I’d say it’s possible he moves the ball well but wasn’t the rumour in the summer that his price would have been something like 50 million.

I’m not sure we have seen a 50 million pound player so far to be honest. Maybe around 30 but 50 ? This is why loans are complicated

I am not sure that being outplayed is more important than the final result. Control rather than domination is what I hope for in most games. Defensively we too easily lose control, so that for me is the priority improvement needed. If Emery was to use Torreira as the Uruguayan national manager does, then our defensive side may improve. We have creativity, but less so when Özil is absent - he can change a game quickly with his clever passing and assists. That seems not to impress Emery. So, if we are not going to play our most creative man, then I agree Guendozi is a pretty good alternative higher up the pitch. Somebody just needs to tell him not to try to be everywhere - gravitate around the centre circle and go from there.

Evening Old Man.

Leaving aside the issue of “control” which I agree is of paramount importance, all the evidence of last season shows that Özil does not provide creativity. Far from it. 2 assists all season from the man you’d have as our most creative player. He just isn’t any more. He hasn’t been for a long time now and I have little doubt he never will be again.

At the beginning of last season, Özil (advised by whomever) released a long and rambling tirade against the German FA, the German team and apparently the German nation. There was a strong theme of self-pity about it all but in essence, he felt he was undervalued and unloved. So he quit.

In my view, he sort of did the same thing with us. Despite his ridiculously highly paid new contract, negotiated very skilfully by his advisors towards the end of the previous season when the Club folded in the face of his demands, he also felt undervalued and unloved here. Do you recall the occasions when he’d be subbed after offering the square root of fuckall in matches and taking fully two minutes to leave the pitch, tripping over his bottom lip all the way with his little pigeon steps?

In my view he developed a MASSIVE sense of entitlement without ever putting in the groundwork that status requires. He stopped running. He would fold like overcooked linguine if subjected to the merest hint of a challenge. He has never knowingly put in a defensive challenge so he certainly wasn’t about to start last season. He stopped tracking back. In short, he stopped trying. And he got dropped because of it. Good.

Özil offers nothing in terms of control because he won’t press, won’t defend, won’t challenge and cannot - will not - withstand any sort of challenge. All football knows that. His saving grace was that he could create, but that’s gone for ever it seems. Now, he’s taking his £350k per week and he seemingly doesn’t give a stuff. No agitation, no media leaks and no manoeuvring. No strops, no confrontations and no shouting matches. Apparently, he’s happy to sit his contract out, rarely making the squad and seemingly content not to kick a competitive ball again - Winston Bogarde style.

Özil earns the best part of £20,000,000 per year. Think about that number, all you working people out there, TWENTY MILLION POUNDS. And yet we were - and we are - a better team without him.

Well played, Mesut. Blinder.

We would have been better served taking back Fabregas.

...also, someone explain how Santi couldn't stay fit for us but as soon as he gets to go back to Spain he's working wonders again? Either we don't know how to get someone fit or he pulled a 'Sol' on us and he doesn't seem the type.

Yep

To be fair, London won't be in Europe anymore after 1/11. Well thats what some think. She probably won't be able to get a visa to enter anyway.

Actually he had a bloody good run until the big injury. After Diaby, Wilshire and Ramsay he was actually a model of fitness.

You were going well there until the Bogarde comparison.

It will be, but hopefully outside the European Union. Just like it was for a couple of thousand years before 1973.

She’s Really fit

I wonder if she can cook

I said this at the time.

The Özil transfer has been a disaster let’s be honest, the player who was supposed to kick us on but only provided a few fleeting moments and took a lorry load of our money away.

Yay !

Let’s go back to the days of Brighton beachfront hotels exploding !

See the strange thing is this country is populated by people well ahead of their time - they chose Brexit a long time ago. From my family perspective one branch 1863. Strategic thinkers.

That is heritage - some of my family went over as £10 Poms in the early 60s.

Prefer the founding of the NHS myself.

Yeah that 350 million is sure coming in handy

Like Özil I set 'em up, and you put 'em away.

Wenger's take on what happened with Gnabry.

https://talksport.com/football/613327/a ... ge-gnabry/

With Pépé still finding his feet and off form, it's a bit ridiculous that Özil has not been used more by Emery this season.

I’m in the DHD camp I just don’t see what he brings anymore

Look at the forest game an opportunity to prove many wrong, he did ok ish But if you look at him now compared to his first 2 seasons there’s a massive difference. He just doesn’t carry the ball anymore (watch next time he plays he prefers to just recycle possession these days)

In the last 2 seasons I can only really recall the home game at Leicester when you could honestly say he was good and worthy of a spot.

I don't see Özil as a first teamer anymore. But I think he can still do a job for us especially in home games where we are expected to dominate possession. I think Emery has handled Özil wrongly. He's the type that needs the manager to believe in him. No coincidence his best years for us was under Wenger.

Özil has 2 good seasons then he was starting to under achieve under Wenger who then handed him a huge contract after.

I think Emery mismanaged Özil last year when he didn’t play him despite having few adequate creative outlets at that point but I get the feeling with Özil any decent top class manager would have dropped him like Emery and he would have let down anyway. He has played for Emery and had the opportunity to prove him wrong but he hasn’t and it’s just so typical of Özil that he hasn’t performed after that Germany fiasco.

