By Walter Broeckx
When last summer on transfer deadline day Arsenal signed Mesut Özil it was the start of something new.
New for Arsenal and their supporters because after years having had to sell their best players because they wanted out for all kinds of reasons like DNA and money we now bought one of the best midfielders in the world ourselves. There were all kinds of reactions worldwide on this transfer that took Özil from Real Madrid to Arsenal.
I remember Christiano Ronaldo being very angry when he heard the news. And rightfully so. He knew the influence a player like Özil has and Ronaldo knew that Özil leaving will make it more difficult for him. A fast player up front is what Özil needs and that fast striker needs an Özil behind him. Ronaldo relied a lot on the assists of Özil and he knew he would miss them.
Even Mourinho said that Özil is one of the best midfielders in the world and for once I believe him.
Of course supporters of other teams reacted in a different way. As can be expected of course. And the jokes were out like: Özil will retire from winning things from now on as he joins Arsenal. I think today Özil will have a big laugh about that joke. He surely has the last laugh when he will polish up his winners medal from the FA cup and the World Cup. Not that bad for a player who left Real Madrid and came to Arsenal.
Not even one year later he has won two major trophies and that might only be a start for him. When I was watching the celebrations yesterday I noticed a few things. The characters from the players was very much clear during the celebrations. Podolski was his usual madness himself. Mertesacker showing his passion for what they just achieved. And Özil…he was as cool and relaxed as usual.
I think by now we should know that Özil isn’t the player who likes to be the headline man. I think he will have been thrilled and will have been the happiest person in the world. But he keeps his emotions inside him most of the time. A smile on his face will appear from time to time but he rarely loses his cool in front of the cameras. He will not take the front row if it isn’t needed. Standing at the back is fine for him. I even saw a picture of him just sitting on the substitute bench after the match yesterday. With a big satisfied smile on his face telling: OK job done. What next. What’s missing? Oh a PL title maybe.
He is one of those people that if you would observe the group of German players you will hear Podolski laughing and shouting and saying things like AHA and making others laugh.
I think Mertesacker will behave like a wise father figure where you can go for a passionate word and some pep talk. Per who will also be a player who can say things to other players and correct them for their behaviour if needed. If you need someone to get advice from, I would take it from Per.
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And Özil would be a player you wouldn’t notice he was there. He will laugh with the rest but he will stay in the background. In articles that I have read the last weeks about him this image always came through: a quiet person who wants his feet to do the talking.
Some will say that he doesn’t show his passion enough. But that is not his game. His game is not about passion. It is about using your brain and feet to do the right thing at the right time. And passion is a bad thing when you want to use your head. I do think the passion of Özil is inside him. And let us not expect him to change. It might be bad for his football.
The way the English media treated him from time to time stands in big contrast with those who work with him. Because of his visible lack of passion they single him out for not doing enough. As if running around with foam coming out of your mouth kicking all that moves on a pitch is a sensible way of showing passion. It ‘s the fastest way (or should be) to a red card. And Özil’s football brain knows that getting a red card is bad. So he will not really want to go that way.
What the managers who work with him think about him is clear to see. The German manager will play him till the last minute of extra time in each match. Because he knows what he brings to a team. Wenger will play him whenever he can because he knows what he can bring to a team. And so did all his managers in fact in his career.
Özil brings movement to a team. He is constantly on the move and making sure the ball stays with the team. He can dribble, he can play the most deadly through balls to fast strikers. And well, we’ve got one of the fastest strikers in the world back soon. In one month, according to Flamini, Walcott will back and lets hope he is right. And with having bought Alexis, Özil can pick any of them with his vision and ability to play the right pass at the right time and at the right speed.
Of course the English media will be on his back until we have won all and every prize there is to win. I just hope that our fickle fans will not fall in to the media trap but instead use their own eyes and knowledge about Özil. Let’s give our respect to our Weltmeister. He was one of the best players in this tournament for Germany. And when he feels the love of the fans at Arsenal he will perform.
So let’s all sing to the tune of “Brazil”: La la la la la laa, Özil, Özil, Özil….’ Hope to see you soon in our new Puma shirt Weltmeister. Of course the same goes for all the German Weltmeisters that will come back to Arsenal in a few weeks time.
- Woolwich Arsenal: The club that changed football – Arsenal’s early years
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spot on. there are reasons why wenger, mourinho & low works as a coach and the critics work for media. they don’t qualify to judge the players.
