Yea obviously he's not reliable, but that's the skill set that I'd like to see in midfield. He's not the only one. Pogba can do it as well. So can Thiago, or even Moussa Dembele. I don't think you need absolute brilliance at CM as long as you have Ozil and a world class goal scorer in front of them.
Two players whose skills overlap such that they can control the midfield, particularly when we're not in possession, and either play it forward or drive through the center carrying the ball will do. It's the basics, really. If we fail to score or get a shot on target, that's when one of them makes the late run into the box. Otherwise, press high after a turnover and fall back on counter attacks, covering the fullbacks. I think Xhaka fits the bill as one of a midfield two. Elneny does as well for me. Think it would be an interesting partnership.
