Having spent two weeks at London Colney while his colleagues embarked on international duties across the globe, Per Mertesacker believes he’s figured out what Arsenal need to do to get their season back on track.
Claiming the Interlull came at an opportune moment for many players to escape the trauma of the collapses against Anderlecht and Swansea, the BFG told the club’s matchday programme ahead of Saturday’s clash with Manchester United that swiftly retrieving possession from opponents for the full 90 minutes will be key in the coming weeks.
“We had a consistent 60 minutes twice and we have to extend that to convert it into a decent performance for 90 minutes.
“We lacked something after 60 minutes, just small mistakes, and that turned it completely around.
“We thought that we were secure and safe after 60 minutes and we lost our head twice. That’s really unusual because when there was a small setback last season we came back even stronger.
“The international break may help us, as everyone has [had] a chance to think about their own international stuff before coming back and regrouping even stronger.
“Normally you have to finish strongly before the break, but we [had] to use the break to regroup and think about slight adjustments in terms of protecting the lead when we have it.
“We also need to cover and protect our own half even more, and think about how quickly we switch on when we lose the ball – those are things that will be interesting for us to think about in the next two weeks.
“At the moment we are really spot on for 60 minutes and we cannot afford to lose our heads again, we have to be consistent over 90 minutes and we need to get that in our mind.”
That consistency needs to be found from the first minute against Louis van Gaal’s side who’ve endured their own struggle this season. It’s a huge week for Arsenal with a Champions League showdown with group leaders Borussia Dortmund another opportunity to lay down a marker and start building momentum.
Elsewhere Thierry Henry believes the current Gunners squad have the ability to win the league. Making clear that they’ve first got to somehow overcome the nine point gap that Chelsea have built up, the club’s record goal scorer told Football Focus:
“I do think they have a squad to win the league but they are nine points behind Chelsea. Somehow you have to make sure you can grab somewhere those points hoping that Chelsea is going to lose somewhere.
“Bear in mind that Chelsea have already went to City, won at Everton, beat you (Arsenal). Nine points (is) three defeats. In the meantime you need to win everything, they need to lose, so when you ask me how far they are (from winning the league), they’re nine points away (at present).”
Asked yesterday whether Henry might one day return to the Emirates in a coaching capacity – there are rumours he could call time on his career this weekend – Wenger admitted he’d be open to a reunion but warned that his former charge would need to sacrifice his life.
“It’s not impossible – I welcome people who have played for us to come back, but they need to do something. Not an honorary job. It has to be a job available and one that you get up in the morning and you have to do something.
“He has to learn his job first. I have seen so many people who have the qualities to be a manager but not survive their first job because they are not ready. When you are a football player, you think it’s so simple to be a manager. When you are a manager, you think it’s so complicated suddenly and, if you’re not prepared for that, you cannot survive.”
I like Per but they all need to shut up. These were the same “lack of concentration” excuses they promise to work on every season.
Different players, same problem? The mentality is obviously from the top.
Wow, Theirry is deluded enough to be future Arsenal manager.
Surely no punishment is harsh enough for a man who insults The King and mis-spells his name.
Can we just back the Gunners this morning and if circumstances play out then you can release your anti-arsene emotions later? 90 mins anything can happen…
We’ll support the players and the team alright. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t call Per and the club out on their bullshit…
We back the gunner’s all day long. I have s problem with Wenger as he is on a mission to ruin or club. He needs to do the decent thing and so step down so we can bring a temp in until the end of the season when we bring in Pep. If we really want to win titles and CLs Pep is our man. I think we would win the treble within two years
So the man responsible for us being a global brand is doing he’s utmost to ruin something he spent 2 decades building ? Fuck off… You can disagree with him and even want him out, but without him u probably wouldn’t even be a supporter. He has earned the respect of the fans, if you have a real complaint voice that, just don’t make out as if Arsene is some kind of invalid. He has committed more to the club than you ever will
Wenger’s certainly making more mistakes than ever before for me, but his legacy is one that deserves the upmost respect. Is he the man to lead us to future glories (Champs lge, Prem lge)? I’m not so sure anymore. But I can’t think of another manager who would have guided the club through the turmoil of the stadium move with all it’s implications and kept us competitive. Maybe not competitive enough to win the aforementioned trophies but we’ve always knocked on the door of the domestic cups and retained our brand via Champs Lge participation. I honestly believe Mourinho, for… Read more »
Delusion is a disorder. I respect what he has done for Arsenal in the first half of his tenure, but in the second half he has run the club down. Who gives a shit about a stadium if you can’t win anything? We are a joke amongst Chelsea, Utd and City fans. Only deluded fans are stuck with the sentiment of Arsene Wenger. Nobody is bigger than the club. As for your comment about me not having done anything for Arsenal, in that case, neither have you. In fact fans who are loving off Wenger no matter what have forgotten… Read more »
The other thing is, I have been a supporter since George Graham days… 1989, when I was 6, when we won the title
As much as I love Henry, Arsenal manager, your having a bubble, get your badges an a few seasons under your belt and then post Arsenal your CV. As for today’s game, seems balanced, we both have key players missing and not the best defence. Would like to see Theo back today but it should be a good balanced game. Would love to see a Welbeck hatrick and then blow a kiss at the United bench, lol !!
Come on you Reds, I got your back whatever the weather, win, lose or draw !!
I wish we were only 9pts behind!
We’ve got a big fucken German. And my word we are gonna need a big display from him tonight. If per plays well, we have a chance of 3 points tonight.
The boys upfront will take care of their business, the boys at the back need to keep it clean. COYG
I look at Dortmund,16th in the league,lost their best players to their rivals and yet they show up and support their team like crazy every matchday….no #Klopp out, no plans to demonstrate against the manager,no twitter meltdown plus they have their own injury crisis,probably are out of next years Champions League. We could learn a thing or two about being SUPPORTERS from them.
