I’m one of world’s best at number 10 – Ozil

I’m one of world’s best at number
10 – Ozil

Ozil, 25, joined Arsenal from Real
Madrid a year ago in a club-record
£42 million ($69.7 million, 31.1
million euros) transfer, but he
shone only fitfully in his first
season at the Emirates Stadium.
Nevertheless, he finished the
season as an FA Cup-winner and
then won the World Cup with
Germany, and he believes that if he
is yet to impose himself in the
Premier League, it is because
manager Arsene Wenger plays him
on the left flank.
“I’m one of the best players in the
world in that number 10 position.
Fans, coaches, players and
everyone knows that my best
position is playmaker. It’s different
playing on the left,” he told
Saturday’s edition of the Daily
Telegraph.
“When I was in Madrid, I often
played on the right. I enjoyed that
because I’m left-footed and I was
able to cut inside to give assists
and get shots on target. On the
left, it’s more difficult.
“The opinions of fans are
important to me and I’m happy
they have such high expectations
of me. I have high expectations of
myself.”
Wenger had defended Ozil on
Friday, comparing him to a
virtuoso musician and claiming
that his contributions to Arsenal’s
attacking play were unfairly
overlooked.
“People are very harsh on Ozil
because he’s a player who is easy
with his play,” said the
Frenchman, ahead of his side’s trip
to Leicester City on Sunday.
“When you watch his game back
the next day, you think, ‘What a
player.’ Everything he does is
intelligent and the timing of
absolutely everything he does is
absolutely perfect.
“He’s like a guy who plays music
with perfect timing. There aren’t
many players like that.”
Despite his reservations about
where he has been asked to play,
Ozil said that he enjoyed working
with Wenger.
“The whole club can be proud to
have such a fantastic manager
with so much experience, playing
with style and doing so many great
things for 18 years here,” he said.
“The boss has always blooded
youngsters, and helped make them
into some of the best players in
the world. That’s also why I came
here. I wanted to develop myself
further.”