Mertesacker: You have to remember that when we played Paraguay, it was hardly the ideal time for an international friendly. Still, we wanted to play well for the fans. We wanted to play attacking football and entertain them, but we can’t afford to neglect our defensive duties. Unfortunately in that game we didn’t adhere to the defensive principles that have made us so strong in recent years.
DFB.de: Is it unfair that the defence is always first to be criticised when goals are conceded?
Mertesacker: It’s the normal reflex, but I can’t say I really follow what’s written or said in the press. I don’t have the time. Either way, the important thing for me is how things are assessed internally, where mistakes are analysed more precisely. Here, we all know that conceding is normally a result of a mistake further up the pitch – not that I want to point the finger at other parts of the team. It would be ridiculous for the defence to shun responsibility for conceding goals. It’s not important to single out players for individual errors, though. The important thing is to look at why a mistake was made and how we can avoid it happening again in future.
DFB.de: The positive headlines are usually written about attacking players. Do defenders mind that?
Mertesacker: Much of what we do isn’t particularly elegant. Often we have to keep it simple or just hack the ball away. There are no prizes for beauty in defence. I’m not so sure we do get more criticism as defenders, though. As soon as a striker doesn’t score for two matches, people start counting the minutes…
DFB.de: There’s been a lot of talk about the changing role of strikers recently. With smaller, more agile forwards playing in the centre these days, do defences need to react accordingly? For example, might it make sense for Philipp Lahm to swap places with you to mark someone like Lionel Messi?
Mertesacker: It’s not something I’ve really though about, but I think defences always need to have a basic structure. That’s what gives us our composure. I don’t think it would be good for a defence to start moving players about, but at the same time I wouldn’t rule it out entirely. Who knows how football will develop? We’re always up for trying new things with the national team.
DFB.de: You’ve taken on a new role as captain of Arsenal recently. A German skipper in England…
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Whenever the German national team concedes a goal, the defence is almost always held culpable - a responsibility Per Mertesacker, at the heart of the back four for almost a decade, is willing to accept. In an exclusive interview with DFB.de reporter Steffen Lüdeke, the 28-year-old discusses Germany’s defence ahead of Friday’s FIFA World Cup qualifier against Austria (kick-off 20:45 CET), as well as his new role as captain of Arsenal.
DFB.de: Herr Mertesacker, there was a meeting at the team hotel this week entitled ‘Defence’ at which the coaching staff and all the defensive players were present. What was discussed?
Per Mertesacker: We discussed the basic principles of our defensive play, concerning the back four in particular. I think it was a good idea, especially after the game against Paraguay and because we hadn’t got together for a while. Basically we just went over the defensive philosophy of the national team.
DFB.de: What sorts of questions came up during the meeting?
Mertesacker: When should we drop deep? When should we press forward? What should we do in one-on-one situations? How can we cover one another better? What should we do in certain situations?
DFB.de: The national team drew 4-4 against Sweden and 3-3 against Paraguay recently, but held the Netherlands 0-0 and beat France 2-1 at the Stade de France, with the French goal coming from a direct free-kick. Does Germany’s defence only play well against the so-called ‘bigger’ teams?
Mertesacker: I think it’s more a case of us playing well when we follow our defensive principles throughout the entire match, like we did against the Netherlands and France. Whenever we’ve deviated from those principles, we’ve run into difficulties. There were communication problems and our positioning wasn’t as good as it should have been. It was good to discuss these things here in Munich.
DFB.de: Can you sense whether a game is going to turn out well for you or not? When did you realise, for example, that Paraguay were going to cause you problems?
Mertesacker: You have to remember that when we played Paraguay, it was hardly the ideal time for an international friendly. Still, we wanted to play well for the fans. We wanted to play attacking football and entertain them, but we can’t afford to neglect our defensive duties. Unfortunately in that game we didn’t adhere to the defensive principles that have made us so strong in recent years.
DFB.de: Is it unfair that the defence is always first to be criticised when goals are conceded?
Mertesacker: It’s the normal reflex, but I can’t say I really follow what’s written or said in the press. I don’t have the time. Either way, the important thing for me is how things are assessed internally, where mistakes are analysed more precisely. Here, we all know that conceding is normally a result of a mistake further up the pitch – not that I want to point the finger at other parts of the team. It would be ridiculous for the defence to shun responsibility for conceding goals. It’s not important to single out players for individual errors, though. The important thing is to look at why a mistake was made and how we can avoid it happening again in future.
DFB.de: The positive headlines are usually written about attacking players. Do defenders mind that?
Mertesacker: Much of what we do isn’t particularly elegant. Often we have to keep it simple or just hack the ball away. There are no prizes for beauty in defence. I’m not so sure we do get more criticism as defenders, though. As soon as a striker doesn’t score for two matches, people start counting the minutes…
[bild2]
DFB.de: There’s been a lot of talk about the changing role of strikers recently. With smaller, more agile forwards playing in the centre these days, do defences need to react accordingly? For example, might it make sense for Philipp Lahm to swap places with you to mark someone like Lionel Messi?
Mertesacker: It’s not something I’ve really though about, but I think defences always need to have a basic structure. That’s what gives us our composure. I don’t think it would be good for a defence to start moving players about, but at the same time I wouldn’t rule it out entirely. Who knows how football will develop? We’re always up for trying new things with the national team.
DFB.de: You’ve taken on a new role as captain of Arsenal recently. A German skipper in England…
Mertesacker: Let’s be honest – I’m only third choice as captain, but it’s true that I’m leading the team out onto the field as captain at the moment and that’s a great honour for me. It’s a form of recognition from the coach and the team. I think people can see that I’m putting my experience to good use for Arsenal. I’ve been a pro for ten years now and an international for nine, so I’ve seen and done a lot of things and know what to do in various situations. If that’s something people around me value and it results in wearing the captain’s armband, then that’s great.
DFB.de: How much of a part did you play in Mesut Özil’s transfer to Arsenal?
Mertesacker: Of course we chat when we meet up with the national team and share experiences. How is the coach, the city, the squad? Mesut only ever heard good things from me about London and Arsenal. He knew from what Lukas Podolski and I had told him that we feel very settled there. That will have been in the back of his mind and perhaps it played a small role in his decision.
DFB.de: What do you make of the transfer from a sporting perspective?
Mertesacker: I think Arsenal can be proud that a player like Mesut has chosen to play for the club. Arsène Wenger had a little chat with me about Mesut, but to be honest he doesn’t really need my advice. He’s been following Mesut’s career for a long time and was always an admirer. From our point of view, his arrival is a gift.
DFB.de: For Özil too, no doubt…
Mertesacker: I assume so. It was a blessing for me to come here and I think Lukas would say the same. Why should Mesut be any different?
DFB.de: What are you expecting from Friday’s match against Austria?
Mertesacker: Austria have a good team. They’ve got a number of players from the Bundesliga and some great individuals. The team has developed under Marcel Koller and they’re certainly capable of causing other teams problems. It’s not going to be easy, but we’re well prepared.
