Now Ozil is injured….

Well reports from the German camp are saying Ozil is off for an MRI on a knee problem………….

I wonder if this would not be such a bad thing at the moment for us. Wenger would have to play someone else on the left and not play Ozil there “just because”….. Mesut gets a break and the fans get to lay off him for a while. Would it mean we play with a better balance if Santi is played wide left or preferably Ox or Alexis with Theo to play on the right with his imminent return…. I hope that hasn’t just jinxed him and he’s out til Xmas as well.

At what stage does Arsene look at the team and think to himself well it’s about time I put that right…. We need a better balance we need a balance also between attack and defence and the gung ho all out attack no matter what mentality.

Is it time that Bellerin had a proper run in the side, Chambers has done very very well seeing as he’s just been brought into the club and straight into the first team but his bookings have hit home from silly fouls and maybe he needs a week or two on the sidelines. He could possibly be brought into central midfield with Bellerin at right back and if we choose the opponents wisely surely it’s something we need to look at. Chambers is comfortable on the ball he’s big strong and yes still learning the game but is it not worth a try?

We are already being linked with players for the January window and thats the media for you but also it’s a reaction from blogs and fans highlighting the fact we were sold short in the summers transfer window yet again.

In reality we are already battling for 4th position in the league and 3rd at best so why do we not look to bed in one or two or the talented fringe players in games that won’t be as hard as playing the bigger sides. I am not saying there are any easy games in the premier league because there are definitely not but there are games that you would be happier playing a youngster where he should be able to cope. Introducing a young player in the odd game will help them, give them experience yet it’s not throwing them in at the deep end or playing 3/4 young ones all at once.

Seeing as the injuries have hit home yet again I think we need to know if two or three of the fringe players can step up and then if needed further along in the season we know they ready and they also know they can do a job for the team….

Just a thought.

76 thoughts on “Now Ozil is injured….

  1. potter says:

    According to reports from Germany he got a knock on the knee during the last international break. If that is so , has he been carrying an injury ? Have the club been aware ? and has it affected his play ? More questions than answers.

  2. Wath says:

    Potter, would it surprise you in the slightest if the club knew and yet Arsene has chosen to keep playing him…?

    Isn’t this new bloke Forsyth supposed to be calling the shots on that kind of thing or would this mean he is there just to window dress with no real power when it comes to playing or not playing players who are semi-injured or fatigued…?

  3. scottfromoz says:

    Wath, I know plenty will be, but that’s crazy.
    He’s quality and nowhere near the lazy git he’s often made out to be.
    We need him at his best, I reckon.

  4. Wavy says:

    Morning all.
    Ozil is a class act, a supremely gifted footballer who has got the crowd on his back because he has not played as a winger since he was in primary school. He is getting the bird from the crowd because Wenger insists he plays ‘out of position’ to ‘help’ the team effort….madness. If he is injured, not too seriously we all hope, a brief spell on the sidelines may well take a bit of the present pressure off him. Perhaps even the stubborn old goat will realise that he has ‘got it wrong’! ( very doubtful).
    Hope he mends soon and hasn’t got a van p type international injury!

  5. Wath says:

    Spot on Wavy, a top class player getting stick because he isn’t being used to get the best out of him…. How often have we seen that before and how often in the past has a player got stick from being played out of position because Wenger puts them there…..! Enough said.

    Lets hope it’s a minor knock and a weeks or two’s rest does the trick.

    Scott, same ole same ole mate, play your best players in their best positions and the team benefits…!

  6. scottfromoz says:

    For sure, Wath.
    I have no idea why Wenger plays the guy wide, but I also have no idea why people blame Wenger for playing him wide, then blame Ozil for not playing his best lol

  7. Allan Kake says:

    I don’t understand this Ozil story!!!he won the world cup for Germany playing out wide!!try playing Sanchez out of position and see if he will give you a half baked game!!I say lets count our losses and offload this chap. Even if he goes and perform at another club,so be it!! Because its clear he does not want to perform for arsenal!!!

  8. Wavy says:

    Lies. Damned lies and statistics!
    Or
    Evidence, proof and outcomes!

    Is football a numbers game? I don’t think so! All a matter of opinion, though

  9. Wath says:

    Thing is Allan Ozil’s game is purely that of creating and being the centre of the attacking unit… Alexis is a completely different animal…. yes you can play him out of position and he won’t look bad because his game is all about effort and getting stuck in as well as being shit hot as an attacker, we knew what we were getting with Ozil so surely get the best from your top players don’t expect them to try and do what’s not their natural game…!?!?!