Nice one … I will sum it up by calling Ozil as the introvert football genius …, its the way our beloved Ozil play …. Aha …
A new song for Ozil – excellent idea! (Let me just close the windows before tuning up – don’t want to traumatize the neighbors!)
It is really important that the fans get behind him this season, to encourage him, let him know he is appreciated and to counter all the negative rubbish spouted by the cretins (paid cretins that is) in the British media.
The guy is class – looking forward to seeing him with Walcott, Ramsey, Sanchez et al this season!
Walter,
Here is how I see it:
1. A bunch of pundits from a country that has not won ANYTHING in 48 years are questioning the ability of a man who has just won the world cup, starting all the 7 matches played by his country.
2. The team whose players’ these morons have always praised to high heavens were able to draw 1 game out of 3 because they played a Costa Rican team that had already qualified. Had Costa Rica needed a win, it would have been played 3, lost 3 for the Three Pussycats of England.
3. These same imbeciles, who have collectively insisted on the manager of the said failure of a team be allowed to carry on with the job are now questioning the performance of a player that an actual world cup winning coach have so much faith in that he wouldn’t substitute till he was pretty certain that his team had won the world cup final.
My summation:
English pundits and media commentators are fucking idiots and they don’t deserve our time. Arsenal fans who follow what they say are morons too (yes, I said it).
I have written articles on Untold chastising fans for over the top praise of Ozil (especially when they blame his team mates for his imperfections) but he had a glorious world cup; the type that England players can only dream about.
Fuck all the stupid English pundits, up the new world champions:
Per Mertesacker, Lukas Podolski & Mesut Ozil!!!
I liked what I saw of Oezil. He was clearly told to stick to the wing to drag the defense wide, to not cut in behind the defense and to track back. He did all three and still managed a good number of through balls for his teammates. In addition, he was not muscled off the ball last night by a very ‘robust’ performance by Argentina. Loew stated that he was very happy with Oezil’s play, that he was doing what he was asked to do.
I saw his stat’s and he’s put in more miles than any of the rest of the German team who are all pretty mobile, so I don’t know what his recovery period would normally be, but I’d say he needs a month before starting his pre season. The other two didn’t have that much match time so might be able to hack it for the season’s start. 7amkickoff has done a nice piece on him today, also pointing out the Özil bashing English media. Martin Keown was surprisingly a little critical regarding him in today’s Mail, while on the other hand I though Gary Lineker was quite complimentary last night.
Hear hear Bootoome, and let me add –
It’s the same pundits who hailed FC Suarez due to the so-called involvement of Stevie “I’m so rubbish” G, who, as we all know, did fuck all (for club or country) and other mid-level English players like Sturridge and Sterling (who were in all honesty not bad, but made to look amazing due to Suarez’s ability).
Ozil’s last 2 games were very good, and in a team like Germany – where so much talent is available – the fact that he retains his place just proves his quality.
Those pundits will eat their “rotten words come next season”
I believe Ozil made 20 clear chances during the tournament (more than any others in the team), scored one( and showed his passion) and covered the most ground,(during Ramadan too).
If English players used their loaves a bit more instead of dashing around like a collective David Luiz, there might be a chance of winning something.
But well done to the Germans. Langsam,langsam, aber sicher. This win was 10 years in the making.
…and he was the top scorer in the qualifying rounds as well.
So much for going downhill.
Watch Ozil closely, and be educated.
TommieGun,
Exactly!
Can you believe the stupidity of these guys? I have a kind of loathing for the English football press that I don’t have for any other type of people in a field of work. I would find it easier to stomach their ineptitude if they only have a modicum of self awareness and would just shut up once in a while. There’s nothing that I find more irritating than smug incompetence.
Digital Spy has lined up 11 potential candidates to replace the muppet known as Alan Hansen.
1. Gary Neville
2. Jamie Redknapp
3. Danny Murphy
4. Rio Ferdinand
5. Thierry Henry
6. Clarke Carlisle (who?)
7. Phil (the other one) Neville
8. Rachel Yankey
9. Paul Scholes
10. Robbie Savage
11. Danny Baker (who?)
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/feature/a584086/11-footy-pundits-to-replace-alan-hansen-on-match-of-the-day.html
In terms of quality of comments, I think just picking the captain of some U6 neightbourhood team at random would probably work just as well, and would save money.
I like Clarke Carlisle & Rachel Yankey is pretty good too. I wasn’t impressed with Thierry and Danny Baker gets in everywhere (prick that he is).
