Arsenal's 42 million-pound man has come under fire recently from pundits and even his own fans. A lot of weight has been placed on Mesut Ozil's shoulders as he adjusts to his first season in English football, and whereas he has not had a bad season so far, he continues to remind me of a certain Gunners legend.
It would be extremely unfair to suggest that Ozil has had a poor debut year - regardless of Arsenal's to-be-decided trophy haul. He is certainly not the first player to have come in from overseas and taken time to adapt. But it is his overwhelming price-tag, if anything, that serves him an undeserved injustice as he gets to grips with the physical demands of the best league in the world.
And he most definitely will not be the first Arsenal player, or even legend, to suffer such criticism. In fact, there are some remarkable similarities between Ozil and one of my favourite ever footballers, which may suggest the very best is yet to come.
Robert Pires - or 'Bobby' to some Arsenal fans - joined the club from Marseille in 2000 after impressing at the European Championships that year. Pires' 'struggles' with the physicality of the league were apparent during his first year, too. Billed as the replacement for Marc Overmars, his early performances drew fears that he was incapable to succeed - but even that season did not come without its highs.
Just like Ozil, Pires' first goal (of 84) for Arsenal also came against Italian opposition in the Champions League - and it was just as good, if not better. His glorious top-corner finish against Lazio in October 2000 was one of the goals of the tournament, meanwhile his assist-making was almost unparalleled.
Sealing Ray Parlour's hat-trick at Highbury, an instinct back-heel for Thierry Henry in the Champions League and his pinpoint cross for Patrick Vieira before scoring the winner in the FA Cup semi-final against Spurs were all wonderful moments.
And it is not as if I need to go into Mesut Ozil's assist record. They may have dried up of late but perhaps it is not so surprising given he has had no winter break, as is customary in Spain, meaning the Premier League's intensity will have taken a greater toll on his body than usual.
Mesut is 25. Pires was slightly older when we bought him. His second season? Flawless. Well, barring a horrid cruciate ligament injury which ended his season - but even by then, he had made his mark.
In the 2001/02 season, the magic really started to flow. 14 goals scored for club and country, including that audacious lob over Peter Schmeichel, and he was awarded with the Football Writer's Player of the Year award.
The point I am trying to make here is that in time, Ozil will pay that price-tag off. He has been criticised for showing no passion and some poor performances - to the point where some fans want him dropped - which is quite rich from Arsenal fans who beg, beg and beg Arsene Wenger to splash the cash. Let him take his time.
Robert Pires was very much the same in his first season. The second ended with his team-mates bowing down to him as he held the Premier League trophy aloft. Isn't that what we want?
So whatever Mesut Ozil's first year at Arsenal brings, remember this: this is just the beginning.
Come On You Reds!
It would be extremely unfair to suggest that Ozil has had a poor debut year - regardless of Arsenal's to-be-decided trophy haul. He is certainly not the first player to have come in from overseas and taken time to adapt. But it is his overwhelming price-tag, if anything, that serves him an undeserved injustice as he gets to grips with the physical demands of the best league in the world.
And he most definitely will not be the first Arsenal player, or even legend, to suffer such criticism. In fact, there are some remarkable similarities between Ozil and one of my favourite ever footballers, which may suggest the very best is yet to come.
Robert Pires - or 'Bobby' to some Arsenal fans - joined the club from Marseille in 2000 after impressing at the European Championships that year. Pires' 'struggles' with the physicality of the league were apparent during his first year, too. Billed as the replacement for Marc Overmars, his early performances drew fears that he was incapable to succeed - but even that season did not come without its highs.
Just like Ozil, Pires' first goal (of 84) for Arsenal also came against Italian opposition in the Champions League - and it was just as good, if not better. His glorious top-corner finish against Lazio in October 2000 was one of the goals of the tournament, meanwhile his assist-making was almost unparalleled.
Sealing Ray Parlour's hat-trick at Highbury, an instinct back-heel for Thierry Henry in the Champions League and his pinpoint cross for Patrick Vieira before scoring the winner in the FA Cup semi-final against Spurs were all wonderful moments.
And it is not as if I need to go into Mesut Ozil's assist record. They may have dried up of late but perhaps it is not so surprising given he has had no winter break, as is customary in Spain, meaning the Premier League's intensity will have taken a greater toll on his body than usual.
Mesut is 25. Pires was slightly older when we bought him. His second season? Flawless. Well, barring a horrid cruciate ligament injury which ended his season - but even by then, he had made his mark.
In the 2001/02 season, the magic really started to flow. 14 goals scored for club and country, including that audacious lob over Peter Schmeichel, and he was awarded with the Football Writer's Player of the Year award.
The point I am trying to make here is that in time, Ozil will pay that price-tag off. He has been criticised for showing no passion and some poor performances - to the point where some fans want him dropped - which is quite rich from Arsenal fans who beg, beg and beg Arsene Wenger to splash the cash. Let him take his time.
Robert Pires was very much the same in his first season. The second ended with his team-mates bowing down to him as he held the Premier League trophy aloft. Isn't that what we want?
So whatever Mesut Ozil's first year at Arsenal brings, remember this: this is just the beginning.
Come On You Reds!
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