Source: London_Paper
Manuel Almunia lauds the impact of defender Thomas Vermaelen
MANUEL ALMUNIA has joined Arsene Wenger in hailing new signing Thomas Vermaelen.
The £10m summer signing from Ajax has been in imperious form since arriving at Arsenal, scoring in the Gunners 6-1 thrashing of Everton and guiding his side to a clean-sheet and a 2-0 win over Celtic at Parkhead on Tuesday.
The Arsenal defence were culpable for conceding more Premier League goals than any of the other ‘big four’ last season.
But Almunia reckons Vermaelen’s presence will improve the Gunners resolve this campaign.
“The things we had to improve were the communication, our positions on the pitch, how to work as a unit and as a team. There were many things to improve.
"All the team is defending well. The midfielders and strikers are defending all together and Thomas Vermaelen is a good signing for us.
"He's a very good player, a good defender, great left foot, good in the air. He is complete. But we have to keep going.”
The last of the ‘Invincibles’, Kolo Toure, was sold to Manchester City for £16m last month.
But Almunia is confident that Vermaelen is more than a capable replacement for the Ivory Coast defender.
"Thomas looks like he's been at the club for more than a few months. He's a very calm player. He's a very tough player, a great defender.
"He is very relaxed and that makes the people around him relaxed as well. Not only William Gallas but me, Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna as well. We have confidence about this player."
