I read this interview with Per today, in one of the more reputable german newspapers, and it gives some really good insight on how he approaches his job at the academy:
https://www.sueddeutsche.de/sport/premier-league-mertesacker-arsenal-interview-1.5495942
Q: Mr. Mertesacker, in the EURO 2021 final between England and Italy Bukayo Saka was subbed on - an Arsenal player, developped in the academy you're in charge of. In the penalty shootout however, the now 20-year old missed the deciding penalty kick for England, afterwards he became a victim of racist abuse. How did the club, how did you build him back up again?
We tried to be there for him, to write him, to call him. The club collected all fan messages and hung them on a wall, to show him how proud of him we all are. But to a certain extent, he has to master these situations by himself. Those moments are almost unavoidable as a professional football player, it is unfortunately a part of the business. It's a really hard fall for the boys. Which makes it all the more important to immediately combat the negative energy. If Bukayo senses that, I am sure he will once again have enough courage to take the last penalty in the future.
Q: How do you prepare young talents in general for the fact that a positive hype can quickly turn into the opposite?
That's not easy, because there is a lot of focus on the players. As soon as they show themselves to be good with the ball, they become interesting for sponsors and managers, who all want to earn money with them. The best youth players are promoted quickly, play with older players and are showered with praise. That constructs a wrong kind of reality, which doesn't exist in professional football later on, because there you might find yourself out of the first team overnight.
Q: What can be done to prepare young players for this phenomenon?
We at Arsenal knowingly have them face challenges that they cannot overcome. It's necessary that some things go wrong sometimes, so that they can see: "Hoppla", that's not good enough! I have to improve! A lot of the times, the boys only get one chance to show their potential. And the ones that take that chance are usually the ones, who are obsessed with taking the next step and not rest on their laurels.
Q: What might such a facilitated disappointment look like?
The best players play at Arsenal of course. Yet sometimes even the best player has to be on the bench, so he learns to support the team from the outside. Injuries are also a hint, to see how the player and his environment reacts to it. I used to be told I wasn't talented enough. Then I was on the outside looking in for a year due to growth disorder. That prevented me from entering a phase, where everything was great. And that helped me a lot later on at the end of my development, because I kept having to earn things again and again. I hope I can pass that on to the next generation, which ticks differently and is exposed to a lot more external influences.
Q: Which differences do you see between your generation and the current one?
I, for example, was carried along for a year or two. That would be unthinkable today, because clubs constantly reevaluate the makeup of the squad. Furthermore, I was never exposed to any hype. Nowadays, there's a generated attention, that suggests to oneself how good you are. Unfortunately a lot of players believe their own hype. This development is reinforced through smartphones, from which the boys have basically no protection. And which young person has a healthy relationship with their phone?
Q: What's acceptable regarding phones for you?
We try to work with the players, because forbidding all kinds of things doesn't get you a lot of acceptance. For example, we discuss in a group if we want to talk or play with our phones while we eat. For me personally, phones have no business being there or during preparation for training or in the gym. That's work, I have to focus on that, and I really don't need 65 currents rattling in on me (That sounds wrong, but I have no idea how to translate what he said here, so I did it literally, you get the gist I hope). I think it's important players learn how to organise themselves, to keep questioning themselves. Because that's real life. If everything were regulated, so everyone does the same things always at the same time and with the same intensity, that wouldn't work.
Q: In many performance centres, the talents are helped with a lot of everyday things. In your time that was surely different.
I used to leave the house in the morning with six bags. Had to look up when the bus drives and how to get home - and I didn't have a phone where all that was already written down.
Q: What influence does social media have on young elite players?
Platforms like Facebook or Instagram have made it harder to find real role models. Nobody wants to show the dark side of the business. Everything is framed as positive in football: nice cars, expensive clothes and wages in the millions. That paints a picture that's just not true.
Q: What kind of picture do you paint for your Arsenal players?
We want to use a broader concept, and not just tell everyone: "You're going to be football pros!" That's just not the way it works. We need coaches, who use football to convey values and education, because only 1% of players really have the chance to become the next Bukayo Saka. Which is why my highest priority is the mantra of our Strong Young Gunners: humble, respectful, disciplined. Those three things I wanna see, because those are values that have endured until now. Everyone should know what the path to success at Arsenal looks like - be it as a professional football player or not.
Q: Meaning: You don't just want to raise good players, but in the same way prepare the young adults for their further path in life?
Exactly. Sometimes I get the feeling that saying goodbye to the academy is a heavy burden for the players and it feels like they have failed in life. I am extremely opposed to that point of view. Which is why it's a strong desire of mine to normalise this "release process" and to show that in life, new doors open up all the time. The time at Arsenal should become a foundation for the player. I see myself in a responsible position in regards to that.
Q: How did you approach the job as Arsenal-academy head in 2018?
For me the job as head of youth development was completely new territory. So I am thankful for all my co-workers helping me out in the beginning. We have about 80 full-time members of staff, divided into different sections, like analysis, fitness, psychology and player support, who I am responsible for. I have to set the framework for employees, not just for me, there's not always a consensus to be found. I have a certain authority and reputation from my time as a player for sure, but that doesn't last long. I have to push the right things forward with contents and personnel decisions. After three years I can say: It's been a remarkable learning process.
