Although his first two Premier League appearances for the club have yet to be completely convincing, Per Mertesacker believes that Petr Cech will be a great addition to the Arsenal squad this season.
The 33 year old is the only signing so far this summer, and he endured a difficult opening day against West Ham, although he was on the winning side against Palace on Sunday.
Touching on the need for communication between the defence and the keeper – something that might just take a few weeks to get completely right with a new man between the sticks – the BFG believes Cech’s experience will prove crucial throughout the campaign.
“He is very experienced,” he said. “You can feel that, he has lots of things to say in the dressing room he gives us a great lift.
“Even when we lose a game, he has some great ideas on and off the pitch. He is very important for us and a good addition.
“He is experienced enough to think about what went wrong, you don’t have to tell him. My feeling is he comes back even stronger, so there is no doubt he will be a great addition for us.”
And on the defenders getting used to a new keeper, he said, “Even when you are experienced, sometimes mistakes happen. But the interaction between the goalkeeper and the back four has to be top to compete in the Premier League.
“You never know, sometimes it takes longer than you think.”
And with the first three points of the season, Mertesacker is already looking ahead to the Liverpool game next Monday, and feels the team owe the home fans a performance after the West Ham defeat.
“Liverpool is obviously a very important game,” he said. “It is an opponent which has invested a lot of money and will be great competition to play against – especially at home.
“We want to give something back to our crowd after the start against West Ham.”
—
Suffice it to say, Cech hasn’t had the start anybody hoped for. But he’s still a top goalkeeper, he wouldn’t be the first to have a shaky opening with a new club and still go on to succeed. As has been pointed out a lot, our defence plays very differently from Chelsea’s, I think it’s just a matter of time for him to adjust.
Don’t argue with chelsea fans, they have a point!
Yeah feckin great per. This comes from our vice captain who has “the agility of a rhino.”
Cech is getting used to not playing with a bus infront of him. Takes time…
Maybe something about not having a giant steaming pile of horse shit playing central defence in front of him has thrown off his rhythm.
I’m amazed nobody talked about his save in the 86th minute. The corner was headed straight back into his hands but I thought the corner was in itself perfect from Puncheon. It was exactly at the place where a keeper is tempted to come off his line and miss it.
I think it is on such invisible moments that he makes a difference. The fabled “goalkeeper points” must fall under that category. I think Cech has earned us 2 of those already.
3 mistakes = 3 goals against = 3 points dropped. Why cant he develop his ‘understanding with back 4’ on the training ground and carry on with Oooospina who already has that understanding and did well last season and doent deserve to be dropped for an old chavski reject/spy.
Still suspecting Cech of being an inside agent
Double agent for Chelsea? I do love the idea that Mourinho’s so obsessed with sabotaging Arsenal, he hasn’t noticed his own club sinking into crisis all around him…
Stop being so stupid and realise that cech would never sacrifice he’s own success for the chavs and maureen. It’s the biggest load of nonsense being spouted and its just damaging to think that a great goal-keeper like petr would be so dim.Please give it a rest with that rubbish.
Its not moronio its roman $onovabitch. AND its the only position on the pitch to make it work. Dont trust the chav cunts/russian mafia.
Do you ever come out of your house? Are you scared or suspicious of everything? I know we are talking about Mourinho, but this has to be the most over the top idea/thought ever.
Wow, some here can’t obviously take a joke.
I don’t think he put a foot wrong against Palace.
One last title with Chelsea and then got out at exactly the right time, it looks like! We’ll bag their goalkeeping coach and Eva Carneiro next as everyone runs for the doors to escape the clutches of the Portuguese lunatic.
Love those spurs,they make a point and keep quiet
The look in Cech’s face! It is like he found his long lost German half-brother.
Who is equally average at best
I love Per but… Cech needs to keep a clean sheet vs Liverpool to convince us he’s the goalkeeper many of us thinks he is!
Having a good pre-season is all well and good. Now is the time to show us his stuff in the league. Petr should play well, even without a bus parked in front of him.
Shouldn’t be too hard. Liverpool are terrible.
Like West Ham, eh?
The game against Pool can’t come quick enough but thanks to Sky for pushing it out to Monday. Its lousy!
Least we’ll get to see Carragher looking miserable and making excuses when we win.
Feck me we lost to the ammers and won at palace thanks to an own goal. Get feckin real gooners.
From some comments and views I read here, it appears a few chavs are among us here cos I can’t see a sane Gunner sounding like this. Again, I said “a sane Gunner”
Im so sorry but being a Londoner with mates who are chavs, spuds, irons and eagles is not easy ok.
Oh yeah, its GOONERS.