An assessment of Özil

Let me start by saying I am not Ozil's biggest fan so if you sense any bias then that may well be the case but I want to share exactly why i'm not his biggest fan.

Since he came to the Premier League for £40million he really hasn't lived up to his price tag. He does not seem the same player that put England to the sword all those years ago, a game in which I am sure Gareth Barry still has nightmares. While there is a level of quality evident I really don't think it is enough.

When you spend £40million on an attacking player, you expect him to drag you through games, carve open the best defences and essentially be the best player on the pitch. Alexis Sanchez has come to Arsenal and really shown him how it is done in terms of dragging a team over the line when they are struggling. Sanchez has probably had a slight dip in form due to a bad back from carrying the other Arsenal players. It seems to me Ozil should be under more scrutiny for his lack of contribution.

So far Ozil has had no real influence on any of the big games he has played. I imagine he has gained no Man of the match performances against any teams in the top 5. We were marketed Ozil as a player that pulled the strings but he certainly doesn't do it every game. His assist record is impressive, but on closer inspection, a lot of these assists aren't through sheer class, some are, but most aren't and you would expect your number 10 for a top 4 team to get you a lot of assists through out the season, and definitely more goals.

He does do a lot of running but it seems to be misplaced as he is often criticised for not mucking in with defence. This is something that was highlighted last year with some of the thrashings that the Arsenal team were subjected too. So what is he doing? Why do Arsenal fans still love him, why don't I?

The Arsenal fans love him because he does deft flicks, he cost them a lot of money and they want to believe he is worth it and so they will jump on any touch of quality they see. He occasionally does give good performances and when he does you can see his quality. I am aware of this and am not suggesting he is a useless footballer but my issue is his conviction.

I see very little conviction from Ozil. When there is only one option he can execute the pass. He has quick feet in the middle of the park and he is capable of a touch of quality every now and then. However, I a rarely see him win a 50/50 challenge, if he loses a battle he doesn't seem interested in winning the ball back. He doesn't take the game by the scruff of the neck, he seeps into the background when things aren't going Arsenal's way. When he has several options he rarely makes the right choice, he often won't take the opportunity to shoot when it's available which shows a real lack of confidence and I don't think I have seen him look like he is running at full speed.

I think Ozil is a good footballer but I wouldn't want him on my team, if I did have him on my team I would only play him against weak opposition, where he can thrive, and I would certainly have a go at him if I didn't feel he was contributing enough. £40million? I think you should expect more.