Tag Archives: She Wore A Yellow Ribbon

Agenda driven idiots blame Mesut Ozil for Germany defeat

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We all know how it works.

Articles to do with Arsenal create hits. Hits create advertising revenue. That money keeps poor journalists in jobs.

It is therefore no surprise that the English media have attempted to blame Mesut Ozil for Germany’s defeat to Mexico. Even the usually partisan BBC getting on the banAgenda driven idiots Mesut Ozil blame for Germany defeatdwagon.

The usual suspects – the likes of the Daily Mail and Arsenal Fan TV – also added Ozil’s name in to the headline on the review of the game.

It’s all about the money rather than creating good, unique, insightful content.

The performance by Arsenal was very reminiscent to many an Arsenal performance in recent years.

Both full backs constantly pushing forward, and the midfield not providing any cover to the defence meant that Mexico were able to hit Germany on the break with the counter attacking, direct play. They scored from one break away, and with a better final ball could have scored 3 or 4.

But to blame Ozil for the defeat is childish click bait.

Mexico’s goal came from the German defence being exposed. They got at the centre backs easily, and Hirving Lozano drifted into the space left by Joshua Kimmich – who spent the entire game thinking he was a central midfielder.

The only German player to bust a gut and get back was Mesut Ozil.

It is a justifiable argument that having got back, he was turned fair to easily by the fleet footed Lozano, but to criticise and blame him for the goal is utter stupidity.

Where were Sami Khedira and Toni Kroos? The supposed defensive midfielders? Where was Kimmich? I imagine his heat map would show he spent more time attacking the Mexico area rather than defending their own.

Defensively Germany were awful.

Matts Hummels summed up the German’s problems saying “Mexico deserved the game because we made it too easy for them, knowing we should not have allowed that to happen.

“If seven or eight players play offensively, then it’s clear that the offensive force is greater than the defensive stability. That’s what I often say internally.

“Our stability is not good, you have to say – often only Jerome [Boateng] and I were at the back, so they mercilessly attacked us.”

As Germany’s most creative midfielder, Ozil can surely not be blamed for his sides defensive issues. The blame has to go to Joachim Lowe (for setting the team up incorrectly) and the midfielder and full backs for ignoring Hummel’s pleas to get back.

Germany created a lot. They had 66% of possession and 26 shots. Mesut Ozil was their man creator.

Ozil created 4 of his sides 20 chances, with only Toni Kroos playing more successful passes.

74 passes at 91.9% completion rate. Ozil played his normal conductor role. He was let down by poor finishing and poor defending.

The result should not actually be a surprise to anyone.

Since qualifying for the World Cup in October 2017, their record reads:

P 7 W 1 D 3 L 3 F 6 A 7

Keeping only one clean sheet in a 0-0 against England, they do not score enough goals – there only victory coming in a friendly against Saudi Arabia.

Probably brings into question why they have been made favourites by many.

Did Mesut Ozil play well? No.

Was he the worst German play on the field? No.

It will actually be interesting to read what the German media’s response was to their performance, who they blamed. What is for certain, Ozil was not to blame and anyone putting his name in the headline is just after the hits Arsenal fans will give them.

Keenos

Trust in Arsenal’s new axis of power

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We all love a good debate about who we should and shouldn’t sign.

Every time we are linked with a player, there are some who want him, and some who think he is the wrong man.

Bernd Leno is on who has split the opinion.

I have seen some say that at 26 and with 300+ games, he is the type of experience keeper that we need – whilst still having youth on his side.

That having played so many games, of course he will have some mistakes on his show real.

There are others who point at that there are reasons behind him not being with Germany at the World Cup. That he is not much better than David Ospina.

Both sides probably have a valid argument. And ultimately they are opinions built on having probably seen him no more than 20-30 times.

Some are calling for Jack Butland. A player those in England have seen a lot more than them Leno. But he also has errors to his game. He scored a ridiculous own goal against Leicester last season:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=W12acl0jVPw

Ultimately, you could put forward a case for and against buying both.

My opinion on those coming in is fairly simple.

In Raul Sanllehi, Sven Mislintat and Unai Emery, we have a new axis of power at Arsenal. And we need to have faith in what they are doing, and who they are signing.

