Two things Mertesacker has going for him :
- Excellent tackler. I think most defenders we buy are good tacklers, it seems to be something we look for. Mert fits right in.
- Good at defending aerial balls from static situations. So set pieces and even crosses from normal play. You can't really jump as much when defending those so height is really important.
His positioning is largely dictated by his athletic shortcomings and advantages. He can't really move around much or he'll get easily bypassed, can't track runners cos he can't keep up with them. His interceptions where he simply makes one step forward and gets the ball are possible because his legs are unusually long. He's doing the best with what he has but ultimately someone like Koscielny has much, much better positioning. Per is very vulnerable to teams who pass and move well.
I get the airhead vibe from Hummels too but he's better.
