Arsene Wenger and Mesut Ozil Blasted After Dortmund Loss, Danny Welbeck Spared

Mesut Ozil's lack of form dominates coverage after Arsenal's 2-0 Champions League loss to Borussia Dortmund, while new signing Danny Welbeck has gained a vote of confidence from Arsene Wenger in light of the opening European defeat.

Ozil continues to be shunted onto the left wing for the Gunners, a position he doesn't appear comfortable in.

The German international doesn't possess the pace or agility of a specialised winger, nor can he influence the game with his back to goal. Ozil is most effective when gaining possession behind the striker in the middle of the pitch, allowing him to look up and advance play with creative passes.

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

He can effectively float through the centre, where he is more likely to beat players with a clever piece of movement, rather than a burst of speed. This is rarely possible on the wing, leaving both Ozil and fans extremely frustrated.

Former Gunners striker Ian Wright called for Wenger to rethink his tactics after seeing Ozil subbed for yet another poor performance:

Henry Winter of the Daily Telegraph highlighted the midfielder's lack of quality didn't go unnoticed by the German press:

Matt Barlow of the Daily Mail thrust an unwanted comparison to another famous Premier League flop on Ozil's shoulders, suggesting the former Real Madrid man may never be cut out for a successful stint in England's top division:

"

[...] There are no signs his Arsenal career is about to transform. He is drifting down the path of Juan Sebastian Veron, unquestionably gifted but perhaps not cut out for the way an English team want to play.

Who wants a play-maker who cannot influence the game? At some point soon, the Arsenal boss must consider whether to cut his losses. Does he reshape his team to play him in a more central position? Or drop him.

"

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

Welbeck was also among the poorest performers on the night, despite having plenty of chances to provide Wenger's men with a much-needed goal. The former Manchester United striker missed a glorious chance with the score at 0-0 and was unable to significantly test Roman Weidenfeller between the Dortmund sticks.

Wenger believes his new signing needs time before he can be judged, reported by John Cross of the Mirror.  "He will improve," said Wenger. "I don’t think we have to make a problem of that. He had a lively first half, two or three good chances; one obvious one. We have to be a bit patient maybe."

United fans had been offering similar quotes for years when discussing Welbeck, a player whose energy and determination far outweighs his goalscoring ability.

It was a largely anonymous night for the 23-year-old, who struggled to consistently link play and was force into the channels to gain possession. Squawka summed up Welbeck's disappointing first two games for the north London side:

Former Gunners star Paul Merson criticised both the team and Welbeck after the match, highlighting a lack of ruthlessness in the Arsenal side, per Sky Sports:

"

It was poor, simple as that. They were well beaten all over the pitch from one to 11. They got closed down, they weren’t allowed to play and they let the other team play. You could turn around and say Danny Welbeck could have had a hat-trick because he had three good chances, but Dortmund had nine or 10 good chances. That’s not good enough, not for Arsenal.

"

In truth, Arsenal's team was crammed with forgettable performances. Alexis Sanchez appeared sloppy on the ball and failed to match the tempo of the game, while Aaron Ramsey put in a mistake-ridden shift against Dortmund's direct midfield. The Welshman felt the need to apologise on Twitter after the match, such was the lack of cohesion on offer:

Jack Wilshere, who was praised so highly after his display during the 2-2 draw with Manchester City, was also easily overrun. Wenger may have an injury problem to deal with after the Englishman turned his right ankle, per Cross, but the full damage is yet to be assessed.

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

Arsenal's next Champions League tie comes at home against Galatasaray, a match the Gunners will be confident of winning. Failure to do so would see their hopes of European glory thrown into severe jeopardy already.

Fortunately for Wenger, his team face Anderlecht in Matchweek 3, providing his men with a vital opportunity to turn things around against arguably the group's weakest side.

Bleacher Report's Michael Cummings underlines the need for a rapid improvement:

An away trip to Aston Villa is next up on the domestic scene, which then sees Arsenal face local rivals Tottenham at home. Six points are certainly needed after the Dortmund performance, as pressure begins to slowly build on an uninventive Wenger and his players.

He needs to find a solution to Ozil's positional problem with haste, or else the media spotlight will continue to intensify, while a goal for Welbeck will certainly help the enthusiastic striker settle into his new surroundings.