Q: How so?
At the start of it, I thought I could change the world within 2, 3 years. Now I know it takes at least 7 to 10 years in youth development. The circle of a Bukayo Saka, who started here in the U9s and went pro from the U19s, ideally closes after about 10 years. That was a "Hallo-Wach-Effekt" (hello-awake-effect, aha effect basically), to recognise: Okay, I have to participate in that cycle to bring this or that lasting development on the way.
Q: Are you genuinely ready to commit to those cycles? Does your plan for life include that much time as head of a youth academy?
My family feels at home in London. That makes me willing to continue on this way for now. That I feel the trust of the club to stand at the front of a new generation of players gives me a certain security. Of course I'm also interested in other challenges in management - for example working as a director of football, to have the chance to holistically shape a club. I'm doing that now on a smaller scale at the academy, and I'm hoping that my work here will be beneficial to me in the future.
Q: The professional team of Arsenal has seen better times. But how satisfied are you with the development of the academy under your lead?
We're on a good way. When I see Bukayo Saka or Emile Smith-Rowe with the first team, I like that. It's nice to see them get that much respect there, and that opponents commit two or three players to stop them by now. They're earning me a lot of time, because they stand for a successful academy. But I say: "I don't have any time!" I want to go on and bring up the next batch of young players. If I can contribute a small part to Arsenal being successful like this, it fills me with joy. I've been here for 10 years now already, and a fan of the club. And I want Arsenal to return to the Champions League.
Q: Arsenal hasn't been able to qualify for the Champions League, ever since managerial legend Arsène Wenger retired in 2018 after 22 years at the club. How does it feel for you, to be part of the huge Wenger-legacy - together with manager Mikel Arteta und director of football Edu, who both used to play for the club as well?
For me it means a huge responsibility, because Arsène was the one who put me in this position. I want to continue to improve the academy in his image. It helps that Mikel Arteta, with whom I won the FA Cup, and I have a basic trust in one another. We both learned a lot from Arsène, especially how to steady the ship in times of crisis. When there was criticism, Wenger always found the right words, to the press and the team alike. His trust in the players was exceptional. What we're doing now with the young players, was his credo.
Q: How does Arteta, who's only 39, fill the role of manager at this big club?
Mikel's a different breed from Arsène, he's intense and focused. He tries to be very active as a manager, approach the young generation and show very clearly what is being asked of them. The current generation needs more direction, in my time a lot of things were solved in dialogue with one another.
Q: What made the transition at Arsenal so difficult after the era of Wenger?
First you have to pay tribute to the structures that had grown in the club for decades (translated this literally, he just means that that's a factor you have to pay attention to, I'm not sure if paying tribute to smth can be used in that way in english as well). It's not easy to find successors who bring good ideas and with whom the club employees go along. Not everyone is immediately on board, because Arsène was such an incredible reference figure for both fans and staff. There's no patent recipe for that. You can see it with Manchester United as well, who went through a similar time after Alex Ferguson left them.
Q: After a mediocre start, Arsenal is now sitting in a strong fourth place - but with a lot of distance to the top trio of City, Liverpool and Chelsea. What does your strategy look like to close the distance to these top clubs, who have been in a better position than Arsenal for years now?
We're in the middle of a radical change and we're building a team that's capable of development, which should be peppered with players from our own youth and players from abroad. We lost our way for a time. We tried to close the gap to the very top faster, with expensive transfers. We fell flat on our faces with that.
Q: Another problem of the club: Since the end of your career in 2018 Arsenal went through 3 captains in a very short amount of time. First Laurent Koscielny forced a transfer to Bordeaux by striking. Then Granit Xhaka went after your own fans. And just now, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been suspended for lack of discipline. That doesn't shine a good light on the club.
In this position, a club needs consistency and clarity. A captain needs to radiate that - and the manager didn't see it with Auba anymore. I think it's good that this topic has been overshadowed by our success on the pitch a little. Nevertheless, it's an important personnel decision, because the best teams usually have a strong captain. When things aren't going well, a captain needs to support the team and face the media. I really hope Pierre will take well to this disciplinary measure, because it wasn't an easy decision for anyone. I have enormous respect for Aubameyang. From the outside you see a lot of glitter and fast cars with him, but I got to know him as a respectful person, who has been scoring important goals for us for years.
Q: How long will it take until Arsenal can compete for the Premier League title again?
You can never say never, but this season the first three spots are already occupied by City, Liverpool and Chelsea for me. I bet on Chelsea (not literally) to become champion this year, but now they're having a weak phase. To get to that level, we'll probably need another 3 or 4 years. But between 4th and 7th it's anybody's game this year, and we have a good chance to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in six years.
Q: Englands top clubs not only seem to possess limitless financial ressources, but nowadays they're also using them very deliberately - for example investing into the development of youth. What brought about this change of heart in the Premier League, where there was once the unwritten law that the quality of a player is based on his transfer fee?
