Thomas Vermaelen (Out)

[Floating]

There is no way we should be selling Vermaelen.

All players will be used throughout the course of a season, and if we are going to consider ourselves to be challenging then all players need to be at least competent.

We've got so used to getting by with the likes of Squillaci, Sylvestre and Djourou we need to get out of that mindset.

There are four main tournaments to play in, we're going to need more than just 2 competent centre backs.

Vermaelen doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who takes the easy way out. I'm sure he is chomping at the bit to get back in the side and that's what we need. Competition to raise everyone's game.

Completely agree. I also think a hungry Vermaelen on the bench forced Koscielny and Per to be so solid.

 

[Pea-Tear-Griffin]

I would like Vermaelen to be sold as although he can be a good CB, I feel we need a more reliable defender who can complement both Koscielny and Mertesacker adequately in the case of injuries,.

 

[goonerwarsh]

I would like Vermaelen to be sold as although he can be a good CB, I feel we need a more reliable defender who can complement both Koscielny and Mertesacker adequately in the case of injuries,.

Like who though? Who do you think realistically is going to come to us who is a reliable defender (which i'm guessing means he's a great defender) that wants to sit on the bench behind Koscielny and Mertesacker. If we sell Vermaelen then it will then mean we'll need two centre backs.

People have too short memories in football. Not so long ago Vermaelen was flavour of the month.

After the Chelsea and City games at home and the nightmare that Koscielny had in both those games everyone wanted him sold as he was a liability. Now he's the golden child and 'one of the best centre backs in Europe'.

Vermaelen has had a poor season yes - but he isn't a poor player and nor is he an old past it player neither. He just has to raise his game and I think has done enough in his Arsenal career to deserve that chance.

 

[bingobob]

Can't sell him, sends out as a bad a message as selling RVP in my opinion.

There is a huge difference between RVP and TV - RVP was a key if not thee key component to our team in 11-12, Vermaelen has been unfortunately been at the centre of a lot of our defensive problems this season and has spent a lot of the time on the bench. The only comparison is both captained the side.

Though I do feel for TV5 because at the start of the season the team excelled defensively with him and Mertesacker as CB's then something somewhere changed.

Anyway, I dont think they can be viewed as the same as it would be our decision to sell Vermaelen, RVP wanted out and we couldnt hold onto him.
edit: I do think we should keep him as others have said we need top centre backs and as Ive said at the start of the season he showed great form and something changed, he also got a lot of the blame for the goals against Sp**s which I still feel Walcott should be taking the blame for.

 

[leo_ense]

Can't sell him, sends out as a bad a message as selling RVP in my opinion.

There is a huge difference between RVP and TV - RVP was a key if not thee key component to our team in 11-12, Vermaelen has been unfortunately been at the centre of a lot of our defensive problems this season and has rightly spent a lot of the time on the bench. The only comparison is both captained the side.

Though I do feel for TV5 because at the start of the season the team excelled defensively with him and Mertesacker as CB's then something somewhere changed.

Anyway, I dont think they can be viewed as the same as it would be our decision to sell Vermaelen, RVP wanted out and we couldnt hold onto him.

At the end of the day we will look ridiculous moving him on, it doesn't send the right signals to anyone. Selling 3 captains in 3 years is pathetic, and do you have faith or confidence that we will even replace Vermaelen adequately? I'm willing to bet that if we get rid of him we will sign some nobody for that 3rd CB position with limited ability. We haven't replaced players adequately for years and we aren't about to start magically doing that now, keeping him is the logical solution.

 

[burnsjed]

I am sorry, but all this nonsense about sending the right signal is BS.
If Vermaelen was coming off the back of a decent season then fine but he isn't.
The message it sends is that if you are not delivering the required standard you will be moved on, and that is a great message to send!
Who gives a flying f*%k if he is currently the captain of the team, he hasn't been the captain for the majority of the run in that got us Champions League football.
I would have no problems on him going as long as a decent replacement is brought in.
Especially if that replacement offers something different from Kos and Per.
Is moving Vermaelen on the top of our to do list this summer, no, but if we can find a better alternative I have no problems with it, and it does not send out any negative signals, unless you are a drama queen!

