Former Premier League player Steve Claridge believes that Mesut Ozil is our “weakest link” and has criticised his attitude following our goalless draw against Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium, BBC Radio 5 Live reports.
Ozil, despite improving in the second half and carrying our team, has caught most of the flack from the ‘experts’ and Claridge has chosen to focus on his body language rather than the quality of his football.
The German star was certainly not the only player in our squad who produced a below-par performance, but there is usually a public outcry everytime Ozil has an off-game while his mercurial performances are rarely mentioned.
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“Ozil gave the ball away at least six times and never once did he react to try and get it back,” Claridge told the radio station.
“That’s a dangerous precedent to set and if I’m one of his team-mates it’s quite depressing actually.”
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Ozil definitely looks frustrating at times, but the fact that he’s constantly an easy target and used as a scapegoat by the media is unacceptable.
Players like David Silva and Cesc Fabregas are lauded for doing exactly what Ozil produces on a consistent basis. Admittedly, the 26-year-old does need to find the net more consistently and be more aggressive in his attacking play, but the reaction to any performance that isn’t sensational is quite pathetic and, quite frankly, agenda-driven.
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