This has to be the most overrated and misleading line. Please explain how “Ozil ended our trophy drought”? Arsenal as a collective ended our trophy drought.
He didn’t even play that brilliantly in the critical matches; he had a very good quarter final performance against Everton, but it was players like Cazorla and Ramsey who really showed up in 2014 for us.
Just because he was in the side and suddenly we won a cup doesn’t entail that he single handedly dragged us to it, because anyone who watched that run knows he absolutely didn’t.
So them assists would put him ahead of Hazard, Silva, Mahrez in title winning seasons. You telling me he has out performed them then.
People love bringing these stats up but they meaning very little. Teams play with a range of tactics now and a lot of top sides without single play makers.
Everytime we lose its the same shit about the side not set up right for him. Fucking bored of it. Two legs against Atletico we needed him at his best and we got nothing.
I never denied that he gave us a lift; what I’m responding to is this notion that “Ozil ended our trophy drought”, because there were many players who contributed to that accomplishment, some moreso than him.
It’s just as much of an “agenda” to act like Ozil lit everything up and dragged a terrible side to that triumph on his own, because that’s complete nonsense.
The main two for me would be Abou Diaby and Jack Wilshere. If it wasn’t for their injuries, they were easily destined to be world class players. I just don’t think about it as deeply as I use to but extremely sad because their career trajectory would have been completely different.
The low-key ones I can remember, Carlos Vela. He was a very fine finisher, remember his hattrick v Sheffield? The guy could finish. I think the bad luck started when we stopped going playing the 4-4-2. Another striker, Eduardo. Top class finisher, composure was top tier. Unfortunately, the leg break did him badly.
Other notable names that I followed very closely: Ryo Miyaichi. I watched all of his games at Feyenoord (loan spell) and boy was he quick. I was gutted when he couldn’t make it at Arsenal. Other youngsters: Lansbury (now retired believe it or not), JET, for his physical, his playing ability was something else, Chuba, Merida, Bellerin, Wellington Silva).
How about the man that replaced him, Julio Baptista. Fuck, I was excited about that loan. Turned out disappointing. Don’t think he ever recaptured his Sevilla form in the years that followed.
He shouldn’t be on this list. If the expectations are in the toilet basically anything above not shitting your pants in the middle of the match is a good result.