Sanllehi held a similar role at Barcelona.

Whilst in Spain, he was directly involved in some of biggest transfers in Europe.

He was the man who bought Neymar to Barcelona and in 2014 led the talks to sign Luis Suarez. He also helped bring in Ivan Rakitic and Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

You then have Mislintat. Bought in from Borussia Dortmund to oversee recruitment.

He is credited with creating the pipeline of young talent at Dortmund which has produced the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Shinji Kagawa and Ousmane Dembele.

He is one of Europe’s most respected player recruitment experts.

It was Mislintat that brought Aubameyang and Henrik Mkhitaryan to Arsenal. He also returned to his old club to sign Sokratis.

Having spent all of his career in the Bundesliga (and being German), you have to think he has watched Leno more times than an Arsenal fan. He is the expert.

Finally we come to Unai Emery. After Pep Gaurdiola, he is the most successful manager in European football in recent years.

Having won 3 Europa League’s in a row with Sevilla, he went to PSG where he won 5 trophies in 2 seasons.

At Sevilla he had to work to a budget. Developing talented players, improving them. Organising them. Making the whole greater than the individual.

In the move to PSG, he dealt with the bigger egos. Edison Cavani. Neymar.

He has had success everywhere he has been.

Maybe we as fans need to forget about the past and look at the future.

Trust in the new men that they know what they are doing. Back who they are bringing in.

Also back whose contracts they are renewing (and whose they are not). I saw one idiot claim that he wanted Granit Xhaka to “break his legs at the World Cup” moments after his new contract was announced.

Let’s get back to supporting The Arsenal. Backing the team. Giving the new men a chance and trusting their decisions.

And if you are unable to do so, maybe it is you that is the problem, not Arsenal.

Keenos

Mexico hero Arsenal’s missing piece?

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With Arsenal set to complete the majority of their transfer business before the month end, it will give the club over a month to find that something special. The missing piece of the jigsaw.

With Sokratis coming in at the back, and a deal for Lucas Torreira nearing completion that will reinforce the midfield, the trio of Raul Sanllehi, Sven Mislintat and Unai Emery have acted quickly to address two of Arsenal’s long standing problems.

A third signing, expected to be Bernd Leno, will hopefully solve the problem of Petr Cech in goal. The German stopper will replace David Ospina and compete with the veteran Czech to be Arsenal’s number one.

That will leave Arsenal just one player short of a competitive squad next season. An attacking wide man.

With Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain leaving the club in the last 12 months, Arsenal lack someone who will hug the touchline.

Whilst Mesut Ozil, Henrik Mkhitaryan, Alex Iwobi, Danny Welbeck, Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang can do a job out wide, their natural inclination is to drop inside. They won’t be getting too much chalk on their boots.

Whilst I expect Arsenal to play 4321 next season, with Ozil and Mkhitaryan playing behind Aubameyang, we need to get a wide man allowing us to change the tactics of required.

Ideally you want that wide man to be quick and direct, but also have the technical ability to come inside and play as a number 10 if needed.

If we are building a criteria, we also need to target someone under 24.

With Ozil and Mkhitaryan both 29, whoever comes in needs to be a long term option, a potential replacement for Ozil or Mkhitaryan in the future.

Someone to fill the talent gap between Iwobi (who will become 4th choice attacker) and the senior pair.

One person who ticks every single box is Mexico’s Hirving Lozano – goal scorer against Germany.

The PSV Eindhoven winger was heavily linked with Arsenal in 2017, with reports that The Gunners were considering activating his £30m release clause in January.

Originally seen as a replacement for Alexis Sanchez, the deal died when the Chilean joined Manchester United, with Mkhitaryan coming the other way.

“Chucky” turns 23 in July, and usually plays on the left hand side. Being right footed, he usually cuts inside Robert Pires-esque.

Playing as an inverted winger, he is quick and direct, more than happy staying out wide. But he also has the technique when he drops inside.

Last season he scored 19 goals and contributed 11 assists in 34 games as he helped his Dutch side win the title.

Arsenal will easily be able to afford his release clause, and Lozano would be the final piece in the jigsaw for next season.

Keenos