ESPN pundit Shaka Hislop feels that Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil isn’t being made a scapegoat for the Gunners recent slump in form, as per ESPN FC.
The German international was signed in a club record deal of £42.4 million back in 2013 by the Emirates club and the star has been the engine of the Gunners attack since.
The 28-year-old is having his best season at the North London club thus far in terms of goals, scoring 9 goals so far this season.
His offensive contributions have mostly been impressive but the issue with Ozil is when he’s not at his best offensively, the German becomes a baggage to the team thanks to his lack of defensive discipline.
The midfielder has been struggling for the past month and the fans frustration has reached its pinnacle after his below-par outings against Chelsea and Bayern Munich.
The Goalkeeper turned pundit suggests that the German star has been poor for a very long time and that has been an issue for the North London club. Speaking to ESPN FC, he said:
“Maybe if his performances were as you’d expect leading up to this, then it would be unfair to heap all the criticism on him.”
“But, let’s be honest, Mesut Ozil has been poor for a very long time.”
“When you are a club’s record signing, when you are the player who so many are looking to make this team better, and week after week you don’t show up, of course there’s going to be questions asked.”
“I don’t necessarily think it’s scapegoating – but it highlights a huge issue for Arsenal.”
When Ozil is in-form, he can trouble even the best of defenders without a doubt but that’s only one side of the coin. When the midfielder is out of form he completely disappears like the Chelsea and Bayern games.
He did show some heart in the first half of the Bayern game but when Arsenal conceded the second goal, the German completed dropped off and was even seen showing lack of defensive intent in-and-around the Gunners penalty box.
If it’s a one-time occurrence it would have been fine but throughout his Arsenal career, the German has failed to turn up in big games quite often and with no defensive dimension in his play, he often becomes a liability.
It’s a headache for the manager too, as you are not quite sure which Ozil will turn up and that’s the reason Wenger often refuses to bench him hoping the right-Ozil will turn up. If he doesn’t improve this aspect of his game then it’s time to say goodbye, as there are other players who can match his offensive abilities while also providing some strength.
What do you say, guys?
