Mesut Ozil can be a star you notice, or a star you don’t notice. Either way he is still there, still doing it, still putting in the passes that make the difference – if you know where to look.
Give Me Sport, however, doesn’t quite see it like this, and has come up with an alternative vision, with some help from our ex-player and ex-Arsenal TV pundit, and current champion anti-Wengerian, S Robson.
Following Ozil’s return from injury in the Villa match, the web site wrote that Ozil “was at times on the periphery of the match, with Wilshere the star of the show for Arsenal in central midfield.”
As one website reported in a recent appearance on ESPN press pass Robson gave Ozil a B grade for his start to life at the Emirates, before claiming: “In recent weeks [Ozil] has been the worst midfield player for Arsenal. Other players have done much better, been more effective than him. I think the Arsenal crowd are suggesting his work rate hasn’t been particularly good.
“He has a problem. When he’s out on the left hand side, when the opposition’s right-back starts to get forward, [Ozil] doesn’t want to go back. That means one of the [Arsenal] midfield players has to go [out of position] to defend out there.
“Ozil’s had a good season. Don’t get me wrong. But he hasn’t been the outstanding player for Arsenal.”
But in fact for a first season Ozil has done very well. Even a top, top, player takes time to adjust to a new team, a new league, and a new country, especially as he came to Arsenal not speaking much English.
In his first 16 games he had four goals and eight assists, which by any standards is a good return. Given he is 25, most of us think we can look forward to a real revelation next season – and what we get this season is by and large a bonus.
But as for S Robson – it seems that there will always be a media outlet somewhere that is willing to give a platform to his anti-Wengerian approach to football, and he has become the TV mouthpiece for the AAA.
In a very real sense this is fair enough, since many of us are happy to have all types of opinion available, so that we can choose the media outlet that we like best.
The requests to Arsenal for Robson to be moved on from their own station were reasonable enough in my view, since Robson was using the channel that loyal Arsenal fans would follow. But that is not at all the same as suggesting that he should not be found anywhere at all on the media.
ESPN can now become the centre for anti-Wengerian feeling, and probably attract quite a few viewers as a result. And that’s great if it manages to reduce the amount of rather silly anti-Wengerian ranting on other outlets.
You never know, given another five years we might even find a channel that is actually pro-Arsenal – although maybe that is too much to ask.
Books on Arsenal at a discount
The latest from the Arsenal History Society anniversary files
LOL.
“anti wengerian” Are you for real?
Ronnie
I absolutely hate watching arsenal matches when he gets to commentate. It’s rather excruciating listening to him berate the team for an entire 90 minutes.Lord Voldermot needs to get over the fact that noone really cared for his playing career at arsenal and move on.
Robson will have to eat his words on Ozil the same as he has had to do with Theo, a previous recipient of the Robson knife.
Mick.
But that’s the problem. They never have to ‘eat there words’. Because as Bootoomee says elsewhere it’s not a level playing field.
They spit there bile. Whinge there whinges and moan there moans. But in the final analysis, when they are shown to be wrong, they are never held to account.
It is forgotten. Erased from history. They are allowed to just move on to the next whinge.
GOD THEY MAKE ME SICK!!
for god sake robson change the record hes worse than spud supporters
Jambug,
1984….
Walter
I’m assuming that’s a pertinent reference to the Orwellian Masterpiece. If it is I’m afraid it’s wasted on me my friend as believe it or not I have niether read the book or seen the film.
Does that make me a bit of a Philistine ?
@You are quite right, they do invariably get away with it, I should have said ‘Robson should be made to eat his words’.
To his credit Robbie Savage did ‘eat his words’ recently on radio, admitting that he had got it wrong regarding Arsenal this season.
Jambug,
I’ve read it in English and in Dutch. But that doesn’t make me an intellectual 🙂
Eight years without a trophy, maybe we’re slipping beyond the edge and now drifting in the vacuum of space. When we play top teams they expose us in wide areas, can you imagine Mourinho playing Cazorla and Ozil as his wide men in big games. What is needed are two athletic holding midfielders like Chelski had with Matic and Luiz. So Robson makes a good tactical point. Constructive criticism helps blind faith is useless.
I actually hate robson!… hs views, his voice everything. The one pundit who does get reminded of a bad forecast is Hansen and his “you don’t win anything with kids” shout – lol. Ozil for his first seasn is doing well but he does need to pick up a gear in his secnd season, which I efor on expect him to do!! Up the gunners!!!
I am sitting here in US laughing about SOME eglish die hard fans critize Ozil play like they are eating fish/chips. I have followed Ozil when he played for RM and he was magic. His German National coach can’t play without him in the mid-field. He is their NO 10. The Eglish always mention how Ozil cast $ 42m plus change and are not getting their money worth. I watch Arsenal team play and it is a pleasure like hearing one of Wagner opera. Wise us you all and be thankful of the gift you were given.