RTE the Irish TV station covered every match of the World Cup. They have a pundit – Richie Sadlier, former Milwall player now journalist. Richie was exceptional throughout. They also had Brad Friedle of USA and Spuds fame, he proved immensely articulate and informed. Definitely a career in broadcasting if he wants it when he’s finished laughing at Hugo.
I’m not speaking for others, as I appreciate there’s strong feelings about TV football punditry, and I’m being a little tongue in cheek here, but if you really want to blame someone start with Bob Wilson who was the very first (along with Jimmy Hill) at the !970 Mexico World Cup, working for the Beeb. Before these two there were no talking head pundits on British TV. Yeah, good old Bob, he’s responsible. He was shite also.
Found this and thought it is a nice breakdown of Ozil’s statistics and paints an accurate picture of what he does well.
http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2014/07/14/stats-things-mesut-ozil-did-better-than-anybody-else-at-world-cu/
oldgroover,
Read Dec’s comment above.
The problem is not that some pundits are talking on TV. The fact that they suck at it is the problem. And they are often agenda driven. We all enjoy neutral commentary from knowlegeable commentators.
Boo
Agreed, also agree with Dec about Brad Friedle who went off home to the States far too early.
OT
The BBC is reporting that Ray Whelan has surrendered to police in Brazil over this ticket touting business. And still claims he is innocent. There is no mention in the article about any amounts of money getting paid back to FIFA over this.
OT: Preseason
One Arsenal page has Arsenal playing at Borehamwood on Friday, August 1. Another page (more current), says the game is this weekend (Saturday). You can apparently buy tickets to that game. The two FA Cup trophies will be there (Men and Women).
The squad is not just the U21 and U18 players:
> Arsène Wenger will choose his squad from players who did not participate in the 2014 World Cup. Wojciech Szczesny, Kieran Gibbs, Tomas Rosicky, Mikel Arteta, Aaron Ramsey, Nacho Monreal, Mathieu Flamini, Yaya Sanogo, Abou Diaby and Carl Jenkinson could all feature.
http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20140714/strong-squad-expected-at-boreham-wood
#magicozil is what I was tweeting yesterday. The commentators didn’t mention his name when he had the ball nor when he passed it (apart from the occasional mistake).
It was unbelievable how the TV idiots ignored the best midfielder in the World Cup. Ozil is cute with his play. He opens up areas and makes chances just as he has done for the clubs he played for. The BBC have a biased group of pundits who for whatever reason seem to ignore Ozil.
Lets see how much they can ignore him when he combines with Wengers added team.
Very good article, Walter.
Jeremy Wilson in the Telegraph gave Ozil the second highest score in the German team for the final. He gave him 7 and he gave Boateng and Schweinsteiger 8 apiece. He said: ‘Began wide on the left and was typically efficient with his passing before moving into a central position after Kramer’s injury.’
Just read about Jack caught smoking again. He has got to get his brain into gear. He will be sold if he continues to think he is cleverer that Wenger.
There is a problem with some of the younger English stars. They fall into the wrong company and forget their position in society as role models. Jack has strayed a couple of times and will lose his place in Arsenal.
It all began some time ago. Brian Clough didn’t mess about…..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd8wKQo2M6U
To quote a famous line from Game of thrones….. You know nothing English Media. Anyone who knows football will tell you Ozil is class and among of the very best this world has to offer. There is not getting his play and then there is utter idiocy and for English media its the latter. They just cant see past their anti Arsenal bias the agenda driven pricks. I for one can only imagine the praise he would be getting if he was playing for the merseyside media darling instead of Arsenal. Some are thick enough to actually think Jordan Henderson is better alternative to Ozil and yet wonder why England team never wins anything
Yes saw that menace, if it’ is as it looks, it will not go down well with wenger, but he will deal with it in his own way behind closed doors.
But well done the Germans.
England can actually improve if they can persuade Ramsey to renounce his welshness, find an English relative of his and lose all records of him playing for Wales
Hahaha. First Manure were certain to sign Vidal, according to the Daily Fail. Now apparently van Gaal is not interested. I’m sure it has nothing to do with the fact that Vidal was never interested in joining a mid-table team. Interesting how the gutter press twist stories to suit their agenda.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2692071/Arturo-Vidal-Manchester-United-OFF-Louis-van-Gaal-set-miss-35million-rated-Juventus-midfielder.html
I hope the media and pundits get a big slap from Özil next season, in that he performs so well that they are left speechless.
