Thomas Vermaelen is looking forward to the new season having missed much of the last campaign with a persistent Achilles problem. The Belgian international suffered the injury in August and did not feature again until the closing games of the season.
Having been the club’s first choice centre-back in the 2009/10 season the 25-year-old will now have to compete with Laurent Koscielny and Johan Djourou for a starting berth after the pair formed a promising partnership in his absence.
Reflecting on his return to fitness and the significance of getting minutes under his belt before the season ended in May, Vermaelen told the Arsenal website:
“That was really important for me. It gives you a good feeling. If I didn’t play the last two games I would go into my holiday with a bad feeling.
“I could feel at the end of the season in the last two weeks that I was really fit. I felt great, so I was happy. The boss gave me the confidence and put me in the team.”
Speculation continues to mount that Arsenal could strengthen their defensive options by recruiting either Christopher Samba or Gary Cahill in the coming weeks. Of course, as was predicted by many Arsene Wenger couldn’t help but compare the impact and return of a fully fit Vermaelen to that of a ‘new signing’ when he spoke to the Arsenal Player on Friday.
“I think we have added already Thomas Vermaelen who we can say has not play last season at all. Let’s hope we can bring one or more additions of top quality,” stressed the Frenchman.
Similarly buoyed by the prospect of regular football, Vermaelen continued: “I am really excited, especially after last year. I want to prove myself again and show the people what I’m able to do.
“Personally yes, of course I am more determined, I played a lot of games in my first year and I hoped to do well in my second year but unfortunately I had a big injury and I couldn’t play a lot so I couldn’t show the people a lot. I’m determined to go on the pitch this year and fight for it.
“But the most important thing is the team of course and I hope we can work as hard as we can as individuals and make the team as strong as we can.”
It’s like a new signing! 😐
Those one of two new signings aren’t Diaby and Eboue coming back from injury are they?
Vite back from loan and two mostly uninjured keepers (unless you count feelings) returning… It’s like we signed 3 new keeps.
One of the new signings will be Denilson deciding to stay and extend his contract further as no other club wants to buy him. 🙁
Football sometimes is about luck,hope this time its on our side..so that we dont have bad injuries.if cesc and verm played some games e.g carling cup final,if rvp was not sent off,if diaby never got that red.,if eboue could have waited for the whistle..if cesc never pulled that harmstring ,if sczezny never hurt his finger, some things are just luck..
Whilst the ‘like a new signing’ comments do leave you reaching for the shotgun, a fully fit Verminator will make a massive difference next season. A top quality CB IMO.
And not a mention of if he plays well, he might be up for the Balloon d’or. Quite refreshing these days.
Absolutely I would rather verm dominating our back four over cahisamba any day, but when he went down wenger should have signed a replacement. I read all this negativity from all these so called fans yet does anyone not think we are a much improved squad from last year with tv and gervinho. Make cesc stay, make nasri stay and win the premier league, then if he still wants to go others will want to replace him, cesc is a brilliant one of a kind player and he is happy enough if he stays with us, how can any gooner… Read more »
The thought of Verminator and Cahill. If only!!
Surprised they haven’t reported the ‘Arsenal make contact for Stuart Downing Syndrome’ story yet, that was reported on Sky Sports earlier.
And to make matters worse he would rather join Liverpool.
The humiliation is becoming unbearable, it’s like we’re slowly becoming Spurs.
Do you really believe everything you read in the newspaper?
Love Vermy hate Nasri now he has shown his true self !!!
Mr Wenger please dip into the funds you like to take from us on a weekly basis and get some British talent in.
Yes mate – Fuck Nasri.
British talent? Like downing?
Thought on Downing. Maybe, only maybe, we’re making our ‘interest’ known to see if Liverpool then make their move to try and tie him up pronto, leaving us clear to make the move we actually want for Mata?
Nah, probably not.
Downing’s not bad player, but if we go for a wide english player i’d wouldn’t mind Johnson from Citeh – or even Milner and i quite like those other two nutters who used to play for Citeh – step forward lunatics Barton and that Irish bloke who went to Villa – the one with the superman underpants.
Stephen Ireland would be a quality addition.
Really ? Stephen Ireland? I’m not sure, hasn’t cut it at villa. I hope we don’t get Downing, mediocre, if he wasn’t English I doubt anyone would be interested. It’s a shame we didn’t go for Ashley young, plus he supported Arsenal. I like Cahill and hope we get him, but is he really any better than JD? Maybe we hope he’ll just have that bit of English steel to toughen up the back four, but if he was that good why aren’t the top clubs on the continent in for him. Sorry if I’m waffling, i’m bored, my wife… Read more »
Mata has got to be the Spains most promising prospect or at least the most high profile one. But if we tie up Gervinho is it possible we will rely on him Walcott Rosicky and Arshavin and not sign another winger at all? We do need another CF by the way and I’d love it if Arshavin was played here as I believe he’s most effective there. Theo is better in the middle too. Could next seasons first team be CFs: RVP & AA. MF:Mata, Ramsey, Jack, Gerv. DF: Cissokho, Cahill, Verm, Sagna. GK: WS
[…] us forward, often to great effect. So it’s good to hear him talk about the upcoming campaign. He says: Personally yes, of course I am more determined, I played a lot of games in my first year and I […]
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