Arsenal's defender Per Mertesacker admits he has yet to settle following his summer move from Werder Bremen.
Defender admits teething problems at the Emirates
Arsenal's defender Per Mertesacker admits he has yet to settle following his summer move from Werder Bremen.
The 27-year-old centre-half has been criticised following some shaky performances so far this season, with Arsenal losing four out of seven Premier League matches.
Mertesacker was one of several players brought in by Arsene Wenger late on in the transfer window, and the German claims it was always going to take time for the team to gel.
"I've only been gone a month from Germany. I have not yet properly
acclimatised," he told the German Football Association website.
"Sometimes it feels like an extended holiday. Only slowly am I starting to get used to the fact that the centre of my life is now actually in London.
"I have been living in England since the middle of September, but it doesn't yet feel like home. I don't have my own house or my own flat.
"There is a lack of anchor points which I already had in Germany. But that takes time, it's normal.
"We have many new players, but I feel that we have integrated very quickly. I still have communication problems, but given the circumstances this is inevitable."
Mistakes
He added: "Arsenal is one of the top teams in the world and the level of the league in general is very high.
"But it is clear that mistakes happen. They are almost inevitable in a team which has not yet gelled."
Mertesacker was also adamant that Wenger is the right man to lead the Gunners out of their poor run.
"The coach has been the pride of Arsenal for years," he said. "Arsene Wenger does not sign players about whom he is not totally convinced.
"He gives this feeling to everyone on a daily basis. This knowledge gives me a lot of security.
"He (Wenger) has a huge reputation there and enjoys complete confidence.
"For the Arsenal fans Wenger is a hero and he cannot lose this status. There is no one here who is not certain that the success will return. We have a talented team with a lot of potential lying dormant within us and it's only a matter of time before that comes to the surface."
