OK, so he's six foot six tall, has won 75 caps for one of the world's leading sides and is a (relative) bargain at £7.6 million. But is Per Mertesacker really the answer to Arsenal's woes?
Sunday saw their defence totally outclassed by Manchester United and so I'm not sure a slow, lumbering centre half would have been all that much help. Clearly Wenger needs reinforcements and the Gunners aren't going to win a title with Johan Djorou and Laurent Koscielny at the back. Mertesacker, though? Surely he'd have been better off with Gary Cahill, Christopher Samba or Phil Jagielka? (although all three are lumping great old fashioned defenders, to be fair).
I can see the financial advantages of spending £1.8 on the South Korean captain - Arsenal should recoup that on shirt sales in Seoul within a fortnight or so - but I'm less convinced that Mertesacker is the missing piece of the Arsenal jigsaw.
(And, while we're on the subject of Arsenal, why hasn't Wenger got shot of Arshavin, yet? I haven't seen a player so disinterested since, well, Tomas Rosicky....)
By the close of the transfer window we should have a better idea of whether Arsenal are genuine title contenders or whether they're about to be usurped by the likes of Stoke City, Newcastle United and Sunderland. It could go either way.
2 comments:
Hm. An experienced, commanding centre-half with lots of international experience and a track record as an on-field leader? I think I'd take that.
I was thinking what a difference Roger Johnson - another dominating leader from the back - has made to wolves so far this season, and thinking arsenal could have done worse (I see Dann, his partner at Birmingham, is going to Blackburn now too. Another decent signing). The german lad will be a good signing, I reckon. They bloody need someone anyway.
Oh, and I thought Park Ji Sung was a Nike signing, done for shirt sales.... But he's done okay for you, eh?
they got a bargain and they want to take full advantage of it and I don't blame them but they should look for the best of the team.
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