Per Mertesacker needs to start playing By SK
Per Mertesacker got injured just before the beginning of this current campaign and ever since then, he has been in and out of the treatment room. However, from what I can gather from recent injury updates, Mertesacker is as fit as fiddle. But why has he not been playing? Wouldn’t he have been a better substitute for Koscielny whenever the Frenchman is not on the football pitch?
Per Mertesacker has won laurels with the Arsenal team and just some seasons ago, he and Koscielny were the second best defence in the league. But for a while now, he seems to have fallen down the pecking order at Arsenal. Why is this so?
Many will point to his lack of pace as a reason why he lost his shirt in the Arsenal team but what many have failed to realize, is that his maturity and experience, outweighs his lack of pace. The two games against Bayern Munich, where we lost scandalously, were the type of games we needed his experience. He would have coordinated the defence, calmed the nerves of the players and continually encourage dthe players to give their best in the game. That is why he is captain!
The BFG is a world cup winner; he knows what it takes to win trophies and such a player should not be on the bench if he is fit! Wenger probably needs to come out and tell us what we don’t know because I don’t really understand why the German is not playing. Or does somebody know what I don’t know?
Sylvester
I agree
Mert and Kosc were the Premier Leagues BEST CB pair for a couple of seasons
Koscielny is awesome and WC but he can’t be given full credit for that
Mert is slow and getting slower but he does have experience and quality in other areas.
Now, he can’t be a regular but he can be very useful in the odd match here and there
And also can help younger CBs improve
BTW Both BFG and Mustafi are World Cup winners (and Ozil)
You would pay 90k a week to someone so that they can be “useful in the odd match here and there”? We would be able to afford Sanchez wages if we got rid of the likes of Mertesacker and Debuchy who earn big money yet do nothing.
Why isn’t AW thinking outside the box and creating the leagues best back 3 with Kostafi either side of the BFG? No aerial balls would get through and any any speculative through balls would be intercepted! Bellerin has wing-back pace and even Monreal or Gibbs will not be exposed at LB with 3 at the back.
The only complications will be midfield/up top personnel. Some players wont like it. When Conte introduced it at Chelse, Oscar left and Fabregas sat unhappily on the bench. It needs 2 DM/Holding midfielders like Xhaka-Coq (or Santi), but an attack minded manager like AW sees a DM/holding player as a waste of attacking potential. The result is predictable with unflattering scorelines.
Please win FA Cup and go, thanks.
Per is being away for quite long now and If he was slow then we can not expect to be any faster after a long lay off. I still believe Gabriel needs one more season to up to the level required. do not forget the guy did few decent covers last season and got a Brazilian cap. I do also believe a loan for Holding to the likes of Cherries or Palace will help lot to their development. I wish we go for Rodriguez from Woslburg ( they are likely to be relegated in germanuy ) for about 20 millions as left back. Why not get Luiz Gustavo too for DM ? he’s been playing as CB this season? and get Lacazette If we can not get ABU then I believe Ozil and Alexis may at least re consider staying but mostly get rid of the dead wood and over retted ones first.
Gabriel is a waste of money and Time from my own perspective
Cons
1. he is poor in possession
2. he lacks in intelligence and awareness of play
3. mentally timid
Pros
1. Aerially strong
2. Good set of lungs
3. nothing more that I can think of.
From all these I can tell you that Gabriel will always fall short when he is playing against a World class
Mert is such a quality player that can fit in when need be, I think Mustafi needs a couple of season to get to his best, he is rash in interception, he needs to be calm like the boss.
Mert is quality?
Kos is world class?
You moan about Wenger but if this team is given to you lots to manage ,you lots will make it worse than what Arsene the dope is doing now.
Kos is good but far from being a world class player
The only world class are Sanchez,Ozil and Czech.
Don’t even talk of Mert , he is a liability.
These are the exact players they need to come(Theo,ramsey,coq,giroud,gibbs,monreal,sanogo,gabriel and jerkinson) nowhere near the team talkless of playing.
we are preparing for new heartbreaking scenes next two years.
Wenger out !!!!
OT: I remember when people in here used to say, buying proven players will hinder development of so and so players. wish I remember names so that I could tell them to witness where have that sympathy gotten us!! other teams were buying quality players and winning trophies, and people were saying they are buying the trophy, buying stars while we are making them, and now its 14 years trophyless while those who were buying the trophy are having a good stress free life
What rot, how can anyone who knows anything about football want to see Mertesacker back in an Arsenal shirt. I haven’t been able to accept that he was given another contract, and next he is seen sitting next to Wenger at press conferences grinning and making patronising noises to support his “boss”. At least without him we could play a high line . Both Holding and Gab are better defenders and that even though the latter’s confidence has been destroyed by Wenger. Watch this space, if Wenger gets another contract, Per will be getting an office job . And please don’t repeat that he is German and has more than 100 caps. If you do I’ll remind you that he can’t run or jump.