Mesut Ozil divides
opinion even among his own supporters. A quick glance at social media will
reveal a plethora of Ozil fan accounts, graphics and charts of his record
number of chances created this season.
Take an even closer look, though, and you’ll begin to see the critics, naysayers and nit-pickers – and on this particular occasion they are correct.
It's true that the World Cup winner hasn’t replicated his form of August to December in the second half of the campaign, although it’s not entirely his own fault.
Ozil himself admitted in a recent interview that he’s working on improving an area of his game. Not his passing, goalscoring or positioning; instead, the German international told reporters he wants to change his body language on the pitch.
Described as a ‘luxury player’ by some, Ozil’s decision to transform a part of his personality on the pitch is something that has been triggered by the over-critical media more than anyone else. Can someone who is ‘lazy’ and who ‘doesn’t try hard’ really score 10 goals and notch 20 assists in one of the hardest leagues in the world?
The 28-year-old is a joy to watch when on top form. He glides across the grass and can provide eye-of-the-needle passes with ease. Ozil’s ability to deceive defenders and opposition players with deft touches, feints and roll-backs make him an entertainer as well as a supplier for those Gunners forwards. Unfortunately for the latter, it’s been a case of supply and demand without end product since January 2016.
Opta stats define ‘big chance created’ as ‘a situation where a player should reasonably be expected to score, usually in a one-on-one scenario or from very close range’. It’s worth noting that Ozil has only created six of those since January – with two coming in the defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford in February.
Ozil's work rate hasn't faltered either. He's still running almost exactly the same average distance per game (10.4km between August and December 31, 10.3km between 1st Jan and present).
Everyone wants to point fingers when things go wrong and Theo Walcott has certainly received widespread criticism for his efforts over the past six months.
The England international drew further condemnation after an incident against Sunderland on Sunday, when he shied away from a challenge with Younes Kaboul and ended up jumping over the ball instead of battling for it.
Some have described that specific moment as ‘epitomising’ the Gunners’ lack of bottle and fight under Arsene Wenger, but when you focus on his specific numbers there is no argument about how efficient Walcott has been.
They show that Walcott has been more effective over almost 20,000 minutes than the likes of Freddie Ljungberg, Robert Pires, Marc Overmars and current team-mate Alexis Sanchez.
The 27-year-old is now eligible for a testimonial after 10 years of service at the club and, despite being frustrating to watch at times, his development hasn’t been helped by injuries and confusion over which position suits him best.
When comparing Walcott’s statistics with Giroud, it’s worth looking at how the Frenchman's profligacy has significantly reduced and coincided with Ozil’s drastic reduction in assists.
Giroud has scored with less than five percent of his shots in the Premier League this year and hasn’t netted a goal since January 13. Wenger has admitted Giroud’s confidence is extremely low at the moment, which left many fans questioning why he started the Frenchman up front on his own in Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Sunderland.
Giroud, who looked isolated, frustrated and demoralised, certainly does himself no favours with his lack of tracking back and movement in attack, but questions remain over why he started when there were no genuine competent crossers of the ball on the pitch.
Alexis Sanchez’s return to form has come too little too late in the season for Wenger’s men, while Danny Welbeck requires a consistent run of games before he can be judged fairly.
Indeed, there is no doubt that Ozil’s poor form in the second half of the season remains one of several contribution factors to Arsenal’s disappointing climax to the campaign.
He is used to creating chances for the likes of
Cristiano Ronaldo and it’s no surprise to see him react with frustration at
missed opportunities and shots going wide of the post. He may be set to sign a
new contract in the coming weeks, but Arsenal need more than Ozil firing on all
cylinders if they want to challenge for major honours next season.Take an even closer look, though, and you’ll begin to see the critics, naysayers and nit-pickers – and on this particular occasion they are correct.
It's true that the World Cup winner hasn’t replicated his form of August to December in the second half of the campaign, although it’s not entirely his own fault.
Ozil himself admitted in a recent interview that he’s working on improving an area of his game. Not his passing, goalscoring or positioning; instead, the German international told reporters he wants to change his body language on the pitch.
Described as a ‘luxury player’ by some, Ozil’s decision to transform a part of his personality on the pitch is something that has been triggered by the over-critical media more than anyone else. Can someone who is ‘lazy’ and who ‘doesn’t try hard’ really score 10 goals and notch 20 assists in one of the hardest leagues in the world?
The 28-year-old is a joy to watch when on top form. He glides across the grass and can provide eye-of-the-needle passes with ease. Ozil’s ability to deceive defenders and opposition players with deft touches, feints and roll-backs make him an entertainer as well as a supplier for those Gunners forwards. Unfortunately for the latter, it’s been a case of supply and demand without end product since January 2016.
Opta stats define ‘big chance created’ as ‘a situation where a player should reasonably be expected to score, usually in a one-on-one scenario or from very close range’. It’s worth noting that Ozil has only created six of those since January – with two coming in the defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford in February.
Ozil's work rate hasn't faltered either. He's still running almost exactly the same average distance per game (10.4km between August and December 31, 10.3km between 1st Jan and present).
Everyone wants to point fingers when things go wrong and Theo Walcott has certainly received widespread criticism for his efforts over the past six months.
The England international drew further condemnation after an incident against Sunderland on Sunday, when he shied away from a challenge with Younes Kaboul and ended up jumping over the ball instead of battling for it.
Some have described that specific moment as ‘epitomising’ the Gunners’ lack of bottle and fight under Arsene Wenger, but when you focus on his specific numbers there is no argument about how efficient Walcott has been.
They show that Walcott has been more effective over almost 20,000 minutes than the likes of Freddie Ljungberg, Robert Pires, Marc Overmars and current team-mate Alexis Sanchez.
The 27-year-old is now eligible for a testimonial after 10 years of service at the club and, despite being frustrating to watch at times, his development hasn’t been helped by injuries and confusion over which position suits him best.
When comparing Walcott’s statistics with Giroud, it’s worth looking at how the Frenchman's profligacy has significantly reduced and coincided with Ozil’s drastic reduction in assists.
Giroud has scored with less than five percent of his shots in the Premier League this year and hasn’t netted a goal since January 13. Wenger has admitted Giroud’s confidence is extremely low at the moment, which left many fans questioning why he started the Frenchman up front on his own in Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Sunderland.
Giroud, who looked isolated, frustrated and demoralised, certainly does himself no favours with his lack of tracking back and movement in attack, but questions remain over why he started when there were no genuine competent crossers of the ball on the pitch.
Alexis Sanchez’s return to form has come too little too late in the season for Wenger’s men, while Danny Welbeck requires a consistent run of games before he can be judged fairly.
Indeed, there is no doubt that Ozil’s poor form in the second half of the season remains one of several contribution factors to Arsenal’s disappointing climax to the campaign.
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