 

[xinu]

Before people start saying he shouldn't be sold ask yourself how confident would you have been if he had started last two games for us? This isn't a one off poor season he has been poor two seasons now and a liability in defense. We need someone who can rotate into the team without us falling apart and if it means someone else so be it. We also don't know how he has reacted to the drop to the bench and what the implication is in the dressing room. If the manager feels he is not what we need to push on then sell and move on quickly. As for what it looks like well tbh it looks like strength and if Fergie had done it everyone would say how ruthless he is.

 

[caldeltatrojan]

Before we bought Mertesacker our last backup CBs were Squillaci and Silvestre. Wouldn't people be afraid we'd go bargain basement shopping again? Even out of form TV isn't that bad.

 

[GDeep™]

Before we bought Mertesacker our last backup CBs were Squillaci and Silvestre. Wouldn't people be afraid we'd go bargain basement shopping again? Even out of form TV isn't that bad.

AM was happy when we signed Squillaci, didn't work out though.

Linked with Williams, N'Kolouou etc, so if Verms is sold I think we'll get a good replacement.

 

[GDeep™]

I wonder how much power Bould has on players futures, especially defenders, if he feels the guy isn't up to it.

Some former Gooners, great defenders, don't rate Verms at all.

 

[Penn_]

I'm wouldn't be against him staying, but he is hardly a solid back up option when the amount of individual errors he has made have contributed to alot of points being dropped. If he can sort his problems out then yes he would be a great option to have but that is a very big if. The situation sort of similar to that of Gervinho.

 

[blaze_of_glory]

I'm just not sure he'll settle for a bench role after being a regular starter and captain.

 

[Vela]

If Vermaelen leaves then we need to bring in two centre-backs in the summer.

 

[caldeltatrojan]

I mean, he could regain form and challenge for his place again next season. I certainly wouldn't bet on Per and Kos playing every game next year either. if you are a top 3 CB it's a fair bet you will start your share of games.

 

[GunnerBP]

Selling TV would be a really bad idea.

With Merts, Kos and TV we have three top defenders that I think we should be able to rotate next season. Right now Kos and Merts are the undisputed first choices, but I think a key aspect of their success is the increased level of communication the team has been doing defensively.

I think Merts initially brought about more communication because due to his lack of pace he has to be a great communicator, but right now everyone talks a lot of pitch. They work as a unit and we can see the obvious benefits.

As long at TV communicates with the team I doubt that we will see a serious drop in quality defensively regardless of which two play out of Merts, Kos and TV.

 

[Hunta]

Vermaelen and Koscielny can't play together, every time they do we look shaky at the back and ship goals. What use is it having a 3rd choice CB who can't play with one of the main CB's? Sky showed a stat at the end of the season, it was the different CB combos Arsenal have used during the season and the best combo was obviously Mertesacker and Koscielny, then it was Mertesacker and Vermaelen and last was Koscielny and Vermaelen - a pairing that shipped more goals in far fewer games than the other two combos.

One of Vermaelen and Koscielny need to go and after the season just gone it has to be Vermaelen.

 

[Goonereagle]

A year back I thought Kos and Verm and a modern day Nest and Cannavaro - but they are too similar. They are all action defenders who love to get the ball back and go forward which leads to a postional nightmare.

I love Vermaelen and have thought for the last two seasons that he'd be an immense DMC - as he has all the attributes for that position. Quick, can tackle, can pass and help out up top and has a rocket shot. Good in the air too. Also, he does have leadership qualities and is aggressive.

To lose him would mean to lose him to strengthen our rivals. Luiz shows he can do it for the the Chavskis and I believe Verm would be better at doing it for us. We could spend money on a Cahill type CB and spend the rest in attack.

Vermaelen should still be a big part of our team. Wenger seems happy to play Strikers and CM's wide, but why not push an attackive CB forward a bit.

Verm, Wilshere and Cazorla. Walcott wide, Pod or a new signing left and a goalscoring striker looks epic. Our bench would be epic too with the right amount of young hungry stars and players very capable of filling in. Arteta, Ox, Gervinho, Giroud, (Podolski), Diaby and more.

 

[caldeltatrojan]

I'm not convinced they *can't* play together. They are both aggressive defenders who like to tackle high up the pitch. Mert is a good natural compliment because he prefers to sit deeper and read the game and cover. If TV and Kos were to develop great chemistry and compliment each other the way Per naturally does, I think they could be dynamite. I'm not ready to say they never can make it work, though.

 

[leo_ense]

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[Yousif Arsenal]

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Napoli is good club playing in CL next season and they are desperate for a decent defender so that make sense but their offer is a bit low just 10m euros meh.