Why give Robson the publicity for which he yearns?
Sphinx
Alas wisdom is sorely lacking in a vast majority of our media, very many of our ex players, and worst of all in far too many of our supposed ‘supporters’.
Jambug…..nope that just makes you in line for a great experience when you eventually do read the masterpiece. There are other great Orwellian novels out there as well, such as Animal Farm and The Road to Wigan Pier, the Clergyman’s Daughter and countless essays and docu-bios like Homage to Catalonia. I suggest you start with the Clergyman’s Daughter and then try Animal Farm but any one is worth a read.
Hello Tony,i believe people like you that are closer to this our great club (AFC) should find a way of getting the attention of the people at the helm of affairs to the damages this imbecile of a guy is doing to our club.
Here is one of his sayings 9 months back,just go through it and you will find it hard to believe that a former player of our team is doing this,see the link below:-
http://www.givemesport.com/343819-former-arsenal-star-backs-manchester-united-move-for-jack-wilshere
This is enough for the club to place a ban on him around our outfit,after-all his presence is even more damaging.
You won’t believe it that my friends that supports other clubs always refer to this fool and quote him on Arsenal whenever we are discussing EPL,and am staying in far away Dubai,can you imagine the damages this guy must have caused our club world wide.
What a moronic imbecile he is.
‘”Ozil’s had a good season. Don’t get me wrong. But he hasn’t been the outstanding player for Arsenal.”
But in fact for a first season Ozil has done very well. Even a top, top, player takes time to adjust to a new team, a new league, and a new country, especially as he came to Arsenal not speaking much English.’
Reading that it seems you actually AGREE with Robson and thus makes this article redundant!! Unless, of course, your REAL reason was to have yet another pop at someone brave enough to disagree with your idol and call it as he sees it?
I suppose the other way of looking at it is that Ramsey must be valued now at about 60 million, and Cazorla was another intoxicating bit of Wenger business – and he must be valued at about 40 million. The OX must be going up in value every time he plays.
Top of the League with so many players that haven’t cost top dollar – AW is a master businessman.
Everybody watch and talks about Arsenal now. Im so proud.
Get the facts and logic out of the way and I ‘ll show you my great stuff ! From…
http://www.ba-bamail.com/Content.aspx?emailid=8152&memberid=763708#.UvGy3vvyQTE
The Lion Tamers
A circus owner runs an ad for a lion tamer and two young people show up. One is a good looking guy in his mid- twenties and the other is a gorgeous blonde about the same age.
The circus owner tells them, “I’m not going to sugar coat it. This is one ferocious lion. He ate my last tamer so you both better be good or you’re history. Here’s your equipment – a chair, a whip, and a gun. Who wants to try out first?”
The girl says, “I’ll go first.” She walks past the chair, the whip and the gun and steps right into the lion’s cage. The lion starts to snarl and pant and begins to charge her, so she throws open her coat revealing her beautiful naked body.
The lion stops dead in his tracks, sheepishly crawls up to her and starts licking her ankles. He continues to lick her calves, kisses them, and then rests his head at her feet.
The circus owner’s mouth is on the floor. He remarks, “I’ve never seen a display like that in my life.” He then turns to the young man and asks, “Can you top that?”
“No problem,” replies the young man, “just get that lion out of the way.”
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused!- (Unknown Author)
In the year of the horse…
If a statue in the park of a person on a horse
has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle.
If the horse has one front leg in the air,
the person died because of wounds received in battle.
If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes
————
How do you think a traitor (or the horse’s arse being discussed in this article )
would be depicted ?
Do your best ,or worst !
The Horse’s Ass As Aesthetic Gauge
November 26th, 2013 .
From…
http://www.pierrejoris.com/blog/?p=11171
Bernardo BertolucciIn the German newspaper Die Welt, Siegfried Tesche speaks with filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci, whose latest film Me and You just started its run in Germany, about movie-making and a range of other subjects (If you have German, read the interview here). One of the subjects under discussion is Sergio Leone, with whom Bertolucci had wanted to work very much. Here’s Bertolucci recollection:
“In the sixties Sergio Leone was one of the few Italian directors who I really liked. In those days they only made comedies which I hated, and thus I didn’t have any work. I just couldn’t raise the money to make a movie. I was dreaming about writing a Western. One day, when I was once again completely broke, Leone called me up and I went to meet him. He asked me: ‘I saw you at the premiere of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Why were you there?’ I told him that he was one of the few directors whose movies I liked. Then he asked me again: ‘Why do you like my movies.’ I was telling myself, you need money, so give a reasonable answer. So I said: ‘I love how you show horses’ asses — bad directors always only show horses in profile. It is very simple to show a beautiful horse sideways, but very few, only you and John Ford, stay with the camera outside the saloon, and then you show the giant upper thighs of the horse.’ To which he answered: ‘You can write my movies.’”