It's the result of a ten-year-concept of the Premier League. Back then clubs developped the Elite Player Performance Plan /i, to set standards for what we want to see regarding personnel and infrastructure. There was a lot of money invested. Mind you: The Premier League did this, not the FA. This investment is paying off now, Saka and Smith Rowe are probably already Arsenal's most valuable players. The league used its financial advantage smartly. And the clubs then noticed, that there's another way rather than always spending 50,60,70 million Euros for new players. This development won't stop. I'm already working on improving the current concept with my colleagues.
Q: Is this also happening, because english clubs can no longer sign european players under 18 after Brexit?
Sure, that leads to even more pressure in the youth departments, because, say, all London clubs fight for the signature of the most talented guys. But personally I think the ruling is a shame, because there were always one or two non-british talents contributing to raising the level. I remember Serge Gnabry, who came to Arsenal when he was 16...
Q: ...he came from Stuttgart. Nowadays he's a very successful forward at Bayern and for the national team. He didn't make the cut at Arsenal though.
Nevertheless, it was a time where he learned a lot. He had to find himself and learn what it means to be a professional, and not get everything handed to him. He had to learn to take proper care of his body in order to be fit and available. Which does not only mean: training for 2 hours in the morning and then driving back home. No, I have to invest two, three, four, five extra hours, so my body stays in the right condition. Hampered through injuries, Serge couldn't progress from that point for a while. He needed that reality-check.
Q: In the past England's national team often used to suffer, because in the Premier League predominantly foreign players were being used. At the EUROs in the summer England for the first time profited a lot from the excellently developped homegrown talents.
Yes, the Premier League and the FA are entering a proper symbiotic relationship right now. England is back in the picture! You could see in the years before that the national youth teams were very successful. For the national team of Gareth Southgate the lost final was an important setback. I'm comparing it to the evolution in Germany, which took place before the WC title in 2014. Between 2006 and 2014 we were always close, always finishing second or third in tournaments. This is exactly what England is going through right now. They will have to be content with that role for another tournament or two. But at some point they will claim the throne. It's inevitable with the amount of exceptional players they have.
Q: Is the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 still too early for England?
Yes, I think so. I think the EUROs after that (in Germany, 2024) represent England's biggest chance.
Q: What do you think of the potential of the german national team with manager Hansi Flick? After the disappointing round of 16 exit during the last European Championships, there will be, among else, a rematch against England in the Nations League.
Hansi has a big challenge ahead of him. You could see, despite the wonderful work of Joachim Löw, that a change of manager was becoming necessary. Momentum was no longer on Jogis side. After success, there are periods of time where things don't work as well, and when you have to question yourself. Now I'm just happy for Hansi - what a story: from assistant to boss of the national team! I hope he has all the success in the world. Hansi is a guy for whom I feel a lot of respect, because he reciprocates it.
Q: Apart from Manuel Neuer, Thomas Müller (fuck that guy by the way) and Mathias Ginter, all the world champions of 2014 have retired from the national team. Is that kind of radical change in light of the 2024 home tournament reminiscent of the mood under Jürgen Klinsmann in 2006?
The situation was similar indeed. Klinsmann really went for it. He gave the young players, of which I was one, two years to really get ready for the tournament. Nowadays the DFB-team also doesn't really know where it stands. We'll travel to the World Cup in Qatar with a lot of question marks. The goal has to be to build a team that can at least reach the semi-final in 2024.
Q: More than german players, german managers are really in fashion right now. Three Germans are under contract at some of the biggest clubs in England: Jürgen Klopp, Thomas Tuchel and Ralf Rangnick. Why is that, from your point of view?
When I came to Arsenal as a "legionnaire" (germans call players playing in foreign leagues "Legionäre"), there was three or four german players at most who played in foreign leagues. Now it feels like half the national team plays abroad. So of course the English ask themselves, who developped all these professionals. Ralf Rangnick was involved in a lot of cases, which is why I guess Manchester United took the step to sign him. And it helps him that Klopp and Tuchel built a lot of trust with their work here.
Q: What distinguishes those managers from others?
They all got the chance to make the jump to the professionals very early. That kind of permeability is not a given in England. Thanks to that, they have a lot of experience at a young age, Champions League experience too. And they have a kind of clarity and structure about them, which gets attributed to us (Germans) in general. I think the English like that german efficiency.
Okay, so disclaimer, this is not a "literal" translation, I paraphrased a few sentences, took some liberty here and there with idioms and the like, there's bound to be a translation error or two in there and probably a few typos. I'll go through it sometime tonight again, can't be arsed to read through all that again right now 😆
Per seems like he's got a really got head on him, and judging from the way Bukayo and Emile carry themselves both on and off the pitch, he may have just succeeded in genuinely preparing them for the life that's ahead of them, not just the football, and it seems to me it's working, because all our young lads seem like intelligent, grounded and humble lads. I think old Per deserves a lot of credit for where we are right now, I really like his approach to working with the youth, long may it continue!
