Rio Ferdinand has held nothing back in his assessment of Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker, with the former Manchester United centre-half clearly not a fan of the World Cup winner.
The towering German is currently nursing his way back to fitness following knee surgery, and is yet to make a competitive appearance in 2016/17 as a result.
Ferdinand believes his absence has actually benefitted the Gunners, with Laurent Koscielny forging a productive partnership with summer signing Skhodran Mustafi on the back of Mertesacker’s misfortune.
Hector Bellerin and Kieran Gibbs have also impressed at full-back, while Petr Cech remains a reliable presence between the sticks.
Ferdinand feels Arsenal have stumbled upon a winning formula, with a man on the outside looking in – and one whose contract is due to expire next summer – never the ‘right fit’ and now surplus to requirements.
He told the Evening Standard: “This is the best back four I have seen at Arsenal for many a year. They are settled and look confident.
“Laurent Koscielny has been one of the most consistent defenders for the last few seasons and has found a great partner in summer signing Shkodran Mustafi.
“I didn’t think Per Mertesacker was the right fit for Koscielny, Arsenal or this League.
“Mertesacker is a very good player and it’s unfortunate that he got an injury before the start of the season, but I think he may be more suited to other divisions in Europe."
No comments:
Post a Comment