Arsenal are going to need leaders as well as top quality players this season. With injuries and a disrupted pre-season causing us difficulties at the start of the season, the Gunners are already playing catch up, but it is still early days and with players like Per Mertesacker in the squad, I am sure we will be alright.
Our Big Effin’ German turned 30 years old a couple of weeks ago, but Arsenal should still get plenty of service out of him at centre back, where age does not tend to cut a player’s career off quite as soon as other outfield players. But it is still a great boost for the club that Mertesacker has put the interests of club before country, despite the euphoria in Germany of their World Cup win in Brazil, as he told Arsenal Player.
The German defender said, “I reflected and last season was very tough. This season won’t be less intense so I needed a chance to rest and refuel. I want to push forward with the club now to show I can still improve.
“I realised over the last few years that the club really needs me and that was a big motivation to win something with them and then with Germany. Now I’m really focused to do even more with Arsenal.
“There’s even more respect and support here than I expected when I signed. This club has topped everything and I’m really proud to be part of it, especially after learning more about the fans and its history.
“As vice-captain I feel more responsibility for my work here and I want to achieve more in my next three years with Arsenal. One chapter has closed and the other one has opened even more, that’s how it feels for me.”
So not only has Mertesacker given Arsenal one less player to worry about picking up an injury on international duty, he has set a great example and showed his Arsenal team mates just how important the club is. In another Arsenal.com report the 30-year old reveals how much he tries to help the younger players improve and also that he encourages them to feel comfortable and not have to show too much respect to senior figures like himself. And this approach could prove to be a massive help to Arsenal and young players like Hector Bellerin who may be needed quite a bit in the coming weeks and months.
He said, “He’s a good addition to our squad and he can take his chance with Mathieu injured and Calum suspended. He’s got some great chances and he has to take them now because you never know what will happen in football.
“It’s tough to establish yourself as a young player at Arsenal as a lot of the positions have two players in, so it’s hard for the youngsters to impress in regular games.
“But we have to rely on our reserve players and it’s good to get a good relationship with them and try to give them some help. The most vital part is good communication on the pitch – they have to talk to me if there’s someone in my back.
“I have to encourage them to speak to me even though I’m 30 and have a lot of international caps. They have to be brave and be themselves. He needs to talk as well and that’s what I demand from him. He listens a lot and he’s a good guy, which gives him a good chance to be a regular pro at Arsenal.”
I love the attitude that Mertesacker shows both on and off the pitch and if some of his Arsenal team mates use him as an example, that can only be good for the club. Is our BFG becoming the new Mr. Arsenal?
always liked his attitude. loved the fact he spoke to wenger about getting welbeck in the window.
but football is a performance related business an he has declined this year.
we need defenders
True that, wrote an article just after the World Cup saying he looked to have become a bit slower, and the instances in which he was made to look beyond average in some of the big games was probably a sign that he was getting on but it was met with a fair amount of disdain. Kos and a quicker centre back would be a better option for a team who rely on their fb’s joining the attacks, more importantly though a cdm
Agree, but I would say that we’d see marked improvement in all our defenders with proper competition/rotation.
All our Germans have been naff since they won the WC. Kos is half asleep lately. But that happens to all players who are cemented in the lineup. Giroid went stale last year, the CB’s are starting off the year in the same way. We are the only team who doesn’t drop players on performance.
gotta love our BFG!!
Kos is the most important player in Arsenal nowadays … sorry BFG it’s not your fault being slower than the turtle
jst listen to urself,ur cment s worse than ua name
BFG has done well but I have to be honest I think that his lack of speed has caused not only some of our heavy defeats but also some of the cards and penalties we have had awarded against us, especially by Kos ang Schez.
Now it is looking like Kos is injured, not surprising as he has to go full on in an attempt to fix some of Mert’s cock up’s.
Why do we not have another fast defender, perfect combination would be someone bigger and stronger than Kos who can put a sprint in when necessary.
Nice fella but this is competitive football, Arsenal can and should have better.
Wenger and his make-do’s have to go!
YOU DONT GET 100+ CAPS FOR GERMANY IF YOU’RE SHIT
@kamn288
No one said he was sh*t. Time has taken it’s toll though. He never was that quick to begin with…
Everybody speaking negatively of our BFG is talking like they’re a coach, stick to Fifa. If he was never quick to begin with and has earned 100+ caps internationaly, then how has he all of a sudden fallen from grace? His vision has gotten better, and his partnership with Kos is still top notch. He has only enough time until Chambers forces himself into the XI, I still think that’s two years away
Love the attitude and positivity by big mert! now lets transform this positive attitude unto the pitch and get some wins starting with hull city next week! Coyg!
BFG: Great attitude
But also slow, aging and liability
BFG OUT
Or he stays but he must be back up
wen fans frm other clubs r behind their teams,we arsenal fans are busy slating our players-although pace counts bt stil there r other attributes which shows per s a gud center bak,if aving pace s wat matters, replace per mert with usain bolt and see if he performs beta than person,arsenal s a team nt a name based on individual player,every player s important
mertasacker has really contributed to arsenal these past years especially the FA cup. he may not be as fast as bolt,but he is decent defender and also a leader.. the problem is that most of us just dont know how to appreciate what we have,always comparing our players to opponents team.. if u dont value and respect what u have nobody will do it for u.
football is not all about speed ,football is a mental sport if speed was everything in football walcot,sterling and wright-phillips would have been world best by now..
every defender cant be tall and fast at the same time.. we all remember roberto carlos he was very short and fast defender. I guess if carlos was playing for arsenal now,somebody will come up with an article “CARLOS IS TOO SHORT TO BE A DEFENDER”
U read my mind buddy
Per is very slow, I wish he was faster atimes but ppl under rate him a lot and please football is not all about pace; Per plays with his brains and we tend to applaud players who play with more aggression unfortunately he doesn’t; I will use an eg, if it was Per marking Hazard instead of Koscielny in d build up to the chelsea penalty, he would have probably gone backwards trying to stay on d right side of hazard so he doesn’t shoot and narrowing d angle so that our goalie easily picks up d ball, that’s how Per plays and to me that’s subtle but intelligent option in that scenario but that style of play doesn’t get plenty credit. Don’t get me wrong, Koscielny is to my mind our best center back but am saying most of us don’t give Per as much credit as he deserves, but really I don’t blame those who don’t because it took even Wenger a couple of games to realise Per pairs better with Koscielny than Vermaeleen does.
I can’t stand so called Arsenal fans who day “BFG out” or “Giroud out”
Last season, BFG was part of the BEST CB pair in the PL statiscally. He was also so bad that he has kept his spot on the German National team.
M
Giroud had scored 40 goals in two seasons and showed signs of improvement before injury.
So to want them “OUT” is ridiculous. Aren’t they at least good enough to be back ups on the bench?