Morning from a really chilly Dublin.
Mikel Arteta will meet the press this morning forward of our sport in opposition to Brighton on Saturday night. Hopefully no matter bug has been going round has been squashed and we’re capable of welcome again Kai Havertz for the journey to the south coast. I questioned how we’d do with out the person who obtained the winner in each video games in opposition to Brentford final season, and fortunately there have been others who stepped up and obtained the targets.
Considered one of them, Mikel Merino, is somebody round whom there’s been loads of discourse. We spoke about him a bit on the Arsecast Further yesterday (that individual part begins at round 1:14’15), and I do suppose the Brentford sport was considerably instructive about why he was introduced in. I don’t suppose it’s any coincidence we profiled a tall participant who is sweet within the air, and you possibly can see by the way in which we had been searching for him with balls into the field it was a part of our sport plan on Wednesday night.
Clearly he scored a objective (not together with his head although), and performed a component within the third. Ethan Nwaneri’s cross was like one thing Bukayo Saka would purpose in direction of Kai Havertz – that very mixture obtained us the winner away final season. On this occasion, Nathan Collins obtained to the ball however Merino’s expertise and just a bit push unsettled the Brentford defender, that means his clearance fell for Gabriel Martinelli who produced a pleasant end for 3-1. It’s not an help, however he actually helped.
Now, you may favor a distinct profile of participant in that place, and I can absolutely perceive that. If there’s a ‘handbrake’ on this Arsenal aspect you possibly can simply understand it to be in that ‘left 8’ place. Granit Xhaka did rather well there when he was moved additional ahead, however did so with years of coaching and taking part in with a lot of the guys round him. Even then, with all due respect to him, he could possibly be a bit clunky at occasions.
When he departed we introduced in Kai Havertz to play there, and unquestionably he struggled when he first arrived earlier than making an actual step ahead when he was moved up entrance. To at the present time, though we have now performed video games with him in midfield and received, there’s a way the workforce isn’t fairly the identical due to the sort of participant he’s. Technically he’s not at all times essentially the most safe in possession, and I believe he provides the workforce extra when he’s taking part in additional ahead – as evidenced by the actual fact he’s our prime scorer having performed the vast majority of his video games as our ‘striker’.
Merino is extra naturally a midfielder than Havertz, however I don’t suppose it’s unreasonable to say that bodily (first) and technically (second) he’s in the identical sort of ballpark as each Xhaka and Havertz. I believe we have now to acknowledge in his case, and that of Havertz too, the necessity to construct relationships with the gamers round him has been an element. As I mentioned, Xhaka knew most of those guys for years – Merino arrived chilly after the Euros and obtained an harm, whereas Havertz got here in from Chelsea like some sort of shell-shocked warfare veteran and it took him time to attach.
The conclusion we are able to maybe attain is that this profile is what Mikel Arteta desires from the participant on this place proper now. What you or I would like – somebody who is a little more Eberechi Eze or Morgan Gibbs-White for instance – isn’t what he likes. Not less than not for now. I believe Merino can and may enhance on the ball, he stays a bit hesitant at occasions, though principally fairly safe. I hope that may are available time as and when he performs extra repeatedly – he’s began simply 6 of our 19 Premier League video games up to now – and people relationships develop.
Is Mikel Merino the sort of signing to get you excited or elevate the extent, per se? No. He’s an honest, useful midfield participant and maybe the advantage of that was evident in opposition to Brentford. With out Havertz, and with Declan Rice on the bench, he got here in, did a job, and helped us win a troublesome away sport. I absolutely perceive wanting extra, and I believe within the longer-term how we reshape our central midfield space will likely be as essential as any ahead signing we’ll make sooner or later, however within the present set-up he can play an essential position in serving to this workforce win video games. He’s a traditional ‘squad’ signing, however we’ve seen from the final couple of seasons how the absence of these gamers can impression you when the schedule will get hectic.
My ultimate thought is that Arteta in all probability sees a little bit of himself in Merino. Apart from their title and Actual Sociedad connection, he’s somebody who arrived at an enormous membership like Arsenal within the late summer time of his profession. Merino signed at 28, Arteta was 29 when he joined from Everton. Generally managers, even ones as detailed as Arteta, function only a bit on vibes. He spoke after Brentford about how he felt it was the correct time to provide Nwaneri his first Premier League begin as a result of it was the identical floor the place he made his debut as a 15 12 months previous.
I’m not saying Arteta introduced Merino in simply because there are similarities between them, he’ll have finished way more homework on the participant than that, however you possibly can see from the tip of the Brentford sport he appeared particularly happy for his fellow Mikel. Let’s hope he has extra event for that between now and Could.
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Proper, I’ll go away it there for this morning. For some additional studying, right here’s Tim’s newest column on how younger gamers are introduced by the Academy into the primary workforce. We’ll deliver you press convention updates on Arseblog Information, and you’ll be a part of us afterward Patreon for a Brighton preview podcast.
Till then, have a great one.
