Morning from a really chilly Dublin.
Mikel Arteta will meet the press this morning forward of our recreation 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 puzzled 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 objectives.
One in all them, Mikel Merino, is somebody round whom there’s been loads of discourse. We spoke about him a bit on the Arsecast Additional yesterday (that individual part begins at round 1:14’15), and I do suppose the Brentford recreation 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 could possibly see by the way in which we had been in search of him with balls into the field it was a part of our recreation plan on Wednesday night.
Clearly he scored a purpose (not along with his head although), and performed a component within the third. Ethan Nwaneri’s cross was like one thing Bukayo Saka would intention in the 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 definitely helped.
Now, you may want a special profile of participant in that place, and I can absolutely perceive that. If there’s a ‘handbrake’ on this Arsenal aspect you could possibly 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 enjoying with many of the guys round him. Even then, with all due respect to him, he could possibly be a bit clunky at instances.
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, despite the fact that we now have performed video games with him in midfield and gained, there’s a way the staff 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 offers the staff extra when he’s enjoying additional ahead – as evidenced by the actual fact he’s our high scorer having performed nearly all 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 now have 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 stated, 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 struggle veteran and it took him time to attach.
The conclusion we are able to maybe attain is that this profile is what Mikel Arteta needs 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. No less than not for now. I believe Merino can and may enhance on the ball, he stays a bit hesitant at instances, though largely fairly safe. I hope that may are available time as and when he performs extra frequently – he’s began simply 6 of our 19 Premier League video games so far – 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 recreation. I absolutely perceive wanting extra, and I believe within the longer-term how we reshape our central midfield space will likely be as necessary as any ahead signing we’ll make sooner or later, however within the present set-up he can play an necessary position in serving to this staff win video games. He’s a basic ‘squad’ signing, however we’ve seen from the final couple of seasons how the absence of these gamers can affect you when the schedule will get hectic.
My closing thought is that Arteta most likely sees a little bit of himself in Merino. Except for their identify 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. Typically managers, even ones as detailed as Arteta, function only a bit on vibes. He spoke after Brentford about how he felt it was the suitable 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 outdated.
I’m not saying Arteta introduced Merino in simply because there are similarities between them, he’ll have finished much more homework on the participant than that, however you could possibly see from the top of the Brentford recreation he appeared particularly happy for his fellow Mikel. Let’s hope he has extra event for that between now and Might.
—
Proper, I’ll go away it there for this morning. For some further studying, right here’s Tim’s newest column on how younger gamers are introduced via the Academy into the primary staff. We’ll carry you press convention updates on Arseblog Information, and you’ll be part of us afterward Patreon for a Brighton preview podcast.
Till then, have a superb one.
