Arsenal Summer Profile: The Defense

The Rhino: Per Mertesacker (CB)

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Not meant to be an offensive jab at the German but ever since the comparison was made he does indeed remind me of a big slow rhino. Mertesacker may not be the prototype modern day defender capable of running up and down the pitch.

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But as a central defender in the premier league, speed and agility are not the only things that matter. There is something to be said about presence, and at 6 foot 6, Mertesacker has presence.

I am not the biggest Mertesacker fan. For one I think I write more bad things about him than good. However, his height and leadership qualities are extremely valuable to a young Gunners squad. He doesn’t have to rely on speed and agility to be a good defender because he uses his brain and although it isn’t always pretty, he gets the job done.

Mertesacker is STAYING and there is no one out there who will disagree with that.

Next: Mathieu Debuchy