For the more advanced reader …its rocket science!
http://www.rosenblumtv.com/2009/07/what-does-a-horses-ass-have-to-do-with-the-space-shuttle/
This is especially for BS63…
There was once a very smart horse. Anything that was shown it, it mastered easily, until one day, its teachers tried to teach it about rectangular coordinates and it couldn’t understand them.
All the horse’s acquaintances and friends tried to figure out what was the matter and couldn’t.
Then a new guy looked at the problem and said, “Of course he can’t do it. Why, you’re putting Descartes before the horse!”
Gord , this one’s for you .
QED .
When Noah’s ark had finally come to a rest on top of mount Ararat, and when the waters had receded, Noah and his family – along with all the animals – left the ark, and God told them to be fruitful and multiply upon the earth.
But after all those months under deck on an overcrowded ark, none of the animals was in the mood for sex anymore. Noah, who knew all too well what God could do in his wrath if his creatures were disobedient, got desperate. So, he tore down one of the ark’s masts, cut it into pieces, and built a table out of the logs. Then he told one of the snakes to perform a lascivious dance on top of the table and made all the other animals gather around it.
After a while the snake’s seductive moves showed an effect: One animal after the other started rocking in the rhythm of the snake’s dance, and one after the other sneaked off with its mate to more private places… Finally, the dancing snake and her mate were all alone, and they too disappeared.
And Noah was pleased that God’s will would be heeded.
Q: What does this story from the book of Genesis teach us about math?
A: When you have to multiply, all you need are a log table and an adder!
What do you call an Amish guy with his hand up a horse’s ass?
A Mechanic.
http://www.lifeisajoke.com/cartoons81_html.htm
For you ,Gord – the lonely & homesick Canadian abroad !
http://www.lifeisajoke.com/cartoons83_html.htm
Robson gets it all wrong again !
http://www.lifeisajoke.com/cartoons158_html.htm
Thierry, how does your comment about us “slipping beyond the edge” equate with our being two points clear at the top?
Smart Alecks –
When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around.
But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished by how much he’d learned in seven years.
(Anonymous, often erroneously attributed to Mark Twain)
I have no problem when someone who never kicked ball gives comment like our buddy Robson. But when it came from pen/mouth/head of someone who played football who is supposed to know how football is played… then its crap.
Özil presence on pitch is very important even when he is not seen, someone should count how many goals we scored after Mesut found space to “assist to assistant”, how many goals came trough the space left by defenders who rushed to close Mesut. Football is collective game and contribution of player cant be measured by points for goals and assists, numbers of tackles and so on and on. Player should be judged by opinion of his opponents and teammates… and what they think about Özil is easy to google.
Just because Robson is a pundit for ESPN doesn’t mean ESPN on a whole is anti-Arsenal.
Just look at the written commentary on their website. The writers have all been giving praise to Arsenal this season.
Stop being so sickening.
Talking about ex-gunners, “Martin Keown fears Liverpool’s Luis Suarez will end Arsenal’s title push”. Heck, dear , dear Martin, not just Suarez. It can do any player, Martin Taylor done it once. So no need to make fuzz about Suarez more than about any other player. I also fear Özil will end Liverpool champions league spot push.
Maybe someone ought to explain to Stuart Robson that Ozil does not play specifically on the flank,and therefore he does not have the defensive role of tracking the attacking movements of opposition full backs.
Within Arsenal’s fluid mid-field it would not necessarily be Ozil’s responsibility to defend in this way.
Therefore yet another negative comment based on complete ignorance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bedford Bashir @11.40
RE: Robson encouraging Utd to come in for Wilshere.
It’s a f***ing disgrace. I’ve posted on here a couple of times regarding Wright doing similar things about TH14 and Judas.
I know we’ve had posters on here saying people, including ex players, are ‘entitled to there opinion’ ‘telling it as it is’ but this is different.
These players have worked for Arsenal as players and beyond. They, especially in traitor Wrights case, profess there love for ‘the Club’. Yet they actively disrupt the Club and actively agitate for players to leave the Club.
Could you imagine any of the abundance of ex Liverpool players EVER encouraging Gerrard, Suarez et el, to leave the Club?
Was there a cue of ex Liverpool players splashed across the tabloids encouraging Suarez or Gerrard to leave if they want any chance of winning the PL?
