Ozil - Do we need him?

[selassie]

I feel very confident saying he is better than everyone we have had here since Henry. His first season here, we won the FA Cup. The first trophy of any kind this club has won since 2005.

The guy is a special player.

If Arsenal wants to be an elite club and compete for the top honors, both have to be re-signed. Johnny Taylor said "ITs cheaper to keep her," and in the case of Ozil and Sanchez it is much cheaper to pay them their worth and try and replace them.

Ozil the best player we have had since Henry? Not even close...peak Cesc was better than him, he was blitzing it with assists and goals...

RVP too was better than him or more crucial to the team.

Don't get me wrong Ozil is a very good player and someone who we need to move forward but he's not our best since Henry IMO.

[Niall_Quinn]

Cesc and RvC were very, very good at their peaks. RvC more so, he was close to having that special sauce that really marks out the elite players. The special ability you can see in Ozil every time the ball arrives at his feet. Ozil just knows the game. It pisses people off how well he knows the game, they mistake it for a lack of effort. Get the ball, control it without a thought because, fuck, that's the very least a professional should be able to do, right? Wrong - take a look around. Take the ball, already in the knowledge of what is happening on the pitch. Find the pass if it exists, keep possession if it does not. Ozil's game depends so much on who is around him. Cesc had fearsome weapons around him, for some of the time at least. Ozil has had, until recently, Giroud and Theo. But now we see what happens when another player right on the verge of that elite status, Alexis, is moved into a prominent role. The electricity is really flowing now between the two. Finally we have a use for Ozil, the precision instrument. Xhaka could be the next player on that wavelength, once he tunes in, if he's allowed to tune in. This is how great teams are built, with great players. Not with good or flashy players - but with great players. Ozil is a great player. Hard to judge him like for like because there's nobody we've had like him. Closest would not be Cesc or RvC - rather Pires. He was another marvellous player, on another level.

[Power n Glory]

Cesc and RvC were very, very good at their peaks. RvC more so, he was close to having that special sauce that really marks out the elite players. The special ability you can see in Ozil every time the ball arrives at his feet. Ozil just knows the game. It pisses people off how well he knows the game, they mistake it for a lack of effort. Get the ball, control it without a thought because, fuck, that's the very least a professional should be able to do, right? Wrong - take a look around. Take the ball, already in the knowledge of what is happening on the pitch. Find the pass if it exists, keep possession if it does not. Ozil's game depends so much on who is around him. Cesc had fearsome weapons around him, for some of the time at least. Ozil has had, until recently, Giroud and Theo. But now we see what happens when another player right on the verge of that elite status, Alexis, is moved into a prominent role. The electricity is really flowing now between the two. Finally we have a use for Ozil, the precision instrument. Xhaka could be the next player on that wavelength, once he tunes in, if he's allowed to tune in. This is how great teams are built, with great players. Not with good or flashy players - but with great players. Ozil is a great player. Hard to judge him like for like because there's nobody we've had like him. Closest would not be Cesc or RvC - rather Pires. He was another marvellous player, on another level.

Cesc had shit around him all over the pitch. Lehman on decline only to be replaced by Almunia then Chesney. A terrible backline from Gallas, Toure, Vermaelen, Eboue, Clichy, Traore, Djourou, Senderos. Sagna was the best defender he played with. Kos played with Cesc but wasn't good until he formed a partnership with Merts.

I mention Eboue in defence but remember when Wenger would play him on the right wing? Gilberto was on the decline as well and could hardly pass the ball forward. Rosicky was often injured. He'd often be playing with Diaby, Denilson, Hleb and Nasri in the midfield. Walcott was often poor.

Up front we at least had strikers with some pace. But let's not forget the games where we were depending on Bendy and Chamakh! RVP was often injured and after one good season where we came close to winning the league, Ade fucked off shortly after. Giroud is a different striker but not shades below some of the guys we were used to seeing.

I'm amazed we finished top 4 with some of those guys when I think about it. But then again, the standard in the Prem was piss poor. But I still enjoyed the way we played. With unknown and inexperienced players, we really put the beating on some teams.

[Niall_Quinn]

Cesc had shit around him all over the pitch. Lehman on decline only to be replaced by Almunia then Chesney. A terrible backline from Gallas, Toure, Vermaelen, Eboue, Clichy, Traore, Djourou, Senderos. Sagna was the best defender he played with. Kos played with Cesc but wasn't good until he formed a partnership with Merts.

I mention Eboue in defence but remember when Wenger would play him on the right wing? Gilberto was on the decline as well and could hardly pass the ball forward. Rosicky was often injured. He'd often be playing with Diaby, Denilson, Hleb and Nasri in the midfield. Walcott was often poor.

Up front we at least had strikers with some pace. But let's not forget the games where we were depending on Bendy and Chamakh! RVP was often injured and after one good season where we came close to winning the league, Ade fucked off shortly after. Giroud is a different striker but not shades below some of the guys we were used to seeing.

I'm amazed we finished top 4 with some of those guys when I think about it. But then again, the standard in the Prem was piss poor. But I still enjoyed the way we played. With unknown and inexperienced players, we really put the beating on some teams.

Cesc started making a name for himself when Wiltord and Freddie were still in the shirt. And RvC and Arshavin. We THOUGHT we were on a downward slide back then but we had no idea what was to come and how bad it would get. Apart from RvC's one man season, this is the first time in years we've seen an upturn in the quality we have on the pitch. And that's down to 2 players, the ones we need to sign, no excuses, no bullshit.

