OzilAssist

tosi · @OzilAssist

2nd Jan 2016 from TwitLonger

Football's Unhealthy Obsession With Mesut Özil - By Me


Mesut Özil came to Arsenal as the biggest Premier League import of 2013. His time at the Emirates has been an enigmatic reality show for the entire football world to gossip about and obsess over. He missed 7 months of his first 2 seasons and never had a pre-season either year. Yet he still managed to win 2 FA Cups, 2 Community Shields and a World Cup in that time as an integral member of either squad. However, critics, rival fans and even a few gooners still found a way to call for his career's crucifixion. "Mesut Özil is a £42.5M flop." How many times have you heard that? A dramatic conclusion based on expectation, overreaction and a little bit of bias. The majority of Özil's nay sayers are English or have lived in England for a long time and are involved in the media. What's England got against the guy? He's humble, doesn't claim to be the best, but has said wants to be. This isn't a piece defending him, this is a piece where I try to figure out what the huge obsession with Mesut Özil is. The entire time his first two seasons passed by I thought, why is this narrative taking over all the headlines. Why is a struggling star from a decent squad who hasn't won the league in over a decade being talked about more than the Champions, the players of the year, everyone! Surely if he's as bad as the rival fans say he is they wouldn't be so insecure to constantly promote agendas against him? Also, his form wasn't the only one of a star signing to struggle, guys like Angel Di Maria, Gareth Bale and Radamel Falcao have all fallen victim to adjustment processes in different leagues during Özil's tenure, yet none of them took over the story? Maybe they weren't at as big a club? Not possible, they played for Manchester United. Maybe they didn't come with as much expectation? Not possible, Di Maria cost more money and Falcao remains the most expensive loan deal in history. So once again, why Özil? Then it hit me. Manchester United turned on Di Maria and Falcao before anyone else did. Labeling them lazy and un-energetic, cries which saw both benched by Van Gaal, but Özil's story was different. When Arsenal fans saw their main man struggle they stood by him, fought the good fight and kept the faith. Maybe that's why the footballing world hates him, because he is a shining example of what can happen when you stop being so god damn fickle and stand by your team. Many may call this a giant hypocrisy because of the Wenger Out movement, but that was a side effect of a decade of pain and nowhere near as big as people made it out to be. So now that the critics are witnessing Özil come good and even make history on the way as Arsenal gear up to grind out the rest of a loony season in England they're left with two choices. Admit defeat and do something 90% of football fans innately aren't capable of, swallow their pride, or continue the agenda. Reading Jamie Carragher's latest article for the Daily Mail, I guess it's the latter. You see, rather than give up on the story after being wrong about his ideas that Özil wouldn't make it in this league last season, he's chosen to say "He's good, but he's no Bergkamp." Because of comparisons to him. I'm sorry Jamie, if that's the case, where's your article for Fabregas being no Lampard, Henderson being no Gerrard, Hazard being no Cristiano Ronaldo? Many comparisons get made every day, maybe what drove you to write pages and pages saying Özil can't be like Bergkamp is the fact that deep down you know he has a legitimate opportunity to be remembered as big a legend as Bergkamp or Henry and you can't stand it. Either way, the Özil obsession has to stop. If you want to analyze his football, go ahead as you do with everyone. Just make sure you realize he's a footballer, a man being paid to play football. Not a prophet failing to adhere to some ancient scroll that dictates a legendary status he must achieve in the sport by surpassing every Arsenal great in a few seasons.

-Tosi

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