Wenger – I’m happy with what I see from Per.
Arsenal’s manager Arsene Wenger praised his new transfer Per Mertesacker for the performances he had lately and for the way he is getting used to the English Premier League. The German centre-back was accustomed with slower games and much slower opponents, and that’s why playing in the Premier League is hard for him. He must adapt to the speed and pace of the game and it’s not easy for a tall footballer like him.
“He adapts quite well, he is getting more aggressive,” said the manager. “I like him personally, I think he is a very intelligent player and he will be a big asset for us.”
“I don’t know if he realised how quick it [the football in England] would be but he has said it’s quick – relentless! But trust the Germans, they can fight.”
“New signings get judged very quickly but if the team doesn’t win then nobody is good – it is like that. The players who are mentally strong – and I think Per is – will get over that. I’m happy with what I see from him.
“Many times you know people judge your buys quickly but personally I am happy with the buys we have made. I’m not happy with the results we have made – that is completely different. I have heard that Song is a bad buy, that Henry is a bad buy, but over time they have been alright.”
“I inherited a fantastic defence but what people forget is that it was not the unbeatable [‘Invincibles’] defence, it was not the best defence,” he pointed out.
“People say we never had to build a defence but that defence with Lauren, Sol Campbell, Kolo Toure and Ashley Cole was the unbeatable one. The four defenders we had were talkers as well.
“We have had quieter defenders recently but I think Mertesacker can be a talker. He will come out of himself, don’t worry.”
Despite the poor late performances of the club, there are surely some good sides to take notice of, and Per Mertesacker is one of them. When Vermaelen will finally be fit again and ready to play Arsenal’s defence will be a much stronger one. Unfortunately now Sagna is injured so Arsene Wenger will once again have to improvise something in the defence giving that Jenkinson is not yet ready to play week in week out.