[Power n Glory]

Cesc started making a name for himself when Wiltord and Freddie were still in the shirt. And RvC and Arshavin. We THOUGHT we were on a downward slide back then but we had no idea what was to come and how bad it would get. Apart from RvC's one man season, this is the first time in years we've seen an upturn in the quality we have on the pitch. And that's down to 2 players, the ones we need to sign, no excuses, no bullshit.

Cesc got his start when we still had legends like Henry and Pires at the club. Wiltord had left by the time Cesc was starting. Most of the Invincibles were playing limited roles in fact. But I;'m talking about Cesc was he was 16 years old.

When those guys had left and Cesc and Cesc was in his early 20s, the goals and assist increased by quite a margin. From 07/08 onwards. 15 goals, 22 assists, 19 goals, 20 assists....he played at his best without the Invincible guy. RVP was often injured and only after Cesc left did we see RVP at his peak. We never actually saw those two at their peak together. The closest we had was in 07/08 when we came close to the title but RVP picked up an injury.

Arshavin had one good season for us. A good player but doesn't come close to Sanchez. Cesc also had Nasri but he doesn't compare to Cazorla.

Pound for pound the squad we have no is a lot better than what we have now but we play terrible football.

[Niall_Quinn]

Cesc got his start when we still had legends like Henry and Pires at the club. Wiltord had left by the time Cesc was starting. Most of the Invincibles were playing limited roles in fact. But I;'m talking about Cesc was he was 16 years old.

When those guys had left and Cesc and Cesc was in his early 20s, the goals and assist increased by quite a margin. From 07/08 onwards. 15 goals, 22 assists, 19 goals, 20 assists....he played at his best without the Invincible guy. RVP was often injured and only after Cesc left did we see RVP at his peak. We never actually saw those two at their peak together. The closest we had was in 07/08 when we came close to the title but RVP picked up an injury.

Arshavin had one good season for us. A good player but doesn't come close to Sanchez. Cesc also had Nasri but he doesn't compare to Cazorla.

Pound for pound the squad we have no is a lot better than what we have now but we play terrible football.

That's my point. Cesc developed in a far more productive and gifted environment than that which Ozil was parachuted into. Cesc complimented what was already there. Ozil is very unfairly expected to build something from scratch. And correct, what I said, now Ozil has a proper player to work with we can slowly see the quality of our game trend up. Still in patches, still with great inconsistency. But for the first time in a long time you can see the reemergence of quality. Of course we are still 2 players short. Always 2 players short. If we spend 100 mill on 2 top tier players in the summer, and get that business done early, not only should we retain our two star players but by adding 2 more I don't see why we couldn't go toe to toe with anyone in this league. It's on that knife edge. At one extreme we lose 2 stars and it's back to square one. At the other extreme (which isn't extreme at all and in fact is what we should be doing and should have done a long time ago) add a couple more stars and really push on. I wonder which way the club will go? Yeah right.

[Power n Glory]

That's my point. Cesc developed in a far more productive and gifted environment than that which Ozil was parachuted into. Cesc complimented what was already there. Ozil is very unfairly expected to build something from scratch. And correct, what I said, now Ozil has a proper player to work with we can slowly see the quality of our game trend up. Still in patches, still with great inconsistency. But for the first time in a long time you can see the reemergence of quality. Of course we are still 2 players short. Always 2 players short. If we spend 100 mill on 2 top tier players in the summer, and get that business done early, not only should we retain our two star players but by adding 2 more I don't see why we couldn't go toe to toe with anyone in this league. It's on that knife edge. At one extreme we lose 2 stars and it's back to square one. At the other extreme (which isn't extreme at all and in fact is what we should be doing and should have done a long time ago) add a couple more stars and really push on. I wonder which way the club will go? Yeah right.

At our time where we quickly stripping away the Invincible squad and selling a star a season during the Emirates transition. You'd consider that a more productive and gifted environment? Where we were the least active team in the transfer market and yet to break our Wiltod transfer record? You have to rethink that one. Project youth? Come on now. We couldn't defend for toffee! We'd play inexperienced kids in all positions. Today's squad has all internationals, experienced players that have actually won something with previous clubs and country.

We had to transition from the Invincibles 4-4-2 to 4-5-1 and on to 4-3-3 with Cesc's era. We had to build from scratch. Literally. We were a total mess and Wenger had to tear up the rule book whilst working to a much smaller budget compared to what we have now. No way would we have been able to get Cech from Chelsea. We'd have never spend that much money on Mustafi during an injury crisis. Heck, we'd have never bought a player like Welbeck if our main striker went injured before the season kicked off.

Our system isn't perfect right now but we have way more options to play with in terms of experience. We haven't had a sell a main starting players in ages and have been able to build for once. I strongly disagree.

[WMUG]

Of course we are still 2 players short. Always 2 players short. If we spend 100 mill on 2 top tier players in the summer, and get that business done early, not only should we retain our two star players but by adding 2 more I don't see why we couldn't go toe to toe with anyone in this league. It's on that knife edge. At one extreme we lose 2 stars and it's back to square one. At the other extreme (which isn't extreme at all and in fact is what we should be doing and should have done a long time ago) add a couple more stars and really push on. I wonder which way the club will go? Yeah right.

Which areas do you reckon those players need to be in?

[Power n Glory]

Ozil the best player we have had since Henry? Not even close...peak Cesc was better than him, he was blitzing it with assists and goals...

RVP too was better than him or more crucial to the team.

Don't get me wrong Ozil is a very good player and someone who we need to move forward but he's not our best since Henry IMO.

I agree with you on RVP and Cesc. I thought that would be an unpopular opinion. But we saw some magic from those guys. Performances that really carried the team. If Wenger had taken the FA Cup more seriously back then and we had easier draws, they'd have won at least one FA Cup. But they've won the league title since and both played pivotal parts to winning.