Arsène Wenger research pays off with Thomas Vermaelen as Arsenal beat Wigan
So, with apologies to Mrs Merton, just what was it that first attracted Arsène Wenger, football’s ultimate purist, to Thomas Vermaelen?
By Jeremy WilsonPublished: 7:30AM BST 21 Sep 2009
Double delight: Robin van Persie (left) congratulates Thomas Vermaelen, the Arsenal defender, after the Belgian scored in his second successive game Photo: AP
Two's company: Thomas Vermaelan grabbed a brace as Arsenal defeated Wigan at the Emirates Stadium Photo: EPA
His passing, instinctive reading of the game and the timing of his tackles? Or perhaps it was his ability to dribble the ball into dangerous areas and score breathtaking goals, as he did on Saturday.
Well, no actually, it was his refusal to back down in an angry confrontation with Robin van Persie amid allegations that he had elbowed the Arsenal striker. “I loved that,” said Wenger. “We watched him from that moment on. When that happened he was 21 and maybe he wanted to show he was committed.”
Van Persie has also not forgotten and admitted there had been no subsequent joking about the spat with his new team-mate. “He is hard and played very strong on me physically and I was a little bit upset — I’m happy he is on my side now,” he said.
The incident unfolded in August 2007 during a match against Ajax in the pre-season Amsterdam Tournament and, even by Wenger’s elaborate standards, his recruitment of Vermaelen stands as a testament to his attention to detail.
Wenger had previously noted how he handled Thierry Henry in a goalless draw at Highbury in the Champions League in 2005 and, having been watched by Arsenal more than 30 times, Vermaelen was told that one scout had even hidden in a forest so that he could secretly assess his approach to training for the Belgium national team. “He kept Thierry Henry quiet and again he did the same with Van Persie,” said Wenger. “I put the name in my brain and kept it in there.”
Such diligent research appears to be paying off, with Vermaelen’s brace on Saturday making him Arsenal’s top scorer in a season that has seen a total of 30 goals in their first six league matches. Most importantly, perhaps, was that this 4-0 win ensured a first clean sheet.
Vermaelen’s goals were of a contrasting but equally impressive nature. The first was a typical centre-back’s contribution, with the 24 year-old out-jumping the Wigan defence to head Van Persie’s cross beyond Chris Kirkland.
The second simply underlined his ball-playing qualities. Vermaelen had carried possession into Wigan’s half and, after a swift exchange of passes with Emmanuel Eboué, curled a perfectly executed left-foot shot beyond Kirkland. “You can question Vermaelen’s height, but not his leap,” said Wenger “He jumps very quickly. He is a mixture of players. We’ve not had someone of his type before. His second goal was not him closing his eyes and hoping it went in the top corner. He decided what he wanted to do and he executed it.”
Van Persie, who was unhappy with his own finishing, added: “I would have been proud of Vermaelen’s second. When you are raised in Holland, you are brought up getting the ball, moving it first touch, move again, pass, move. He was at Ajax since 15.”
Arsenal’s rout was completed when Eduardo’s shot glanced off Eboué and captain Cesc Fàbregas converted Nicklas Bendtner’s 90th-minute cross.
Wenger, though, was unhappy at the number of unfair challenges against his team and intends to ask the Football Association to take action over players who, in his opinion, deliberately commit small “tactical” fouls that break up the flow of a game.
It is an issue that Wenger also recently discussed with Uefa and follows his comments after the defeat at Old Trafford when he suggested that elements of Manchester United’s approach had been “anti-football”. He also said he had seen one player — believed to be Darren Fletcher — who was only on the pitch to commit fouls. Wenger believes similar tactics have been used against Arsenal in their last four matches and says referees should book players after a third or fourth foul.
