Tim Gibbs
There was the first real beginnings of a more vociferous anti-Özil feeling after the Bayern game, and they have been coming for a while. It wasn’t the penalty that did it as such, but the real moment people started to articulate this anger was in relation to Özil not tracking back, and at more than one occasion when he just waved a leg in the direction of a Bayern player who promptly ghosted past him for another 2nd half attack. In contrast, the recent praise for Sanogo seems largely down to the fact that he ran a lot, closed down balls and generally made a nuisance of himself, and while he showed a lot of willing, it can’t honestly be said he was skilful or penetrating enough to realistically trouble Bayern, whereas Özil obviously has it in him to do so. But despite Sanogo’s rawness and shortcomings, he is given some plaudits, while the eminently better footballer Ozil is coming in for criticism. Is that down to expectation levels, or is it down to something fundamental that football demands of those who play on these shores? Is it reasonable to ask ALL players to give blood sweat and tears for the shirt, or is it a bit like asking a Ferrari to go cross country and then being surprised when it breaks down?
This beginnings of discontent for Özil raised an interesting question for me, as to whether this is to do with Özil particularly, or whether it is more to do with something more fundamental regarding the cultural differences and expectations of English football, and what the fans require and value most from all their players. This requirement applies equally and especially to those players whose job is to provide flair and skill. Rather than be happy for those players to concentrate on doing what they do best and providing moments of magic and not much else, English fans demand they at least show they are capable of putting it about in a way that doesn’t seem to apply on the Continent.
Why aren’t we just happy to let a player like Özil bide his time, and applaud the one or two moments of great passing and trickery, and leave others to do the dirty work? Another player recently linked with Arsenal in January, Dimitar Berbatov, has been similarly constantly viewed with suspicion through his career, it is as if we cannot allow a hugely talented, but rather languid player to exist on the pitch just to provide moments of class to win a game. It simply doesn’t compute. They have to provide something else, even though it could be argued that is someone else’s job, and when they don’t they are routinely accused of “being lazy” or “not trying.” But if the point of them being in the team is to provide or score goals and make goal scoring opportunities, why should they have to run 40 yards to chase down a goal kick, or boot a ball into row Z? I don’t know, but that is what English football demands.
While there is no need for Özil to become like Flamini, it seems important in English football to have the wherewithal to put it about a bit and show he understands and buys into the frantic and more physical Premier League. In Madrid or playing for Germany he could drift in and out of games and wait for his moment during the rather more patient ebb and flow of Spanish and International football, in the Premier League there is no time to do that, you just end up getting lost in the chaos and the constant “you attack, we attack” hurly burly.
Things have changed a bit since the arrival of real quality European flair players such as Bergkamp, Zola, Cantona, and the change in emphasis on defending and the encouragement and love of creativity. Arsenal have been at the forefront of this, and indeed have changed the most from the 80s in terms of embracing this side of the game. The joy of watching Wengerball in its glory was wonderful to behold, and we all enjoyed and praised players of skill and craft. And yet especially at Arsenal given the Graham years, but in English football in general, fans still yearn for players who get stuck in, battle and do the nasty things required, and as a result we subconsciously demand that all players have that within them, even if that is not their role. The moments of a game that often get the biggest cheers and applause are not when someone does 10 step overs, a Cruyff turn and a nutmeg, but when a player runs helter skelter for a lost cause and succeeds in deflecting the ball for a throw on, or when someone scythes a player down the crowd roars like nothing else.
The best creative players knew how to do the dirty and more basic parts of the game (none more so than Bergkamp), and they were loved as much for that as for their skill. In fact, it was a necessity that they show that side of their game, because without it, in England, you are always considered a lesser player. Even Pires put in the odd tackle, most famously against his old team mate Vieira. The ones who don’t realise this end up a disappointment and sometimes objects of derision. For Arsenal, both Reyes and Arshavin didn’t fully appreciate that they needed to show grit and fight, not just great skill, and in the end it did for their Arsenal careers, both somehow not having the right stuff when it came to succeeding in the Premier League, and being considered by fans as not “trying hard enough.”
But all is not lost for Mesut. It takes time to adapt to English football, it always seems so fundamentally different to that played on the continent. Wenger mentioned that Özil is bulking up in the gym, Mertesacker is on hand to explain what is required and has pointed things out to him before, so at least there is an awareness of the issue. It is still very possible for Mesut Özil to become an Arsenal legend. From the fan’s side I feel we do need to give him a bit more time, and perhaps be a bit more willing to understand that he may not do much for 75 minutes of a game, but will provide one or maybe two moments worth the entrance fee alone. However, this cultural attitude isn’t going to change overnight, so Özil will in the short term at least need to meet us halfway, and show he understands what is required of a player in an English team - that even though they are there to provide the moments of flair and magic, they need to roll their sleeves up occasionally, chase down a hopeless cause, put in a “strikers” tackle and show they at least have it in them to battle with the best of them. I hope Özil will start to show some of that side of the game, because it will keep fans onside even when the tiredness has set in and the passes aren’t quite working. If he does this, I’ll be there with everyone else screaming with glee “Go on Mesut, chop his legs!!! Have him!”
