The Catch Up – Thomas Vermaelen to Arsenal

Joining well over a month ago now for a fee upwards of £10million, Thomas Vermaelen arrives in the Premier League with a strong pedigree and glowing references. But when we all expected the signing of a towering, dominating presence in the Arsenal rearguard, can a six-foot Belgian really shore up Wenger’s defence and lead us all to clean sheets?..

The CV suggests we should have high expectations. He will be joining Arsenal under the recommendation of Highbury legend Dennis Bergkamp – many Arsenal fans will feel that there is no higher. Closer examination shows that, at just 23 years of age, he was handed the captaincy of Ajax last season and has already earned 21 caps for Belgium. During his period at the Amsterdam Arena he has picked up vital experience in the UEFA Cup and Champions league, including two appearances against Arsenal in the group stages.

Vermaelen appears to have proven ability then, but he’ll be under pressure to produce from day one and that won’t be easy. He is coming into a defensive line that has, at times, slipped into disarray. Kolo Toure was reported to have slapped in a transfer request last January after having fallen out with William Gallas, and murmurs continue over the chance of him joining his ex team-mate Emmanuel Adebayor at Man City this summer (City are beginning to run out of options after chasing Lescott and Terry). Meanwhile, Vermaelen’s likely defensive partner, William Gallas, has been under the microscope ever since he broke down following Arsenal’s performance against Birmingham in the 07/08 season. Gallas was of course stripped of the club captaincy in the early months of last season and critics have been quick to pounce on his every error ever since. An Emirates exit still remains a possibility for the unpredictable Frenchman.

Despite these issues, it should be noted that Arsenal did have spells of fine defensive form last season. Seven clean sheets in ten Premier League games (with just 3 conceded) from the end of the year through till mid-March, helped them record 16 clean sheets overall. The improved defensive record in the second half of the season was a result of Wenger changing the emphasis of Arsenal’s play, from free-flowing attacking abandon, to a more considered style, particularly as they progressed in the Champions League. Should the Gunners take this thinking and form into the new season, we could see them push the likes of Liverpool, United and Chelsea in the clean sheet stakes. They certainly look likely to remain up there with Everton for that fourth/fifth ranking defensive spot, with 16+ clean sheets a realistic target.

So is Vermaelen set to be central to Arsenal’s defensive resolve? It looks that way. With at least one of Toure or Gallas seemingly destined to depart this summer, Phillip Senderos surely only squad filler (surely?), Silvestre no longer up to scratch and Djourou still widely considered too inexperienced – Wenger seems set to build his defence around the new recruit. Having spent a large chunk of his transfer funds on a centre-back instead of adding even more flair to the frontline, Wenger is putting a great deal of faith in Vermaelen as a signing.

In Arsenal’s first pre-season friendly against Barnet last weekend, Vermaelen was the only Arsenal player to take part in both halves of the game – playing for the full 90 minutes. Reports suggest he put in an impressive, confident performance and followed it with another solid 45 minutes against SC Colombia in the 7-1 win last Tuesday.

These kind of beginnings will only help to solidify belief Vermaelen is to become an integral part of the team. He himself has already stated he is ready to step in and take any responsibility thrown his way and while talk of the captaincy is more than a little premature, any extra leadership qualities in a, at times, rudderless defence, should prove to be invaluable. One might even proffer that Vermaelen’s presence is the kind likely to attract the attention of the Fantasy Premier League bonus judges.

Aside from bonus point potential, there’s also evidence to suggest that Vermaelen can navigate his way to the opposition’s goal. He notched 4 goals in 31 league appearances for Ajax last term, so it will be interesting to see if he alternates with Gallas when it comes to going forward for set pieces. His yellow card count will also need watching though – averaging a booking every five games in the Dutch league, Vermaelen may earn attention from refs should he struggle to come to terms with the pace of things.

When it comes to Vermaelen’s price point, there’s sadly little to get excited about. The Fantasy Premier League game, values Vermaelen at £6.5m, consistent with the rest of the Arsenal defence. With prices equally similar in the Fantasy League game , the Sun Dream Team and the Telegraph, don’t expect his selection to jump out at you as an under the radar bargain.

One last point not to be overlooked is how utterly awful Arsenal’s first 5 gameweeks are. With three away games against likely top 6 sides and one game postponed to an as of yet unknown date, you should consider steering as clear of Arsenal players, as Nicklas Bendtner does his local belt and braces emporium.

From gameweek 6 onwards, the sun begins to shine a bit more brightly on the Arsenal fixture list and Vermaelen will then become a more attractive proposition to fantasy managers looking into the security on offer at the Emirates.