What should Wenger do with this man?

The world of football has seen a sudden rise in talent – from one nation in particular of late. Belgium seems to be sprouting a new generation of flair and ability good enough for the world’s best teams. But as others begin their rise to success, we see others fall from grace. One man in particular. Thomas Vermaelen.

When he signed for us in 2009 from Ajax, the Belgian centre-back was an unstoppable force. No nonsense tough tackler. Never one to shy away from a challenge. His influence on the field and co-ordination could be seen by all due to his ability to orchestrate the defence which led to a lot of solid performances. His positional awareness and marking was second to none, the men he went up against rarely got past him. As much as he stopped opposition attackers, Vermaelen also posed a problem for his opposing defenders with his attacking threat from set-pieces, this down to his aerial ability or the occasional long range effort. His technique on the ball is amazing and he always seemed to feel comfortable with the ball at his feet.

Despite all of the 27-year-old’s abilities though, he has become somewhat of a shadow of his former self. Once the main man in the heart of our defence to a regular bench warmer.

So what next for the Belgian? What do Arsenal do with their former captain?

I for one say we should keep him. He is an amazing player who is short of confidence, that’s all. One bad season, in my opinion, is not enough to let such a talented man go. Vermaelen’s got 3-4 good years left in him, so why toss him out?

We’re currently experiencing an injury crisis and his presence no doubt means should someone at the back suffer a knock we are covered. Despite what’s gone before him I still feel confident with having him fill in at centre or left-back. Not to mention his ability adds to our squad depth.

The only way I can see him leaving is if his chances of playing in the World Cup come under threat, which, unfortunately is happening right now. So although Arsene Wenger would love him to stay put, Vermaelen needs to be playing regular football to boost his chances of featuring for Belgium in Brazil next summer.