  10. Wath says:

    Wavy, take the keeper stats on shots saved…. how accurate is that if you save 5 shots all of which were crap shots from a useless striker yet a decent striker bangs away a single chance every game…?

  11. Wath says:

    Am sure you won’t be the only one happy baba…..

    Were you also one of those who thought Ramsey was crap as well…?

  12. potter says:

    Sanchez is like a piston in a car engine forever moving , Ozil is the timing belt making sure it happens at the right time. Or at least should be.

  13. Wath says:

    Potter, those stats and many other stats as you say are not a definitive are they…. we can all knock the ball around in the centre circle 500 times in a game it’s hardly productive incisive or threatening the opposition goal…! Thing is with Ozil he tried to keep possession he tries to pass forward but wants the team to retain the ball. Far to often last season he got caught in possession because of the total lack of movement off the ball from team mates…! Also something a stat can’t pick up on.

  14. Wath says:

    Aptly said Potter, Alexis is the one who wants the ball he makes the runs and hits the spaces to receive the ball but at the moment the orchestrator is not where he should be to deliver….!

  15. TONYBEE (@TBINJ) says:

    Nice post Rico Fring e players should now be used we cant win the lge or the cl out of the cc we just need to aimn4 our usual top 4 finish and d fa cup

  16. Wath says:

    Scott, the movement allows us to play with tempo and move the ball forward at pace, when the movement not there we are indeed awful yet already we seeing movement from the strikers and the midfield isn’t moving the ball quick enough… Hopefully that will start to change once our esteemed leader realises how to play his best players in their best positions to make use of our strengths…! When Alexis and Welbeck get in behind the defence they need the pass… Not backwards and sideways tippy tappy crap on the half way line…!

  17. potter says:

    I did say stats are easily manipulated Wath . but I thought that they were worth a read on this subject especially as with the break there is little else to talk about.

  18. Wath says:

    Agreed Potter, stats serve a purpose for sure but certainly only tell us part of the picture…!
    Also agree rather boring as usual with yet another bloody useless international break….. It’s tedious…! seems every few weeks we have yet more international games to line the pockets of Platini and Blatter…..!

  19. frednerk says:

    Morning All,
    Watching Ozil for us is beginning to look like a10 man team,
    what he seems to missing at the moment is,
    Strength on the ball,and a lack of zip when moving around the pitch.
    Even if he plays out wide,the fans would warm to him a bit more..
    I think?

  20. Wath says:

    Fred, his whole persona is that he looks disinterested yet you listen to him speak and that seems miles off the truth. The problem is he def isn’t a ball winner and not keep to put his foot in but offensively he’s absolute mustard so where do we play him to best suit the team. It’s def not out wide when those players are expected to do a shift defensively as well and that’s just not his game so why keep on doing it and making the bloke look bad and also exposing the full back who lacks cover..? Play the bloke in the middle in a free role and protect the space behind him… Isn’t that the sensible thing to do…?
    Seems way to simple for Wenger to do he’d rather be proved right as usual…! Seemingly….

  21. scottfromoz says:

    Ozil is nowhere near his best, but nowhere near as bad as plenty make out imo.
    Still, 42 million doesn’t buy much sympathy, I guess lol

  22. potter says:

    I feel that one of the reasons that we have been the bigger teams bunnies for some time is because they read our game so well . We now have speed up front in Welbeck and Sanchez , Walcott and the Ox but we still build up quite slowly with short passing to feet .Perhaps against Mourinho’s teams who force us inside to falter at the feet of Cahill and Terry with Matic & Mikel in front of them with Ivanovic and Azpilicueta cutting down the space by narrowing the field we should utilise the Gerrard style long diagonal and attack with pace by moving the ball quicker. After all the ball does move quicker than a man . It would in my mind help the Ozil problem , a player that I rate , because I feel he needs players to exploit space and too often he is left with 2 yard possession keeping passes whilst the passing game congests the space behind the defence for players to run into.

    I posted this on another forum on Monday but thought it suited today’s conversation.

  23. scottfromoz says:

    Slow us down, and you shut us down.
    It’s simple.
    If we did try the odd long ball, and the odd long range shot, we may well be more effective.

