Is Per Mertesacker our only truly world class player in the squad.
Santi Cazorla is obviously very good, but in terms of his position there are quite a few better than him.
Jack Wilshere has talent, but has yet to establish himself due to injury.
Sagna, Koscielny, Arteta, Szczesny, Vermaelen are all very good players but doubtful as to whether they are world class.
Merte, however, is undoubtably class (to people who actually watch football rather than have pre-conceptions).
82 caps for Germany, I honestly believe his lack of fitness cost Germany glory in the summer. Although the 2 who did play (Hummels and Badstuber) are good players, they lack that something that Per offers. Experience, a cool head and leadership. His reading of the game means his lack of pace matters little.
Not the best CB in the world, but a world class CB none the less.
Is Per...
posted on 7/10/12
Mertesacker may have more than 80 caps, but he is no longer first choice in the German national team. Loew rates Hummels, Badstuber, Boateng and probably Hoewedes above him.
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What nonsense he is a key player for germany, he didn't play in the last tournament simply because he just came back from a 4 month injury.
posted on 7/10/12
Majority rules, DJ is an idiot, a deluded one at that.
Per Mertesacker world class dear oh dear
posted on 7/10/12
doovde your team is playing... watch them play..
posted on 7/10/12
What nonsense he is a key player for Germany, he didn't play in the last tournament simply because he just came back from a 4 month injury.
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He is not anymore. After being replaced because of his injury, he has slipped down the pecking order below Hummels, Badstuber and Boateng.
posted on 7/10/12
@Thomas T
Don't you know Hummels, Badstuber and Boateng are all very inconsistent when playing for Germany?
I don't see Merte is a world class, but he is absolutely better than Badstuber and Boateng as CB when physically fit.
posted on 7/10/12
@ronniec
Mertesacker has been know to make the occasional major error for Germany and Bremen last season. Hummels is world class, and Loew prefers defenders who can create (Hummels and Badstuber), and he plays Boateng because of his unbelievable speed (and his robustness). But personally, I rate Mertesacker higher (the Mertesacker of today or of 2010, not the Mertesacker of last year in Bremen).
posted on 7/10/12
beckenbauer=world class
mertesacker=international class.
not much of a difference but a difference none the less
posted on 7/10/12
I think everyone is agreed on the best defender in the PL.
Vincent Kompany.
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That was definitely the case last season, but Kompany has been pretty average so far in 2012/13.
posted on 29/12/13
posted on 24/4/15