I don’t think this is about the manager there’s something about the guy that’s just so lax

I’m now firmly in the DHD camp as well. You’re right Top Gun, Özil produces so little, which has been the case for a long time now, that I can’t see the sense of any suggestion that it’s ridiculous Emery doesn’t use him more. It’s basically playing with ten men when he’s in the team.

Having said that, I can understand why Özil got the contract he has. Arsenal had just lost Sanchez and as both their contracts were expiring at the same time the club’s hierarchy probably didn’t feel it could afford to lose Özil as well with regards to their own credibility with the fan base. So he got an almighty pay rise to get him to sign a new contract.

Sadly, it’s proved to be an utter waste of money as Özil is simply going through the motions. He plays when selected, so on the face of it is behaving professionally. But he doesn’t seem bothered when he isn’t picked. Gives me the impression he’s semi-retired.

I agree about Özil effectively being semi retired. What a waste of talent. I’m surprised he doesn’t get asked more frequently why he seems content letting his career just fade away. He’s getting paid handsomely anyway so why not make the effort? Does he not care about his legacy or standing in the game?

There was nothing wrong with Campbell’s attitude. I consider it shameful the way you try to undermine the reputation of an Arsenal legend by implying he “pulled a ‘Sol’ on us”. Disgraceful behaviour by you. Campbell deserves the respect of Arsenal fans.

More to the point is the fact that Cazorla's return to football (which really is very old news now) is something to be celebrated. The man had an absolutely horrific injury. Wenger described it as the worst he had come across in his entire time involved in football. There was a genuine fear that he would never walk properly again, even talk of amputation. It's simply tremendous that he is playing again.

Couldn’t agree more about Cazorla’s return to fitness. But I thought it was disgraceful to unfairly disrespect Sol to discuss it.

Right on cue

Turkish newspaper Takvim claims Fenerbahce director of football Damien Comolli has opened talks with Arsenal over signing Mesut Özil on loan in January

We will be paying some of his wages apparently

Özil to the Toon? Would he go? Could they pay him?

https://tbrfootball.com/should-newcastl ... esut-ozil/

I wonder if we are still interested in him.

https://tbrfootball.com/summer-arsenal- ... o-2019-20/
Summer Arsenal target Daniele Rugani has had miserable start to 2019/20

No chance

Even if arsenal paid 120k a week of his salary it means mike Ashley agreeing to pay 200k a week for Özil which won’t happen then it would require Özil living in Newcastle when he doesn’t even bother playing away games in the north east for us so there’s precisely *%^@ all chance of the little Herbert agreeing to go there

Well there’s a surprise. I never saw that coming

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/ ... ockey-team

Didn't know they played ice hockey in the UK enough to even have a league. That said, its a smart move on the club to bring attention to them and the sport.

Jumping on the Özil discussion, I believe he is no longer interested to turn it on for Arsenal. IMO, his relationship with Emery has reached a point of no return. Put him on, and we are a 10 man team. He is not going to go all out, to find a way to send balls through for goal scoring chances. Well, if I was earning tons and yet have a manager who does not believe in me, I would do the same. That would be my only way to say to my manager "up yours!", and yet stay professionally correct. Emery mismanaged him.

What about the Europa league final then when Özil stunk the place out for 77 minutes then got subbed for Willock who showed more in those 13 minutes than our most expensive earner.

The only way we get rid of Özil is to drop him completely surely people can see that. It’s not being mismanaged. If we keep playing him the lacklustre performances continue as he will want to keep raking in a ridiculous salary he won’t get elsewhere. I seriously doubt he will get a 200k a week wage offer let alone 350 so he’s going to have to be paid off.

When I think Özil my thoughts automatically divert to Fabregas ...

20-year-old Cesc Fàbregas for Arsenal during 2007/2008 season:

47 games
15 goals
22 assists


Compare that level of contribution to Mesut

Özil just never really did it for us at all. Decent couple of seasons and a very intelligent player at that point but his attitude stinks to high heaven.

Forget about bloody Brexit, this Wagatha Christie story is proper news. Comedy gold.

Fiendish criminal mastermind Rebekah Moriarty Vardy's dastardly plot to take over the world was thwarted by the sheer genius of newly appointed head of MI5 Colleen Sherlock Rooney.

OMG.

Well, I was not defending Özil. He is clearly disinterested to bust a gut for the team, and much less so for Emery. I do not wish to see him in an Arsenal shirt anymore. Okay, maybe Emery did not mismanage him, I don't know. But, I would do the same as Özil. Carry on earning the fat wages and doing little, or nothing at all.
Emery allows it, so why not?

What can Emery do to stop it? The managerial decision-making structure is no longer what it was in the Wenger years. I doubt paying off Özil’s contract is his final decision. All Emery can do is attempt to persuade the hierarchy above him, presumably Raul Sanllehi in the main, to either pay off his contract or meet much of Özil’s salary if he agrees to join another club on loan. The obvious strategy for Emery to do that is not pick him, and he’s basically doing that apart from giving Özil the occasional chance of proving he wants to play, which Özil is clearly not doing.

I don’t see how it’s fair to blame Emery for the situation with Özil, including any claim that Emery has mismanaged him.