Ray wrote:
On the ball Ozil and De Bruyne is very close, I would go with Ozil tbh but either way they are almost identical in goals scored and chances created, you can't blame Ozil for his team mates missing chances.
Off the ball though De Bruyne is better, defensively and winning the ball back, to start attacks, something Ozil contributed against Spurs but that was the first time I've seen him do that in his 3 seasons here.
If Ozil can offer similar defensive work rate more regularly he would be the best player in the league, maybe he isn't motivated enough to do it consistently.
I don't see how adding defensive workrate will be the reason he becomes the best player in the league. That isn't his responsibility.
It wasn't his defensive tracking back that made him stand out yesterday. It was his agression and commitment and body strength in making things happen up top whether directly by creating the chances or indirectly by pushing up and and forcing the opposition backline into errors. As long as Ozil is creating chances, making assists and scoring goals then he is doing his job.
Ozil's issue was never that he doesn't track back enough. I mean the media will keep repeating that and people will assume it's the reason but It's not. It's that at times he seems a bit out of sorts ot low on confidence, and isn't really taking the game to the opposition in an attacking sense. The times where he fails to influence our attacking game. Instances where he is not getting on the ball enough, where he is making basic mistakes like misplacing simple passes in, or losing the ball under minimal pressure. The kind of things he could probably do in his sleep with a pair of timberland boots. That usually happens when he is low on confidence and retreats into his shell.
In my opinion, there are the kind of issues that are holding Ozil back. Certainly not the fact that he doesn't track back enough.
