Arsenal: Per Mertesacker still has part to play before coaching career

Arsenal’s defense may be in a pickle to start out the season, meaning captain Per Mertesacker still has a part to play before he becomes academy coach.

Arsenal are heading into the preseason fixtures short on the one position we knew for sure we wouldn’t be short on all year – center back. On the books, the Gunners have seven players who have played at center back last year. Seven. Meaning that even if Arsene Wenger sticks with the three at the back, he is more than secure in doing so.

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And the best part is that all seven of those options have shown – again, in the past year – that they are capable of holding down the role.

Those seven at the back don’t even include Sead Kolasinac, who is more than capable of playing center back should the team require it.

Going into the preseason, the club will be without the England U21 duo of Rob Holding and Calum Chambers due to the U21 Euros. They will be without Gabriel Paulista due to his rather nasty injury. They will be without Shkodran Mustafi due to the confederations cup.

Meaning that they will have only Laurent Koscielny, Nacho Monreal and, who else but Per Mertesacker, as experienced center back options. That is assuming they don’t extend a center back opportunity to Kolasinac.

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Which means that, going into the season, Per Mertesacker may still have a part to play before he takes over as the club’s academy coach next summer.

Last year was bizarre for Mertesacker. The big German didn’t play a single minute until the final Premier League game of the season. He didn’t start a single match until he was sent on to anchor a back three that included zero of the regulars. Mustafi, Koscielny, Gabriel – all out. It was down to Mertesacker, Monreal and the young phenom Rob Holding.

And Mertesacker could not have done any better. It was arguably the best game I have ever seen him play. It was so impressive that I couldn’t help but believe that may be he has something more to give this team.

Which is why that the defensive situation the club is in does not worry me at all. With Mertesacker back there, along with Koscielny, we have nothing to fear. Even if, for whatever reason, Wenger decides that all four of his MIA center backs aren’t ready to go at the start of the year, everything will be fine.

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Because we have the big German, and he’s still got it.