Inside the mind of a master playmaker: Mesut Ozil on space and time

The Arsenal midfielder, who is making his comeback from the knee injury he sustained in October, says it is imperative to think ahead and imagine the movements of his team-mates

Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil has attempted to talk supporters through his thought process when on the football field.

Ozil made his comeback from a long-term knee injury in the closing stages of Sunday's 3-0 victory against Stoke City, but had struggled for form in the early part of the season.

Indeed, after a bright start to life in England following his £42 million move from Real Madrid in 2013, his performances and a perceived lack of effort were criticised by many, including in his native Germany.

But the World Cup winner has espoused the importance of thinking ahead, and revealed he paints a picture in his head of where other players are going to position themselves.

"Before you get the ball, you think about where your team-mates and the opposition are likely to be," he told Arsenal Player. "I have an idea of where my team-mates are when I receive possession, and where they could run.

"Of course what happens next depends on them as well as me. If they make runs into space or we think along the same lines, I can play the pass.

"But if I see the gap and they don't run into it, you can't play the pass. We have so much quality going forward. We have players with a lot of pace, who think about what's going to happen and that makes it easier.

"You have to think before you receive the ball, because the game now is so intense and quick. It wouldn't work otherwise."

Posted by Unknown on Thursday, January 15, 2015 - Rating: 4.5

Title : Inside the mind of a master playmaker: Mesut Ozil on space and time
Description : The Arsenal midfielder, who is making his comeback from the knee injury he sustained in October, says it is imperative to think ahead and im...

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