Arsenal’s list of captains since the turn of the century makes for interesting reading. Tony Adams, Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, William Gallas, Cesc Fàbregas and Robin van Persie have all been permanent occupants of the armband. They of course enjoyed varying degrees of success between them, but all could consider themselves fundamental parts of the Gunners’ armoury.
It’s a strange situation, therefore, for Thomas Vermaelen; Arsenal’s current skipper who has spent more time on the bench than the Emirates turf this last season. Due to a dip in form leading to him being dropped, and the subsequent blossoming partnership of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny, Vermaelen now finds himself as backup rather than the first name on the team sheet, which one would perhaps expect usually comes with the role of being club captain.
After this season’s hard fought 4th place and victory in the FA Cup, it was Mertesacker and Koscielny who, rightly, took all the plaudits, so it doesn’t look like Vermaelen will be claiming a regular starting berth any time soon.
However, he has played a vital role whenever called upon last season . As well as coming on as a late substitute to help secure the points in the aforementioned North London Derby, he impressed against both Everton and Bayern Munich when he had to fill in for injured teammates. His display in Germany was particularly commendable considering it was at left-back, where he undoubtedly feels less comfortable.
In fact, on every occasion he has been picked this season, Vermaelen has done well. He deserves immense credit for this because I firmly believe that defensive prowess is borne out of understanding between individuals. Koscielny and Mertesacker have played together for a long time and are developing the type of rapport evident in previous title-winning partnerships like Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidić and Ricardo Carvalho and John Terry.
Vermaelen could easily have struggled when thrown in at the deep end for big games without a run in the side. Yet he hasn’t looked at all out of place when called upon this season. This has surely helped put to bed some of the excessive criticism he received at the back end of last season and the beginning of this.
The Belgian was often caught out of position and was unquestionably at fault for the concession of crucial goals on occasions, but I maintain that this was far more of a form issue than one about his overall quality. Many began to think his goals upon arrival in 2009 helped mask some defensive deficiencies but, for me, Vermaelen has always been an excellent defender, provided he has an able partner alongside him.
As much as it benefits Arsenal having a player as good as Vermaelen waiting in the wings for when injuries strike, with the summer transfer window now opened and strong rumours of interest from United, he will surely want to switch to a team where he will be first choice once again. He’s certainly good enough for a club playing in the Champions League
For now though, the Gunners can enjoy the satisfactory level of depth to the squad he provides, and hope that Vermaelen’s future is sorted sooner rather than later.