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Is Mesut Ozil Putting Too Much Pressure On Himself And Arsenal?
By Josh Sippie
Having aspirations and setting high goals is a good way to find motivation. One could say Arsenal could use such aspirations. But when you set those goals far beyond your own capabilities, you set yourself up for failure and disappointment. Mesut Ozil may be doing just that.
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Everyone has their own opinion of Mesut Ozil. Some think he is the best thing ever. Some think he is underwhelming. Some say he is overrated and still some think that he is Arsenal’s messiah. Combining him with Alexis Sanchez was supposed to launch Arsenal to greatness but injuries and inconsistencies have derailed most of those hopes. But it is still early.
Mesut Ozil has already set the Balon d’Or as a target. That is a massive goal and one that appears well out of his reach at this juncture. Nobody aside from Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo has ever won the award. The only person to get close was Andres Iniesta but he was never going to overtake Messi.
Mesut Ozil sees himself on the same level as these two golden boys of football. That is all well and good, but if that is how he sees himself, then it is going to be a disappointment to settle for anything less. The bar has been set so incredibly high. Mesut Ozil may be having a great year but he is nowhere near the level of previous Balon d’Or winners. His near 5 key passes a game is unheard of and one that could breed a massive number of assists. But as long as he continues to shy away from goals, he is never going to reach those heights.
Now, Mesut Ozil has unleashed another bit of pressure, this time on Arsenal. Ozil did his best to compare this current Arsenal side with Thierry Henry’s, Patrick Vieira’s and Denis Bergkamp’s Arsenal. He hearkened back to the days of the Arsenal/Manchester United rivalry, when Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger were the two forces of the Premier League.
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He then went on to all-but guarantee a victory.
Again, confidence is a good thing. Don’t get me wrong. It is an especially good thing coming from Mesut Ozil. The German has a knack for looking very uninspired and lacking in confidence when out on the pitch. But is this really the best thing for a shaky Arsenal? Piling the pressure on his own shoulders and on Arsenal’s at a time where the team is completely hit and miss is an incredibly risky scenario. However, if one man can inspire the magic and make it work, it is Mesut Ozil.
Next: Arsenal Must Hone Mental Toughness