It wouldn’t happen in a million years. Yes there Liverpool bias does irk me a tad, but I must admit to being a bit envious of the fact they exude an undying love, allied to un wavering support of there Club. An admirable, if slightly nauseating trait I wish a few of our ex’s had.
I agree Robson should never be allowed near the Em’s again. I’ve been saying this about Wright for years.
Amin @ 9.26
Re: Martin Keown.
Don’t know what’s got in to him. Always been very positive about us, now he can’t find a good word to say. He was on 5 live the other day having a pop about the fact we don’t bring enough players through the youth system. He said this not 2 minutes after he was moaning we hadn’t spent anything in the transfer window. Well you either want room for youth or you want ready made talent bought in? You cant have it both ways.
Oh wait a minute Martin, yes you can. Isn’t that exactly what we have. A balance of academy, youth, experience, and ‘A’ list players.
So now he’s on about what Suarez might do to us. Yes of course he might, but as an Arsenal old boy don’t you think he could of taken perhaps a slightly more pro Arsenal stance on this. I mean it’s not as if there wont be enough ex Reds prepared to tell us how they are going to stop us in our tracks. I mean, we have a pretty good defence don’t we? Most clean sheets in the PL. And if I remember rightly, the S a S didn’t do much at the Em’s earlier this season did they. You’d of thought that at least an ex Goon such as Martin would of seen this as reason for optimism. Seems not !!!
Why be positive about us Martin when it’s much easier to bow to your employees agenda of constant anti Arsenal negativity.
Yet another Gooner moving over to the dark side.
@Jamburg
Agree, and even if all what Martin think and say is the truth (what I doubt), last one you want hear it from is someone “yours”, as that we don’t get our weekly portion of crap trough few hours of MotD.
Sometime after reading/listening all former players opinions I have to check how long Gary Neville played for us.
Tony, we’ve won nothing for eight years and although we’re top I am not optimistic. Forget the CL, the Cup will depend on us avoiding Chelski, and the league, I cannot find many supporters who’ll put money on us at 9/2. You’ve got to realise that winning nothing for eight years means you develop a mindset that settles for top4 as a trophy. This negative mindset was exemplified at Old Trafford earlier this season, changed context same familiar result, psychologically beaten before the match started. When we go to Chelski same story. They’ve got to give Arsene a new contract because who has faith in the marketing man Gazidis picking a new manager.
Thierry Wright,
I think it is you who has developed a negative mindset.
If the players were thinking like you we might as well stop playing this season at all. Heaven forbid they think like you.
And I’m pretty sure they don’t think like that at all
I seem to remember the wailing cry used to be “all we want is to challenge”. Now that we are quite clearly challenging we must “win” or else we will be in darkness for ever more.
There is no guarantee of winning anything, particularly when you have far fewer resources than those you are competing against.
I also find it hysterical that BSM were complaining about ticket prices when I’m pretty sure they were agitating to SSFM during the close season. Money doesn’t grow on trees (unless you’re Man City and, perhaps now to a lesser extent, Chelsea).
Bottom line is that almost every fan of another club would swap places with us right now. What is even more extraordinary is that there seem to be no shortage of nominal gooners who would be happy to swap!
Thierry Wright.
I agree that there is ‘Physchological’ barriers to overcome. But my honest belief is that some of these have been built by, or at least contributed to by, our media, including ex Gooners working within it, and the AAA, Black tie types who constantly feed there agenda.
As Vieira alluded to in his documentary with Keane, ‘we always knew that when we went to OT we was up against 12 men’.
Keane tried to counter it by suggesting it was the same for them when they came to us.
That is simply not true. Could you imagine us getting away with kicking them off the park as they did us when they ended our unbeaten run? Freddie punched in the gut, off the ball, when we won the title up there?
Didn’t Rooney get away with telling Graham Poll to ‘F**k off’ 10 times or more at Highbury?
Yeah Flamini really would get away with that at OT.
So yes there are barriers to overcome, some perceived, but some are very very real and they are surely contributed to by our traitorous ex goons forever feeding there anti Arsenal, anti Wenger, agenda, an agenda that’s sole intention is to de rail us at every conceivable opportunity.
The sad thing is Thiery Wright, Tommy Gunner, Sperez, Rupert Cook etc. you are all ready, willing, and able, to contribute your own piece of negativity to the cause at the drop of a hat.
I’m glad you all support Arsenal so much because I’d hate to see what you have to say should you ever turn against them.
Pete.
Well said.
It is really satisfying to watch a match with the volume turned OFF. What the incessant babbling actually does is distract one from the game, AND it also inserts some germs of biased opinions into one’s head.
I tend to concentrate more on the game and i really enjoy it now.