In the world of elite level football, it is always a case of “what have you done for me lately?”…but, the wiser members of football viewing are always aware of the fact that class, unlike form, is permanent. This is why players like Steven Gerrard, Robben, and countless others are still massively valuable whenever they experience drops in their form or major injuries. As the cries of the Gunner faithful start to rebound around the Emirates asking for their most expensive signing ever to be dropped, one can only begin to shake their head. Dropping Mesut Ozil or even thinking about selling him would be a big mistake for Wenger and his troops…guaranteed.
First, stop the knee-jerk reaction. Ozil is a massively talented player that made over 150 appearances for Real Madrid and he will become a huge player in the general make-up of Arsenal in the next few seasons. His talent is undeniable and he will be one of the first players included when the team sheet is revealed and Germany get on a plane for Brazil. He consistently provides a nice tally of assists and goals every season, and his age would suggest that he could actually become an even more productive player over the next 3/4 seasons. Ozil was a smart buy by Wenger.
Second, Ozil is experiencing a dip in form (and I will tell you why). Now, any Arsenal fans should tuck in their “fan-boy” for the next few seasons and embrace some truth. Ozil is realizing that he just moved from a constantly improving Madrid team that seems likely to be one of the top five clubs in Europe for as long as they keep their current core together. He is also realizing that he just moved to a league where every week will knock him around and force him to show off the elite talent that he possesses. While Arsenal is still a fantastic club with a constantly growing future, there is no way that you can convince yourself that it is the same situation as being at Real Madrid. Give him some time to get over it, and he will be just fine.
When Ozil bounces back or uses the World Cup to propel himself into a fantastic 2014/15 season, everyone will quickly forget this hiccup. Plus, Arsene will realize that he does not need fifty creative minded players in his midfield at the same time…allowing Ozil more creative freedom in the squad. Sure, Bayern took all his cookies…yeah, Stoke smacked him around like an unwanted puppy…but he is only 25 and still learning how to function in the Premier League. This is not an “Andy Carroll” situation and this is not the time to throw in the towel. Ozil will come good…there is no doubt.
Am I wrong in how many “creative” midfielders Arsene seems to field every week? Do you think that Arsenal should be looking for the first club to offer for the German? Are Ozil’s eyes just not lending themselves to any marketing campaigns in the way that Arsenal thought they would? What are your thoughts?
No Comments