Brian Clough, love him. Some say a confident man, some say an arrogant man, but he is a man who says it as he thinks it is. With all the “PC” today, there are not many left.
I have a nagging worry about Jack watching him last season. He seemed somehow distracted for a while. Hope he and AW can sort it out.
I did a search at Google News for rankings about Mesut Ozil. Somebody has filtered something, it was all English language. In any event, the grades I seen ranged from 6 to 8, with the average in the 6 range. By and large, these were English sources, or North American sources probably using English “expertice”.
I think all the 6’s (and 6.5) are wrong.
Arsenal should sell Wilshere; like most overhyped English players he has been paid too much money before he has achievied anything and as a result believes his own hype. I would have thought that someone with his injury record would be doing everything possible to get fit for next season,not drinking and smoking with a load of slappers. He SWORE to Arsene that he didn’t smoke,looks like he was lying.Fact of the matter is like many before him he has not trained on,and Arsenal play better when he is not in the team as he is forever running into trouble and losing the ball. More concerned with tattoos,haircuts,fighting in nightclubs and repopulating the planet than being a footballer.If you think I am being harsh,consider this. Last summer someone who lives near Ramsey saw him running every day during the summer break.As a result he returned to pre season in optimum condition and look what happened. Wilshere wants all the glory with none of the hard work.
I hope Jack Wilshere don’t end up like Micheal Johnson at Man City. World class talent being destroyed by misplaced arrogance and ego. I was a big fan of Micheal Johnson when he was young and left gutted when he self destructed. If you gonna count on someone to fix a lost boy, you can count on Arsene Wenger. Only time will tell us whether Wilshere will fulfill his potential or not. I know the media will take advantage of this mishappen but I hope Wilshere will take responsibility for his actions too. Nevertheless, Arsenal team should rise as a mature, well educated group of professionals and never let that very professionalism slip away. We don’t want Wilshere to nick a living, do we?
The problem with the media is they are allowed to spout their drivel unchecked. Look at Talkshite, they lie about The Arsenal and nothing is done, they openly mock great players and an institution of of a club and nothing is done. Whenever we play on ITV, Andy (I hate Arsenal) Townsend slags us from minute one and yet, he is still allowed to commentate on all our games when his agenda is clear.
Our media team not to stamp on these people, start banning them from the ground when they flat out lie.
Smoking in a pool isn’t the best practice as the cigarette tends to get soggy and unsmokable, so perhaps it’s not even a real one, but more interesting (to me) is what’s going on between Jack & Joe, and you can call me old fashioned if you like, but when I take a drink I use a glass or bottle.
maybe its what was called a blowback, from a spliff…
fichra
Yeah, probably, or were they kissing? Considering the state of the slaps in the pool that might be a more likely explanation.
fiachra
Sorry, misspelled your name
GoingGoingGooner : RIGHT and he also helped to defend which few expected from him.
In the last game he made seveeral good runs into the goal but he was surrounded and no pass came through.
They said he lack stamina but he lasted several matches to the end IN BRAZIL and he was still running unlike Neymar who is a local and Messi.
The only thing Ozil lack is decisiveness against the goal. Him being the rare German player whose not good at shooting penalty shows that. I think he tries too hard to find a way to get around the goal keeper. He looked at the reaction of the keeper and defender and he thinks too much. What he should do is, remember the information about the keeper such as where he tends to move and just shoot to a position that the keeper is weakest. If time does not allow, just bang the ball towards the goal and let the keeper worry about it.
I hope he learns after sticking with killers like Kloses (who isn’t a very skill footballer anyway) and Muller or even other younger guys.
We’ll never see Ozil shooting like Ramsey because that’s not part of his game but I believe he can learn and easily become a player who can contribute over 10 goals from open play every single season. He is not far from that anyway.
I remember one moment when Germany had a corner that was half cleared and Argentina could start a counter. Özil chased from the Argentina penaly area all the way back to halfway his own half to clear the ball for a throw in. If he hadn’t tracked back it might have turned in to a good counter occasion for the Argentines. He prevented it. It was in the first half and people don’t really notice such a thing but that was super class.
I wonder if Messi would do the same thing?
The thing I appreciated, was ozil would clear the ball from unexpected places like left back, and as Walter said, he chased that ball back. I’ve always liked martin Tyler who we got here in australia, but it was if he was invisible. There was one shot off screen, which I think was deflected back for schurrle to rebound, this was glossed over on replay, time and time again.
