By Sir Hardly Anyone
There are all sorts ways of entering the rankings and then become someone who might just make it to the world cup. You can score goals, you can give assists, you can play through balls that no one else in the stadium can see. You can win almost every tackle and every header.
Or you can just be incredibly solid and dependable. The problem with this latter approach is that when you sign for Arsenal the bloggettas will announce that the club has no ambition. Especially if you are a left back. Solid and dependable is not what the all-knowing pundits want. Not at all!
That is the problem for Marvin Plattenhardt. He played the whole game for Germany against Brazil and hardly got a mention. He might go to the world cup he might not although with Germany that is true of an awful lot of players.
Plattenhardt is 26, and experienced the 2014 World Cup by watching it on TV. Since then he has played five internationals. And always he does the same thing: he does his job inconspicuously. He is even a player, Löw expressly praised after the 1-1 draw against Spain, although Plattenhardt had not played. What Löw did on that occasion was praise his performance against France in November!
When Plattenhardt was approached at the press conference before the Brazil match concerning what the national coach had said, he said all the things that football players just say: “Such statements will please any player.” Truthfully, he added, “But I think the nomination was not that, it was just a statement from the national coach, I want to put my best foot forward, show what I can do, and show myself that I can do it with the national team.”
So far, so very football.
Joachim Loew has not always said nice things about his left-back, for years he has made it clear that in his view in Germany the country is not rich in above-average talented left-backs. And indeed on occasion he has said that quite clearly. Once he said it about Marcel Schmelzer from Borussia Dortmund. Indeed he spelt it out, saying, “He did not play well against Austria,” which in German international speak is pretty damning. That was in 2012. He is still searching for the left back that he thinks fits the German team.
The national media have called the left back position a “small to medium construction site position,” suggesting that there is no other position that has caused him so much of a headache.
On 20 May 2014, he signed a three-year contract with Hertha BSC. He scored his first goal for the club on 12 December 2015, scoring a free kick in a 4–0 win away to SV Darmstadt 98. On 11 March 2017, Plattenhardt scored the winning goal in a 2–1 win over Borussia Dortmund, his seventh competitive league goal, all of which have come from free kicks. Which tells us something.
And here is his record in terms of appearances
| Season | Team | Games | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–2011 | 1. FC Nürnberg II | 46 | 0 |
| 2010–2014 | 1. FC Nürnberg | 63 | 2 |
| 2014– | Hertha BSC | 94 | 5 |
| Germany | |||
| 2008–2009 | Germany U17 | 24 | 0 |
| 2009–2010 | Germany U18 | 6 | 0 |
| 2010–2011 | Germany U19 | 12 | 0 |
| 2011–2013 | Germany U20 | 7 | 0 |
| 2012–2014 | Germany U21 | 7 | 0 |
| 2017– | Germany | 6 | 0 |
And now… is he coming to Arsenal? Well, no one in the big wide world of make believe says so. So that makes this little commentary different from most. There is no “according to the XYZ Media outlet” and “according to reports in Germany” and all that malarky. But I heard a little whisper. Of course it was in German so my translation mechanisms might have been up the spout, but there is this thought lurking around. No one seems to be mentioning it which in any other form of human endeavour could be a negative but with transfers it is a positive bonus.
Remember this is my own personal one and only real tip of the summer. Marvin Plattenhardt to Arsenal. If I am right you will never hear the end of it. If I am wrong, I shall of course, as always, deny everything.
Elsewhere
- Six consecutive games without scoring, and Pires tackles Vieira!
- Why did Arsenal manager Knighton turn down Man City but not buy players? Summer of 1921.
- Why Arsenal moaners are, and remain so depressed, while the rest of us are happy.
- Arsenal v Charlton – SSE Women’s FA Cup Quarter-final Match Report
- Why international football managers are just like car thieves
Loved this. First time I heard of this blog, and I enjoyed it. Keep it up bro
Hmmm. Marvin Plattenhardst? A potential new left back for Arsenal next season, but to replace which of Monreal Holding and Maitland who have been manning the left back position in a back three or back four playing formation for Arsenal this season? If Arsenal do sign Plattenhardst in the summer. Us the Gooners will see who they’ll replace him with at left back. Probably they’ll move the young Maitland-Niles to the right side in the midfield. Or use him as a potential replacement for Nacho Monreal who apart of becoming aging and losing a yard, has of late becomes injury prone..
I advocated for Arsenal to sign the young Nigerian Super Eagles goalkeeper, Francis Uzoho after I watched him performed very well against Poland to stop Lewandowski in a friendly match played by both counties in preparation for the 2018 World Cup. But against Serbia last Tuesday night at Bannet, he flopped as he conceded 2 goals to the Serbian. Thus, making my recommending him to Arsenal for a possible signing as a potential replacement for the aging Petr Cech all but laughable. Or was it the makeshift Nigerian Super Eagles defense-line or their general defending inthe game on the night that made look cheap?
Hmmm. Marvin Plattenhardst? A potential new left back for Arsenal next season, but to replace which of: Monreal, Holding and Maitland who have been manning the left back position in a back three and back four defense-line for Arsenal this season? If Arsenal do sign Plattenhardst in the summer. Us the Gooners will see who they’ll replace him with at left back. Probably they’ll move the young Maitland-Niles to the right side of the midfield. Or use him Plattenhardst as a potential replacement for Nacho Monreal who apart of becoming aging and losing a yard, has of late becomes injury prone.
I advocated for Arsenal to sign the young Nigerian Super Eagles goalkeeper, Francis Uzoho after I watched him performed very well against Poland to stop Lewandowski in a friendly match played by both counties in preparation for the 2018 World Cup. But against Serbia last Tuesday night at Bannet, he flopped as he conceded 2 goals to the Serbian. Thus, making my recommending him to Arsenal for a possible signing as a potential replacement for the aging Petr Cech all but laughable. Or was it the makeshift Nigerian Super Eagles defense-line or their general defending in the game on the night that made him looked cheap?
The last sentence seems very true
Sorry,but I don’t think left back is a priority for Arsenal right now. There are other positions crying out for urgent attention in the face of scarce resources. Monreal, Kolasinac and Maitland-Niles can still do a good job. Attention should be on CB, DM, winger or AM and, maybe, a RB to complement Belerin
If none of the papers or blogettas have mentioned him, I’d say it’s virtually certain 🙂
If his name were Flattenhardt, he would have been on Stoke RC’s radar already. What a difference a letter can do!
Sorry, that was mean.
I have to agree that he’s doing such a great job flying under the radar that his next club’s name is a no-brainer. Especially with the contribution of StatDNA et al. Plus, with Nacho approaching his twilight, and with Maitland-Niles being more of a defensive or box-to-box midfielder than a defender (the youngster is so polyvalent though that no one can be sure).