Arsenal’s impressive run of form since their 2-1 defeat to Tottenham last March, including a record breaking run of 11 straight away wins, has attracted praise from both fans and football pundits. Players like Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud have repaid the faith shown in them by Arsene Wenger and Mesut Ozil’s arrival has seen The Gunners be talked about as genuine title contenders. But, one player who has been noticeably absent during this run is the club’s captain and supposed leader Thomas Vermaelen.
In fact, the side’s current run of form began after Vermaelen was dropped from the side for Arsenal’s Champions League return leg against Bayern Munich, as Wenger partnered Laurent Koscielney and Per Mertesacker at the centre of defence. Vermaelen has suffered with injury since then, but the Mertesacker-Koscielney partnership has looked to be Arsenal’s most solid for some years, leaving Vermaelen as a definite second-string player.
A player of Vermaelen’s pedigree and experience won’t want to spend his prime years sat on the bench every week, but equally Arsenal’s shortage of numbers at the back means he could still play a vital role in our season. Wenger therefore needs to keep Vermaelen happy, despite not playing him week in week out. During his injury Wenger could happily avoid the issue but with the Belgian’s return to full fitness he must now face it head on or risk unsettling the team’s spirit.
My suggestion for Vermaelen’s long-term future at the club is a potentially controversial one: experiment with him in midfield. This may seem like forcing a square peg in a round hole, but the move could benefit both Vermaelen and the team. The Belgian’s attacking tendencies are well known, frequently earning him criticism for being too unreliable at the back. Playing as a deep lying midfielder would allow him more freedom to get forward as well as adding some much needed steel to our central midfield. Flamini’s return has given Arsenal more balance in that area and having Vermaelen as another option would allow Wenger to rotate.
Becoming a utility player may not be ideal for Vermaelen, but would undoubtedly give him more opportunities to play. Starting against West Brom in the League Cup yesterday and putting in a solid performance will have boosted the player’s confidence. It also should have allowed Wenger to assess his state of mind as well fitness. He will hope that the competition at centre back will spur Vermaelen into upping his game rather than destroying his confidence.
But, a potentially bigger issue for Wenger could be what to do about the club’s captaincy. I firmly believe in the need for a strong leader in the team, so the club captain must be an automatic first pick. With Arsenal’s current run the issue does not appear to be pressing and tampering with what appears to be working would be madness. But, when the inevitable dip in form comes fans and players will look to a leader. With our captain currently not an influential force in the team the lack of leadership could threaten to derail a promising season.
Ideally Wenger would have dealt with this during the summer, when egos would have time to recover and the team could settle under a new leader, but making a change now would be preferable to panicking in a crisis. The obvious replacement for Vermaelen is Jack Wilshere. The English midfielder’s passion and drive are the sort of qualities that would make him an ideal captain. Now that the 21 year old is fully fit and a regular fixture in the side, it could be a natural time to make the change.
Arsenal’s incredible run of form has boosted the optimism levels at the Emirates to levels not seen since the days of the Invincibles. But, if Wenger is to make the most of this season I believe he needs to act quickly and decisively on Vermaelen’s situation, both for the good of the player and the team.
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by Ronnie Macdonald