The media , the pundits , the AAAA ,the arse kissers ,and the smokers !
http://www.funnyzone.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/735b3hy.jpg
SMOKING KILLS !!
http://www.fun2video.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/quit-smoking-motivation.jpg
A two in one offer to stop them smoking and shutting them the fuck up !
http://www.glasbergen.com/wp-content/gallery/smoking/smoke3.gif
Good tribute to a deserving player Walter, and to think he achieved all that playing out on the left wing which isn’t his preferred position…. Didn’t Rooney play one game on the left wing, and how did that end again?
English punditry needs a complete overhaul, it’s in a terrible mess, and they fully deserve to be slated. Listening to those guys is depressing, agree with those that said Friedel went back to the States far too early. I found Canavaro, Seerdoff and Thierry ten times better than Savage, Shearer, Hansen,wright, etc etc. And half the time I had to guess what Canavaro was trying to say but he was still way more refreshing than this lot!
Ozil playing on the left is doing a lot of defending and pressing.
Some state show that he got the most corners for Germany ( 3rd or 4th highest in all players). He got more balls from opponent in the final third. He clear the most advances from the final third. He joins the most chances created (with Muller, I think). He won the most corners for Germany. Don’t forget that he did it all alone. Howedes (left back) did NO overlapping runing on the left. (Exact opposite of Lahm and Muller!!!) Not with Ozil, not with any other players.
And as I said he kept running when many other said last summer that he cannot last a full game. This is afternoon in Brazil and he played all the way into extra time!!! (Messi and Neymar both ran out of energy in second half of their games)
Ozil is learning and evolving. He is more and more like a German team member where he can play in different positions and fulfill what is asked of him.
Some say that Ozil being sent to the flank means he is not as important… Wrong. This German team is never about optimizing one person. Its about having a balanced team and tactical flexibility.
Kroos, Schweinsteiger,and Khedira worked beautifully in the middle both going forward and backwards, When Khedira was absent, the whole middle suffered.(First half of final). Loew is right to keep that set up.
Ozil fits more playing behind the front three (which he showed in second half of final) but The German team didn’t have a fixed set of players linking up with him. Klose is not someone who can do the passes or link-ups. Worse, he is not quite slow at this age. (Its a mirale that he can play at this level!) Gotze wasn’t that effective at the beginning. Even if Loew put Ozil in “the hole” the front 4 won’t be the most effective but he need to break up the centre triangle of Kroos, Schweinsteiger,and Khedira.
The number shows Ozil can play the left wing effectively. When he plays in the hole, he sometimes drift to either of the wings to get around the back four.
Loew made a good choice to balance things out. He improved the midfield without weakening his left wing while providing the support that suits his lone striker Klose.
The German team is filled with good players. The coach need to do these trade-offs rather than setting up the team around one single star player. It was effective in all positions. Nothing wrong with Loew and most certainly nothing wrong with Ozil.
AL:
Sometimes I am sweating when I read or listen to their comments. Even amatuers like us are spotting things they don’t see. They have no time to do their thinking and homework? They don’t want to think or do their homework? Or they just like to pick out players to bully? I have no idea.
Fortunately they switched their target to Messi.
We all laugh at him because he didn’t play well and certainly did not deserve the golden boot. But then you have to be a bit fair as a guy in the media.
Mourhino gave a descent comment about it. Messi played much deeper than he used to and he ran wider to get the ball. He tried to support his team.
To me, Messi did well in that part but his stamina let him down. He cannot last a whole game and with the added work, he last even shorter. As a result, he switched on for a run and then switch off to recharge for 10 minutes.
No one saw what went wrong with Messi but they all started laughing at him.
Very low level media work really.
Of course we will never see a fair play attitude from the english media towards Arsenal.
We now have three World Champions but of course they all said it and will repeat it:
1. Podol hardly played.
2. Per was just Germany’s second choice defender.
3. Ozi wasn’t good at all.
@fiachra: Like you said, this Germany title was the victory of a ten-year time with so much hard work and patience, it needed many distributions from several group of players through the last 5 tournaments (include this WC). Vieira also said something like that when he sent his congrats to Boateng and Germany.
But the media will never understand such a thing. Ever.
Sorry, not ‘distributons’, must be ‘contributions from several groups of players’
Your detailed analysis is very interesting, Nelson.
Nelson for pundit, I say.