Per Mertesacker

[selassie]

I think he deserves a thread. I'll admit I wasn't that thrilled when we signed him last season. Sure he has quite a few German caps and a solid reputation in World Football but his lack of pace was one thing that always put me off him as a player.

Last season he was getting use to the league and put in more dodgy than good performances IMHO. He wasn't awful, just not great.

This season I think he's been our best Centre half by a country mile and IMHO has been one of the best CB's in the League, he's currently playing at a very high level. What he lacks in pace, he sure makes up for in his reading of the game and tactical awareness, he's a very clean tackler too.

I'm really warming to him and love him as a player.

What does everybody else think?

[Injury Time]

No.
/thread

[Injury Time]

Nah only kidding I like the BFG, no pace but a good brain, seems to be able to organise the defence at set pieces (last season I actually could relax at corners).

[Cripps_orig]

Our best CB

[Xhaka Can’t]

I think that Merts reads the game better than any of our other defenders.

Would make an excellent Captain.

[Olivier's xmas twist]

No.
/thread

:lol:

Nah but seriously, he has done well and deserves his place in the team. Lets hope his form continues tbh. Think TV 5 being captain has screwed us a bit because no matter how poor he is we can't drop him.

[Cripps_orig]

People always mention his lack of pace

Plenty of quality CBs lacked it but made up for it in other ways and Mert is doing likewise

Good last season, brilliant this

[Cripps_orig]

:lol:

Nah but seriously, he has done well and deserves his place in the team. Lets hope his form continues tbh. Think TV 5 being captain has screwed us a bit because no matter how poor he is we can't drop him.

Hes our 2nd best CB....he deserves to play

[Syn]

I put him at fault for the goal today. Very, very slow off the mark to allow the shot in after Ramsey didn't cover himself with glory either.

I think he's an excellent defender - and so are the other two. But it seems that every goal we are conceding these days is down to the CBs so maybe they're not as 'excellent' as I think they are.

[Cripps_orig]

Ramsey was to blame

[McNamara That Ghost...]

If BFG had gone to Diame, Diame would've had an easy cutback in the space that would be left. As it is Diame went for the more difficult option but nailed it.

[Power n Glory]

That was Ramsey's fault for getting beaten so easily. Merts could have gone in to cut the angle more, but I suspect he was worried about the cross and what was going on behind him. It was a cracking shot and put it in the only place the keeper had no chance of reaching.

But you can't forget, Merts saved us from conceding another goal with that tackle on Nolan. If it had gone 2-1 at that point it would have a tall order to collect 3 points.

[Power n Glory]

If BFG had gone to Diame, Diame would've had an easy cutback in the space that would be left. As it is Diame went for the more difficult option but nailed it.

Yep, agree with that. If he had a chance to shoot like that again, he'd probably miss the target.

[Olivier's xmas twist]

Ramsey was to blame

This, Ramsey Did a Denilson tbh. I agree with Png though, the boy is not good enough and needs to be dropped, or a sub at least.

[GP]

That was Ramsey's fault for getting beaten so easily. Merts could have gone in to cut the angle more, but I suspect he was worried about the cross and what was going on behind him. It was a cracking shot and put it in the only place the keeper had no chance of reaching.

But you can't forget, Merts saved us from conceding another goal with that tackle on Nolan. If it had gone 2-1 at that point it would have a tall order to collect 3 points.

Merts did really well there, notwithstanding Nolan was about five furlongs offside.

[GP]

I put him at fault for the goal today. Very, very slow off the mark to allow the shot in after Ramsey didn't cover himself with glory either.


I think almost any goal can be analysed to death like that, but sometimes you just have to hold your hands up to what is a very good goal.

[Harland]

I think almost any goal can be analysed to death like that, but sometimes you just have to hold your hands up to what is a very good goal.

Yes i fully agree. Merts I thought had a generally solid game and his tackle on Nolan was vital to us securing 3 points

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

Plenty of quality CBs lacked it but made up for it in other ways


cygan :bow:

[Kano]

I put him at fault for the goal today. Very, very slow off the mark to allow the shot in after Ramsey didn't cover himself with glory either.

I think he's an excellent defender - and so are the other two. But it seems that every goal we are conceding these days is down to the CBs so maybe they're not as 'excellent' as I think they are.
those issues will exist for a while in the defence as there are years of misorganisation to eradicate back there. the shape of our team is much more solid than it has been for quite a while and having the bfg anchoring our defence - instead of having two cbs who charge upfield - helps us keep that shape.