They dont spend £1k plus on season tickets maybe?
Then don’t pay for it! if ever losing a game make you think it’s not worth it, you’re never going to be happy mate. My and I brother finally got our season tickets this season and despite results it’s still the best thing ever.
I love how you’re making an excuse for not supporting your team. You pathetic cunt
I pay, I go. Can you say the same? “Cunt”
“Pathetic” is when you don’t know that its possible to love someone or something without also being blind to their flaws.
What?
Klopp has screwed up one season. Wenger has been a specialist in failure for ten years. I am sick of people making a joke of Arsenal. Arsenal with Wenger is a joke to United, City and Chelsea fans. They are right.
You are a joke to everybody else!
Using a Mourinho quote to lay in to our manager on an arsenal forum
Fuck
Off
Our only effective plan this season has been:
Ball —–> Alexis ——> Goal to the Arsenal (Everyone else is being stupid)
So would our recovery plan be?
Ball —–> Alexis ——> Goal to the Arsenal (Stop being stupid?)
Come on my boys. we need some 8-2 to shut city’s noisy neighbours up
This game has Classic written all over it. Im thinking 5-4 to the Arsenal. Coyg!
wenger must balance his backline by either resting monreal and give coquelin an opportunity to partner with mertersaker, and in addition Rosisky, campell and Poldoski to be given chances
You mean the coquelin that is now on loan at Charlton. I know we all want Wenger to be a miracle worker but even the good Prof can’t pull that off.
Recent results against United suggest a draw or a defeat for us.
Oh do they? Thanks for that!
“Bear in mind that Chelsea have already went to City” – I can see where the English of ArseBlog went….
I expect an epic encounter tonight as both teams are level in terms of performance. Utd will fancy themselves for 3 points and will attack us from the kick off. We cant afford any early mistakes and handle their pressure and not over commit when we break forward. Keeping possession is crucial in these “derby” type games. Which is where I see weakness in Jack and Ramseys games this season by not playing it simple. Thats why I would like to see Rosiky and Cazorla both start as they are better in their distribution than the former two and Santi… Read more »
Please excuse my colourful language but…..
Let’s beat those Man U cunts!! COYG!
When things aren’t going well, the team need us to lift them not sit there whinging. Do all the complaining you want before and after the game but for tucks sake scream your fucking lungs out for our boys for the full 90. I’m disappointed by how often we don’t drown out the noise from the opposition. Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion but back your fucking team while they’re playing. If you don’t do that, in my opinion, you’re not doing your part. Rant over
Oh by the way, as no one else has said it, John Terry is a cunt
Talk talk talk.. Wenger out!
front 3 of welbeck (its written he smashes them) Sanchez ( its written he is so on form he will score) and OX ( its written his hyper beast physic will get him goals) and Theo the surprise sub. Wilshere pulls out another confident man of the match crushing all Uniteds foreign players into the cold London soil with the only warmth of back home evident in the fire burning in his Arsenal to the core eyes. Monreal somehow pulls out his best performance ever and the rest is history. Pod and Mozart come on like possesed animals coming in… Read more »
you play that on PS4 or Xbox?
I fuckin’ hope so!
Mertesacker could definitely be a future Arsenal ambassador, scout, coach or something along those lines. We should be proud to have him:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/11244431/Arsenal-defender-Per-Mertesacker-tackles-his-toughest-test-as-German-is-welcomed-at-St-Johns-Synagogue.html
You sound like he’s retiring!
Very proud of BFG. He truely is a Big Friendly German off the pitch and a Big Fucking German on the pitch.
Tell you what. I normally hate the “we have to bounce back” stuff as well. But I though this was different from Per. He’s actually on the money with this analysis. Get the simple things right, don’t lose you’re head, and carry out the same damn thing for ninety minutes. If we can do that, I’ll be more than happy (well not really, but under the circumstances, I’ll take it).
My concern is Wenger’s insistence in playing a left back as CD when Monreal is clearly out of his depth. Loaning out Jenkinson has been a mistake when we was short of defensive options before the season started. Playing creative players like Santi and Ozil wide on the left is just stupid and why Rosiky does not start ahead of Jack and Ramsey is a mystery to me. Both players have been poor with their distribution this season and we keep on getting caught on the counter. Wenger is tactically clueless, so I fear we will lose tonight.
Per, do not lose your head for defending crosses today. Our job as fans is to support you all 90 mn if you get that right.
Getting an expert on Arsenal deficiencies these days I am afraid to say. Things look bleak especially when you watch us squander a 3 nil lead at home against a young Belgium team. We are only high up in the table because everone else is dropping points. We play and look like a mid table team. I have given up this season the only silver lining is Sanchez and will he want to stay next season?
Can they please do their talking with their feets instead of giving us lots of talking with little progression?
I am sorry, but we hear these stories every week.
I’m only here for the comments
Henrry will some day coach arsenal but not after wenger
I expect an Arsenal win today. I can’t wait to twist the knife in that turnip headed dutchman. I still hate utd passionately. That said, if we lose Arseblog please disable comments on the match report. You will only see pages of bile anger and filth from some of our supposed supporters.
Costa was offside! Sorry watching Chelsea game and am pissed off already. Really really hate Maureen and the rest of the assholes. Rather see the devil win the league than Chelsea!
How I wish we could just talk about the football: the chances created, taken/missed, how differently they could be taken; Wilshere for example could have passed the ball for that chance, how that tackle on him could end his season yet it wasn’t even punished…….. all that. I strongly believe this is what forums like these should be for. Otherwise some of us are turning it into another shitty website hungry for clicks.