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Van Persie - "Vermaalen the difference at the back"

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  • #1

    Van Persie - "Vermaalen the difference at the back"

    Van Persie - Vermaelen differences behind us


    By Nick Teale

    Robin van Persie paid tribute to Thomas Vermaelen's technical ability in the wake of Arsenal's 4-0 victory over Wigan and said the pair have moved on from any differences they may have had in the past.

    The Dutchman came up against Vermaelen when Arsenal played Ajax in the Amsterdam Tournament two years ago and the pair had an on-pitch disagreement during the match.

    "He is hard and played very strong on me physically," said Van Persie of the incident. "I was a little bit upset about that. So I told him in nice words!

    "Now I'm happy he is on my side now. In training everyone mixes up so I play against him. He is tough and it's good because I am training against proper defenders."

    Arsenal's No 11 went on to say he has been impressed by Vermaelen's technical and goalscoring ability since joining the Club in the summer.

    "He is raised in Holland," said the 26-year-old. "I am not saying every Dutch player is good technically but when you are raised in Holland - especially at Ajax, Feyenoord or PSV - you are brought up getting the ball, moving it first touch, move again, pass and move. He was at Ajax since he was 15, so it is in his system for a long, long time."

    Vermaelen is the surprise name at the top of Arsenal’s scoring charts with four goals so far this season and Van Persie believes that is significant. According to the Dutchman, Arsenal need players who are dangerous in the air.

    "The first one [against Wigan] showed he is very, very strong from corners and free kicks and that is very important for us.

    "Even if we play badly we can always score from set pieces. I would have been proud of his second goal.”

    [Monday, September 21, 2009]
    Tags: None
  • #2
    The difference up front. The man look sharper than the other forwards around the goal.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Me View Post
      The difference up front. The man look sharper than the other forwards around the goal.
      that's right up front as well good 'TEAM 'player

      Comment

      • #4
        Wenger - How Vermaelen came to my attention


        By Richard Clarke
        Thomas Vermaelen first came to Arsène Wenger’s attention when he locked horns with Robin van Persie at the Amsterdam Tournament.
        Tempers flared between the pair in the pre-season competition two years ago when the Belgian was still with Ajax. Wenger noted Vermaelen’s toughness and tenacity then returned last summer to take him to Emirates Stadium.
        “I loved it,” said Wenger recalling the Van Persie incident.
        “As a centre back you need to be fully committed. He is now 24, and at that time he was maybe 21 and wanted to show he could compete. I don’t know or remember if they shook hands afterwards but I remember some very committed games at the Ajax tournament.
        “He played against Thierry Henry [in the same game] and kept him quiet. I thought ‘oh’ and remembered the name. I put him in my brain and kept it in there.
        “I think what gave us a chance [to sign him] was from that moment on he played a lot at left back. A lot of people watched him a lot in England but saw him more at left back than at centre back.”
        However, at Arsenal, Vermaelen is very much in the middle of the defence where, according to Wenger, he has brought the best out of his partner.
        “Thomas is quiet, wants always to do well, he’s a hard worker as well as being mentally strong,” said the Frenchman.
        “He is left-footed as well. That has two advantages as it allows us to play Gallas on the right-side, where he wants to play. This gives us a natural balance at the back when we want to play the ball out. You can see he plays through the channels with his left foot, and that is very interesting.”
        In fact the only question mark early on concerned his height; six foot is on the small side for a centre back. Vermaelen’s towering header to open the scoring on Saturday provided the perfect response.
        “You can question his height but not his leap,” said Wenger. “That makes up for his height. He’s taller than you expect him to be, he’s not small.
        “He has a very strong upper body and has a very good leap. His leap is very sharp and that’s important. If two players go for a ball the one who jumps first will win it.”
        Vermaelen’s Arsenal career is clearly coming on leaps and bounds.

        [Monday, September 21, 2009]

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