touch after the first pass from Ozil or if Kante doesn't slip and nicks the ball off Iwobi after the second pass back form Ozil, the opportunity for the 2nd goal has gone and we're open for the counter.

It's great play from Iwobi to make that turn and slip Bellerin in. He spots the run and plays the risky pass. He could have played it back out ignoring the run to try and keep possession. We'll always be a team that plays possession football under Wenger but I don't know how his coaching can stop a player from picking out a good run when playing so deep in our opponents half. It has to come down to individual choices at some point.

For example, watch Theo's movement for the build up. He makes a good run into the box as soon as he sees Ozil getting a touch and he calls for the pass. But Ozil plays a simple pass to Iwobi who's not really in a great position to do damage with his back to goal. It results in the sort of tipp tappy moment you despise and would probably curse if that move breaks down. Could Ozil not have played the ball first time to Theo? Did he see the run? Is it too much of a difficult angle and pass? I don't know. Would a pass to his left for Monreal to whip in a cross be better? Who knows. But it results in a goal. Heck of a pass from Iwobi to find Bellerin, great movement from Theo and perfect cross from Hector. 2-0.

[Goonermerree]

We were so not tippy tappy yesterday.

[Power n Glory]

I'm can't really tell but there were a couple of moments where we overplayed a little and then countered. I don't know if we deviated from the usual way we'd attack.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

It was very tippy tappy, just with cutting edge. No need for us to pretend it was something else entirely because we won and played well. It was quick, incisive, progressive passes that cut them open to devastating effect.