Arsene Wenger believes Per Mertesacker can follow Laurent Koscielny’s lead by adapting to the rigours of English football.
The German has been roundly criticised for his performance in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Norwich after being disposed on the edge of the area in the build-up to the Canaries opener. In the fickle world of the internet football fan, questions were immediately raised about whether the summer signing can cut the mustard in England.
Dismissing suggestions that Mertesacker is lacking the necessary quality to play in the Premier League, Wenger pointed at the improvements made by teammate Koscielny – a man whose mistake in the Carling Cup final seems a distant memory given his current tip-top form.
“He had not completely recovered [from the internationals],” said Wenger of the German. “It is a different game in England, a very demanding game for the defender.
“In every second of the game you are really tested with full commitment, and it takes some time to adapt.
“We have seen that with [Laurent] Koscielny, who played at right-back and was exceptional.
“Last year he would not have delivered this kind of performance because you learn that from fighting in every game. That is why it is so difficult to buy defenders from abroad.”
It’s worth noting at this point that the level of abuse which Johan Djourou has been subjected to in recent weeks is also completely out of kilter with the view held by many at the beginning of the year. The Swiss defender went more than 16 months without tasting defeat in an Arsenal jersey and was a lynchpin in the Gunners defence in the first half of last term. Granted his performances this season have not matched that, but with injuries likely to take their toil at some point he still represents a decent and tall squad member.
Talking of height, the penny seems to have dropped with Arsene that physical presence makes a difference. While he still has a penchant for men of a lower centre of gravity, the Frenchman admitted that the side he sent out against Norwich benefitted from their aerial presence.
“One of the advantages – I said before the game – is that I have not seen such a tall Arsenal team at the back,” stressed Arsene.
“You have Koscielny, Mertesacker, Vermaelen and Santos who are tall. I look a bit lost because there are no small players in there.”
Pleased with the five options he has in the heart of defence (six if you include Miquel), Wenger also ruled out a new bid for Gary Cahill. The Bolton centre-back was a target for Arsenal in the summer, but saw a move South quashed by his high asking-price.
“Cahill is good enough to play Champions League, but he is not someone I would be interested in,” confirmed Wenger.
“I have got five central defenders – [Laurent] Koscielny, [Sebastien] Squillaci, Mertesacker, [Thomas] Vermaelen and [Johan] Djourou. Of this five, four are international players.
“We were in the market in the summer, but at that time they [Bolton] were greedy.”
You hear that Bolton – you Trotters are greedy pigs!
Not gonna lie, I read Vermkosperou and thought it was some kind of Bosnian player…
Shoulda been
Vermkosquilperou
He mentioned Squillaci!?
What is a Squillaci?
When Per made that mistake , Koscielny had word with Him .
I think He told him “Per you are good Defender ,but sometimes you need to up the cuntishness in you , Remember when I slapped Fernando Torres ? “
That slap to the face followed by kicking the ball off of his head has been the highlight of the season thus far for me.
“Koscielny had word with Him.”
The capitalized H made me think Koscielny was telling off God.
I thought it meant he was talking to TV5.
huh? so a capital H in Him means God or a third person
*the more you know**
Kos told off Bergkamp?
Cool. 😀
No it means TV5 is GOD.
Koscielny’s word might help a little, but I’m willing to bet that after Chesney glared at him Per decided there and then he would never, ever do anything silly like that again.
Look at Per and Yossi’s left hand?
Whaaaaaat the?
a tribute to Santos’s “good win gays”?
Perhaps they’ve all been told to do the hokey cokey, though by the looks of things its really only Kos who’s getting into the swing of it.
Andrei is trying to follow suit, but he’s just too man for that shit.
Either that or he still doesn’t know his English ‘left’ from ‘right’.
Then Koscielny looks like he is modelling underwear!
That’s a photo of pure awkwardness.
Koscielny: “So John Terry did this, and then flounced herself down onto the ground”
Does anyone else wonder why the papers made nothing of that greedy comment? That would seem like something they would have eaten up…
This blog and some of the posts are spot on in every respect. I know it’s human nature to some degree, but it does make me laugh how we can have a good win, but then someone will inevitably say, ah yeah, but wasn’t so and so utter dogshit? How the fuck does HE get in the team? Then two games later, the same player is the greatest thing since sliced bread. And it also happens in reverse. Post Norwich, it’s been Per and Zherv, but it wasn’t that long ago it was Kos, Rambo, Jenks…the list goes on. Glad… Read more »
Sits here nodding in agreement, its always the ones who smack talk the players the most who then a couple of games later hail them as the messiah, and so on and so forth. It is of course those individuals sterling support of screaming abuse at the players, that has evidently inspired them to greater efforts, I mean wouldn’t you try harder if some spittle flecked moron was calling you every name under the sun. Some peeps need to reflect a bit on what it means to ‘support’, I’m not saying they should walk through life with rose tinted glasses… Read more »
That’s what you get when you’re a really big club and narrow-minded people come flocking to your fanbase.
Here’s a good piece explaining why it seems like ‘many’ Arsenal, or in fact all fans crucify their own players quickly after something happened.
http://www.spring.org.uk/2007/07/loudest-voice-majority-opinion.php
“The German has been roundly criticised for his performance in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Norwich after being disposed on the edge of the area in the build-up to the Canaries opener. In the fickle world of the internet football fan, questions were immediately raised about whether the summer signing can cut the mustard in England.”
Excellent reference to fatgooner from previous article. Good job.
He made a mistake hopefully he won’t make the same again, but by god Vermaelen is a beast, did you see that tackle in the first half… awesome!
the bfg will prove his class as paddy said over and over and over again. As for Cahill Bolton will get next to nothing for him feel sorry for the lad as he had a chance at a big club and now may end up at spurs
Too right. We are a bit spoiled here as TV5 walked into the Premiership and looked like he’d been there all his life. I can’t think of any other players who have done that, especially in defence.
Ok it was a bit of a pig’s ear, but nowhere near the sheer incompetance of a recent moment from a well-known racist of this parish (…..must…..watch….again….). That’ll be the same prat that many journalists reckon is teh bestest defending man in teh hole of Ingerlund!!11!! Of course, we know the truth……
What about Sagna?
….You hear that Bolton – you Trotters are greedy pigs!….
Diggin it !
has any1 noticed the resemblance between gary cahill and owen coyle(in looks)?