As a young boy, Per Mertersacker chose to support Arsenal FC and looked up to club legend Tony Adams as an ideal role model:
‘We didn’t get many pictures of him on the television but Adams was a legend here, He is a special one for me. When I was looking at English football I always looked to Arsenal and he was one of the great defenders when I was ten or 12 years old. I knew he was the centre-half for Arsenal.?’
Now in my opinion a player like Tony Adams is exactly what Arsenal need in defence and Mertesacker could be that player. He is a towering presence in the back-line and his emulation to become the next Adams, solely depend on how he adapts to the English game, as well as his performances. It will take him a while to get used to the Premier League, but having a player who is 6’6’’ in defence is, in my opinion, a great bonus to the club.
Tony Adams was a legend at Arsenal and I think it is important for the Gunners to have a player that has already been heavily capped for his country. We have to remember that some of the new signings will have only had a couple of training sessions with the players and it will take a while for those decent bonds to form between them.
I hope Mertesacker starts today against Swansea, as many eyes will be on him and the team to put in a great performance and pull off a great result, anything less would be disastrous for the club.
Alongside Vermaelen (when he returns from injury), Mertesacker will have had a number of games for the squad and hopefully he will be able to keep the back four in order and become a great player for the club.
Can the German follow in Adams’ footsteps?
Give us your thoughts
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I decided to follow up on this article. Having watched the game yesterday Mertesacker played excellently. He did exactly what was asked of him and even went up front for some headers.
I was having a chat with a fan who was sat next to me who thought he looked “lazy” and I said to him how many times have you seen him out of position and putting the club in danger, he spent the next 20 minutes looking for an example but didnt manage to find one.
I think it is very difficult to judge mertesacker because he isn’t your typical defender. He does exactly what is asked of him and is definitely a good reader of the ball. His towering presence across the park puts most strikers at a worry and he knows how to force them into a mistake and show him too much of the ball.