  24. Wavy says:

    Variety of passing, that’s what we are missing! We as predictable as my milkman, 3.30am every delivery day, no exceptions not even for snow, wind, fire or tempest! We play 2 or 5 yard passes, keeping the ball, granted, but we shuffle forwards, sideways and then back, no player taking responsibility for shooting, long distance or short! No shot will be taken until we can see the White of the keepers eyes with no defenders behind him!! It ain’t going to happen! Well not often, it’s why we rarely score more than 2 goals a game. There’s no risk taking, no long raking diagonal balls for the danger of losing possession! And then where would the stats be? But how many goals would be scord by a bit of variation of passing?
    And after all aren’t goals the reason for playing the game? The most scored wins the game! Having 75% possession of having the best passing stats means absolutely nothing if we score no goals and lose!
    Imo of course!

  25. allezkev says:

    Hmm, Arsenal vs Newcastle, in November or February.

    Switched to a stadium in Florida…

    No midweek fixtures before or after the game.

    Yeah, I could buy into that…

    Visit DisneyWorld and then watch Arsenal…

    Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Arsene Wenger, Goofy, Goonster.
    Sounds like a plan… 😉

  26. potter says:

    It’s the greed in their eyes that blinds them, How would we feel if at the end of the league programme we tie on points for 4th place but we have a better goal difference. Then game 39 which apparently the fixtures will be drawn by ballot and our decider comes up and we draw Chelsea and the other team gets Burnley .Fair , reasonable ,? I don’t think so.

  27. Wath says:

    As you say Potter, it’s a complete crock of shit based on the powers that be trying to rake in yet more money… They are never satisfied and never will be…!

  28. frednerk says:

    Hi Wath,
    I know his best position and I know he wants pace around him,
    But his had long enough now to know whats what
    The fans what him to do well,but this will turn if he carries on getting shoved of the ball and trots around the pitch.

  29. Nickie says:

    If something comes up and they become available let me know 🙂

    If anyone else has 2 tickets together for Hull and can’t make it please let me know

  30. Wavy says:

    Which of the chavs kicked him that hard? A fine tactic! Get the technical players in a corner and then just kick them as hard as you can! Well it’s a practice we all used to use against players who were better than you or you knew, given the chance they would make you look silly. First or second tackle of the game as a rule! Whoever it was got him a good ‘un! And I suspect he played on uncomplainingly, although in pain! C’est la vie!
    Can’t say I blame him reporting unfit to the Germans, better than the Diaby menders having a go, with their vinegar and brown paper remedies!

    How many of our oversubscribed midfielders have we got out injured now?

  31. Nickie says:

    Ozil is so stubborn, take Bayern for example, injured his hamstring first 2 minutes “soldiered on”….how bad and selfish is that not only to himself, to the team and fans. He probably knew he was injured sunday but didn’t want to come off. Selfish… or another poor show from our fitness coaches.

  32. allezkev says:

    Could be seeing Coquelin in the team soon.

    I was gonna say Diaby, but you’d all think that I was being frivolous.

    After Le Coq I guess we’re into Toral, Zelalem, Crowley, Willock…

  33. George says:

    afternoon all….

    Kev, i can see us losing a few more through internationals… my money is on JW, Chambers, OX for england….As for those kids you mentioned, possibly le coq might get the odd game. Those kids will be farmed out on loan or sold . None will get a look in.

  34. allezkev says:

    I liked Lansbury, George.

    Maybe he was at the club at the wrong time.
    A bit like Andy Cole…

    Crowley and Willock are still very young, Crowley only turned 17 in August and Willock is younger still…

    Toral is at Brentford on loan.
    Zelalem I’m not really sure about…

    The thing is George, we needed battle-hardened players in the summer, not kids.

  35. potter says:

    Nickie how do you fancy Boxing day . No trains from Norwich all day. We are currently weighing up whether to drive.

  36. Tai Emeka Obasi says:

    It’s fast becoming that if we swapped our injured players with the fit ones, we’d move sharply up the table!

  37. Wath says:

    Well about time Hayden got a proper run in central midfield….. If Ozil been carrying a knee injury for weeks then why would we risk playing him…? Surely that cannot be true…. Surely…?

  38. allezkev says:

    I’m certain of at least two new signings in January…

    Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil…

    Well, that’s how Wenger will view their return…

    Night All

  39. Adam says:

    Morning all. This injury situation is completely crazy. Whatever happened to the analysis of them all that Arsene was undertaking?

  40. sukky says:

    Goodmorning all,Ozil is injured…wow!that’s great.Good going Wenger,you’re really doing it,you’re almost there.

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