"Özil looks lost at Arsenal", says former German international Ballack
Mesut Özil’s recent below-par performances for Arsenal are down to him ‘not being accepted by his team-mates’, according to former German international Michael Ballack.
25-year-old Özil, a £42.5million signing from Real Madrid, missed a penalty in the first leg of Arsenal’s Champions League last 16 tie with Bayern Munich and Ballack believes that the midfielder isn’t fully settled in his role at Emirates Stadium.
It was Ozil’s third consecutive penalty miss at club level, and comes amid criticism for a handful of subdued performances in recent months.
“He looks a bit lost in this team,” Ballack told Sky Sports.
“When he came here there was so much expectation with the quality he has.
“The first games he looked good, played well and was comfortable. With his quality he should be untouchable and bring out so much in the team. But it looks like he has not got the acceptance of the team.”
After initally impressing following his move on deadline day in the summer, Özil has failed to score since December.
Do you think Özil is playing as bad as the pundits suggest? Leave your views on the German international in the comments section below.
Ozil is becoming excessively useless… He’s JƱڪτ one average player, nothing special
It’s a real dilemma, he is not really justifying selection at the moment, if you drop him will he ever realise his potential? I am not sure whether it is Confidence, desire, runners or what but something k’s missing and it is difficult to start ox and Santi santi on the wings when ozil is being average in their preferred position
I will be grade if ozil is an avrage player but my problem with him is that he ‘s below avrage if he had contribute half of what orde of our players contributed we wound have won the game may be drawn
Give time to the time! He’ll overcome this…
Wenger should drop Ozil and play Podolski more often. Why is he not selected is beyond me. Ozil needs to take some time off. Prince Poldi should be a regular starter, he is a 20 goals a season player, but Wenger is somehow not warm to the idea of him playing in the side, let alone as a striker.
Players take time.ozil is great. Not so sure aboit the players round him.
izil ist es gut fur sie, sollte er an der europamister munchen
Ozil is human so let him be..
A.W should use him 4rm d middle nd nt 4rm d flank….
give him some more time
Ozil situation is like tennis doubles game if you play with someone not has good as you first you can play well but as you go along the game you lose confidence, the players around Ozil are average players he can’t do it alone, you need powerful DM for ozil to play flamin is good but we need an attacking minded DM, Wenger needs to change his philosophy about players.
Sam, please stuff that view. You must avoid jumping on the bandwagon to suggest that a team that stayed top of the league for about 4 months and outplayed Bayern until that red card, has average players who can’t match up to Ozil. Ballack puts it well; he feels Ozil is still to get the trust of his mates, which is a problem with Ozil and not our midfielders. Cazorla, Jack, Rosicky and Arteta cannot be referred to as average with any sense of fairness.
i feel the main problem is level of strikers and wingers ozil has been playing with. ozil has much more effect when playing with players who have alot pace and movement who have pace to beyond defenders i think we all saw once wenger started with chamberlain sonogo and podioski the fact while playing at madrid he had far better wingers and strikers to link up with