But even such a spectacular deal doesn't erase the
discontent of several static summer months for the Gunners. We might rest easy that manager Arsene Wenger
has faith in the squad who closed last season in such commanding form, but for
the mounting evidence that Arsenal Football Club has money to burn.
“It is going to be the players that Arsene believes in,” said
the club’s chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, in June, as he revealed Arsenal’s whopping budget. Now, standing still in football is a no-no for everybody and few would agree
with Wenger’s apparent conclusion that Özil was the only addition needed to put the team on track - so the Frenchman’s continued
frugality remains a mystery.
Presently, at least, the signs are promising that Özil will
flourish. He has dismissed whispers of
unprofessionalism – emanating from Madrid – by citing an impressive record of
games played in recent years. At 24, he is still young and yet has top-level club experience in
multiple countries and an international record for Germany that belies his
youth.
His long-passing and crossing ability, however, might be
wasted on the current Arsenal side, while opportunities to deliver that killer ball
will be fewer and further between against the stubborn, bomb-shelter-esque defences that populate the middle
half of the Premier League.
Nevertheless,
Özil’s ability should see him establish himself as one of the league’s top
operators. Indeed, it is against those
deep, impenetrable mid-table defences where he may well make the greatest
repayments of his transfer fee; the German’s instinct for creating space where
there previously was none, with deft control and one-touch passing, cannot be
undervalued.
Wenger now has a pillar of quality around which he can rally
others – something he has been missing since Van Persie’s departure a year
ago. Wenger couldn’t – or at least didn’t
– satisfy the ambitions of such charismatic figures as Van Persie and Fabregas;
now he has another chance. However, in
the manner of Van Persie and Fabregas, Özil could well be the proverbial overworked wage-slave in the patisserie –
surrounded by puddings. Arsenal haven’t
won a trophy since 2005 and one wonders at their persistence with a strategy of
overreliance on individuals.
If the money was there to spend all summer, it is
incomprehensible that no foundations should be laid, no supporting cast members
roped in, as Arsenal waited for other transfer dominoes to fall and shove Özil
in their direction.
Although it is widely agreed that Özil’s midfield role was
not what required the most urgent attention at Arsenal this transfer window, this
should by no means be considered an endorsement of the current crop of
creative, forward-thinking midfielders.
Let’s remove the scales from our eyes here – nobody currently occupying
the Arsenal midfield has turned their potential into a full season of
consistent performances, driving for the title – and anybody throwing the name ‘Wilshere’
in at this point (“he’s playing for England, so he must be good”) can come back
when he has steered the Gunners to a trophy.
Doubtless he will yet improve, but he is far from there at this moment.
Ah – and let us not forget the free-transfer return of Mathieu Flamini. Sky Sports News tried to get all its viewers excited about this one by recalling how well Flamini had performed in his final season with Arsenal, 2007-08, before departing for Milan. Hilariously, the ‘With/Without Flamini’ statistical ‘proof’ displayed on-screen showed an infinitesimally small drop-off in form when Arsenal were without the French midfielder. We can all look forward to his impact then.
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Photo Credit: Sama093
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