I've seen Mertsesacker play for Bremen and his problem is that he's not that mobile. Bremen could well have won the Bundesliga several times over the last few years but for one thing - they conceded too many goals. At international level he looks much better, but then games are slower and consequently he looks better, in the Bundesliga and EPL the football is a bit more physical.
I find it amusing that Mertesacker could be construed as meaning 'sack of shit' - which is exactly what he is. Will be horribly brutalised by any striker with pace this season. Fancy Arsenal to be lucky to scrape into the top six.
I just dont see what Wenger or their board are playing at.
As I see it Wenger has a strategy that has worked very well in the past, he likes to bring players in who are comfortable on the ball, have good skills and then trains them the way he wants them to play. These aren't the finished article type players, but people like Henry and Fabregas. But those players don't grow on trees and if there's a dearth of talent around then he tends to struggle because he can't adapt. Sometimes you need to being in an ugly fecker to play centre-midfield who can break up play and feed it to the more talented players around them. Wenger is too much of a footballing perfectionist to recognise this and rather than go a Plan B he relies on the same strategy, but with less talented players, consequently everything starts to fall apart and players like Walcott start to look very ordinary once they have to track back and do the unglamourous stuff and don't get a supply brilliant through balls to feed on.
Erm they've nowhere near paid off the bond for the new stadium. Most of the bonds are 13.5 years. Just that their turnover's gone up and up.
There just seems to be a lot more money around European clubs now. You don't hear of a player like Flamini not being locked down to a contract now. Clubs can maybe pickup players from Italy and Spain where proffessional contracts are give out later, but he's not getting access to mature first teamers now on free. I know Flamini had only played 2/3 a season at Marseille, but he was out of his teens and absolutely on fire in the Uefa for them. But Wenger getting rid of Flamini was the biggest mistake he made. Paying significant wages for Eboue, Traore, Bendtner, Djourou, Senderos and many others whilst not seeing Flamini was worth a whole team of these big egos was missing the reliable and excellent water carrier. I'd take Flamini time after time over every outfield player for the Arse, bar Fabregas in the last few years.
It's a shame Arsenal run at a profit, whilst many of these clubs will be going into bankruptcy in a few years time. Just like the markets, you might be right but you lose your coat before the weather changes.
Comments
As I see it Wenger has a strategy that has worked very well in the past, he likes to bring players in who are comfortable on the ball, have good skills and then trains them the way he wants them to play. These aren't the finished article type players, but people like Henry and Fabregas. But those players don't grow on trees and if there's a dearth of talent around then he tends to struggle because he can't adapt. Sometimes you need to being in an ugly fecker to play centre-midfield who can break up play and feed it to the more talented players around them. Wenger is too much of a footballing perfectionist to recognise this and rather than go a Plan B he relies on the same strategy, but with less talented players, consequently everything starts to fall apart and players like Walcott start to look very ordinary once they have to track back and do the unglamourous stuff and don't get a supply brilliant through balls to feed on.
There just seems to be a lot more money around European clubs now. You don't hear of a player like Flamini not being locked down to a contract now. Clubs can maybe pickup players from Italy and Spain where proffessional contracts are give out later, but he's not getting access to mature first teamers now on free. I know Flamini had only played 2/3 a season at Marseille, but he was out of his teens and absolutely on fire in the Uefa for them. But Wenger getting rid of Flamini was the biggest mistake he made. Paying significant wages for Eboue, Traore, Bendtner, Djourou, Senderos and many others whilst not seeing Flamini was worth a whole team of these big egos was missing the reliable and excellent water carrier. I'd take Flamini time after time over every outfield player for the Arse, bar Fabregas in the last few years.
It's a shame Arsenal run at a profit, whilst many of these clubs will be going into bankruptcy in a few years time. Just like the markets, you might be right but you lose your coat before the weather changes.