Lets just hope Wenger knows what he's doing and this isn't a last second buy brought on by the club crapping itself after the other day.

I'm going to give Mertesacker the benefit of the doubt and watch him like I have never seen him play before. Hopefully he does brilliantly here and you guys that rate him highly are bang on.

To be fair to him he looked kind of brilliant three seasons ago. More so than the likes of Subotic and Hummels did last season. Maybe he just needs a new challenge on a higher level.

I'm still worried about his lack of pace and mobility though. Terry is actually a pretty decent comparison in that sense, but Chelsea have two guys in midfield who protect the defence at all times. We don't.

Ricky1985 wrote:

Lets just hope Wenger knows what he's doing and this isn't a last second buy brought on by the club crapping itself after the other day.

I was excited initially about these last two days of the window but all that has died down now.

I just get the feeling we are groping in the dark and holding onto anything around.

Klaus wrote:

I'm still worried about his lack of pace and mobility though. Terry is actually a pretty decent comparison in that sense, but Chelsea have two guys in midfield who protect the defence at all times. We don't.

As a German international who has 75 caps, is only 26 and was very highly rated he is coming here to start.

He isn't the best signing but with regards to his weaknesses, we don't really conceed much on the counter attack and we conceeded lesser in open play than any other team did last season. Now that he is an Arsenal player i don't want to feel hopeless about him.

I think he will be fine against lesser teams, may be struggle against top teams but we should be find as long as he is partnering Vermaelen. I am just worried our back ups don't compliment him at all and any Vermaelen injury could be a disaster.

If he's our only defensive signing I'd smash something. But if the reports are true, mertesacker + cahill would be a nice defensive boost. He's not amazing but he offers a better option than squillaci and djourou so that's a positive. He's a seasoned german international and played against the very best so he has good experience as well. Like I said, signing him alone would suck but with another defender it's all good.

i'm worried that we dont make arsenal kits big enough for him

I'm just worried about our high line. You've seen how frequently slow our slow defenders have been exposed with it, and I fear this will happen again and again with Mertesacker.

Werder and Germany play a high line.

Klaus wrote:

To be fair to him he looked kind of brilliant three seasons ago. More so than the likes of Subotic and Hummels did last season. Maybe he just needs a new challenge on a higher level.

I'm still worried about his lack of pace and mobility though. Terry is actually a pretty decent comparison in that sense, but Chelsea have two guys in midfield who protect the defence at all times. We don't.

Well, his form has been less good for Werder, but that's in the same space of time as Werder have been crap and their defensive midfielder has had a hard time protecting the defense.

Basically our midfielders SHOULD BE better at protecting the defense no matter what. Heck, even Adams, Keown and Bould had to yell at Vieira and Petit back in 98 to get them to protect the defense better, because even they couldn't manage without protection. So basically the lack of pace doesn't really matter. And he might be slow, but it's not as though Keown or Adams were fast.

Keown was lightning fast before he got really old, but I take your point. I think Mertesacker is a better signing than Gary Cahill at any rate, though I'm not one of those who hold Cahill in a particularly high regard. Looking at the rumour mill it seems like this deal is done and dusted now. Will be interesting to finally see him in Premier League.

The whole thing about needing to be quick to play in a high line is fundamentally stupid. If anything, playing high up the pitch puts a huge emphasis on your reading of the game and basic decision making, rather than your physical abilities. At the highest level, once someone gets a yard on you it's all over anyway, regardless of pace.

One thing we will have with him in our backline is another leader, organizer and talker.

In Sagna, Mertesacker and Vermaelen we will have a lot of international and other experience at the highest level, even Santos has 22 Brazilian caps and even though Szczensy lacks experience he along with the former 3 will help with continuously talking to each other.

I haven't seen Santos but hopefully his age and experience will help and he will communicate with the backline too.

Big difference from having a Gallas Toure Almunia trio or Gallas Almunia anyone trio where no one spoke to Gallas and as for Almunia..... nevermind.

For the little bit we'd lose from not having another athletic reactionary defender, we'll gain a lot more with his nous, aerial power (both defensively and offensively), and his organisational skills.

If we continue to enjoy the lions share of possession when wilshere is back, he won't be exposed that often. I also think his slow clumsiness is a bit of a myth. Has anyone ever seen him skinned like diouf and ranger skinned kos last year?