When Arsenal signed Mesut Özil from Real Madrid for £42.4m on a 5 year deal, Arsenal fans were in dreamland. Rightly so too, the stats would suggest, upon him signing in September 2013 he was the best creative midfielder in Europe statistically. Over the past 5 years he topped the list for the most assists out of all European players, accumulating 72 assists, 4 more than his closet rival – Lionel Messi. If you bear in mind he was doing this over the past 5 years, barely out of his teens at this point and playing for Real Madrid, he was simply oozing with potential. Why is that then, that whenever he plays he now receives excessive scrutiny upon every missed pass and loss of the ball?
A key reason, for Arsenal fans at least is money. Money for season tickets, money for players and most importantly money for results. In essence, Özil provided the biggest result of all, helping Arsenal win the FA Cup, lifting a huge weight off of everyone’s shoulders and this was in his first season. He may not have been solely responsible for this success but if you’d told any Arsenal fan desperate for a signing in the heat of the transfer window that they’d sign Mesut Özil and win the FA Cup, it’s hard to think they’d be too upset. For now look at it as investment, that’s already paying off with the Gunners first trophy, he may not have set the world on fire but looking back through the canvasses of history and when his time at Arsenal is finished, I’m sure his first season won’t bring back too many bad memories. Arsene Wenger has frequently been criticised for not parting with Arsenal’s large transfer budget and when he does sign a player for a lot of money we win a trophy. Some fans overly critical of Mesut’s first season questioning Wenger’s decision to buy him for such a lofty fee may want to look at the irony in their argument.
In the league Özil contributed 5 goals and 9 assists in 26 appearances. He was among the top 10 assisters in the league, take into account an injury as well and all things considered, statistically he performed relatively well. Noticeably he made an exceptional start with his Arsenal career and perhaps many fans were expecting him to maintain such a level for every game. Regardless, he was still a hugely important asset to the team. As with many with foreign players joining the Premier League with such a hefty price tag on their head, time for adjustment simply isn’t given. However, now he has had his first season in England, with an injury free season he will certainly have a chance to prove his worth to the fans.
Critics have followed him, logically, to the World Cup. Unfortunately one key weakness in his game has followed him here, his composure in front of goal. Of course as a midfielder, this is not paramount, but the psychological meltdown he seems to suffer when an opportunity presents itself to him must be addressed. There are a couple of key reasons for his occasional meltdown in front of goal and they combine to form a problem which can be very easily fixed. The first being pressure from fans, the miss against Brazil which would have made the game 8-0 (yes EIGHT) can be avoided. All it takes is for him is to have confidence from his exceptional passing ability and flair to realise he doesn’t have a point to prove. Self-judgement may also play its part, occasionally you see a glimpse in his eye of disgust after he misses a chance, his head goes down and if another chance comes his way the same outcome is highly likely. What he needs to do and it may take psychologists who are becoming ever more prominent in the game to drill it into him that he must forget about such mistakes. This of course, is easier said than done.
The future is bright for Özil at Arsenal and indeed for his national side where he may very well become part of a World Cup winning squad. It may in fact take further signings, such as Alexis Sanchez to move the attention elsewhere, Özil seems to be someone who would, similarly to a player like Paul Scholes, avoid media attention and go quietly about his business. A player like Sanchez will also help give the German options going forward, where at times providing for Giroud has proved difficult, extra options going forward would only improve Özil’s game at Arsenal. At 25, next year in footballing terms he will be approaching the period many footballers achieve their best form. For many Arsenal fans improvement will be demanded of him, but it’s worth noting that he’s already shown a lot of ability at the club and copious amounts for Real Madrid from a very young age. If Özil can help Arsenal build on their FA Cup success, with further signings who knows what he could achieve for Arsenal next year and for many seasons to come. Mesut Özil’s spell at Arsenal is just beginning and he will undoubtedly be a vital player with his abundance in quality, sublime passing and excellent knowledge of the game.
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