He may not have been able to help Arsenal win at White Hart Lane yesterday or even to avoid the heavy pressure applied by the Tottenham team from eventually ending up in defeat, but Francis Coquelin at least tried his best.
It was not the young Frenchman´s best game since he returned to Arsenal from his loan spell with Charlton, but it was not a bad performance from him either and he was certainly not helped much by those around him. And despite Coquelin making eight interceptions, two clearances and having the best passing figures of our midfield three, he could not stem the tide.
But it was yet more proof that Coquelin is the real deal and is set to be a key player for Arsenal in the years to come. His team mates certainly seem to think so. The player who operates closest to Coquelin and perhaps has the most to gain from his good form is Aaron Ramsey and the Welshman explained in an Arsenal.com report why.
Ramsey said, “He’s very solid defensively, wins the ball back and gives it to other players to start off attacks. He’s done really well, I’ve been really impressed by the way he’s been playing and he’s earned this credit he’s getting at the moment.
“I have that insurance now where I know he’s going to be sitting in front of the back four so it allows me to get forward whenever I want. I try to get back in as much as I can and as quickly as I can.”
Unfortunately Ramsey had a bit of a stinker against the spuds and did not utilise what Coquelin offers him but he usually will. And the same goes for when someone else takes the box-to-box role. We sometimes worry that Wilshere, Rosicky or Chamberlain are a bit too attack minded but with Coquelin as an insurance policy, perhaps Arsenal can start to use them more often. What do you think?
Coq wins the ball back,pass it to Ramsey…Ramsey loose it to opponents….AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN!
Exactly.
Here’s the real situation, either we don’t have he players to hit the heights we think we should be at or the tactics are wrong. Funny how either reason comes back to one person who manages to stave off genuine criticism because of one-off games eg City away. Wenger is out of touch.
Lost to Chelsea – young manager
Lost to Spurs – young manager
Lost to Southampton – younger manager
Lost to United – old manager that tries new things
Drew with Everton – young manager
Drew with Liverpool – young manager
Won vs City – Old Manager.
Yep no pattern there. Most Arsenal fans think we have the players to be outsiders for the league, so when is the guy in charge going to be levelled with the responsibility that we’re so far off the top?
Champagne Charlie, always read your contributions and you seem on point most of the time, but way off here imo (and you missed out losing to Swansea to a very young manager and Stoke to a young manager). I see no pattern whatsoever and certainly no correlation between age and success – although it depends on what you call “young” I suppose and in fairness Wenger being the oldest manager in the league can only lose to younger/young managers. 5 of the 6 “young” managers you cite haven’t got a single top tier title between them – I think they have one FA cup between them. Bit early to be worshipping at their altars isn’t it? The PL has been won by a manager aged 50+ for 17 of the last 20 seasons. And Pellegrini at 61 is the current champion’s manager. Ferguson won most of his titles as the oldest manager in the league.
The only provable strong correlation for winning titles is spending (both transfers and wages). We can talk about teams that buck this trend for short periods and new managers who come with fresh ideas then fade, but it is all about money – that is the real discussion to be had. Koeman is the latest must have accessory we’ll see how long that lasts. I flippantly and disingenuously suggested on another thread that Arsenal needs to bought out by a mega-wealthy individual if things are to materially change in the direction many on here want. Wenger is far from perfect, maybe he is inflexible, maybe he is old fashioned but I will wager a hefty sum that no other manager would have done significantly better in the past 10 years with a net spend that has only just gotten above zero in the last year or two with the purchases of Ozil and Sanchez. The devil in me would love us to bought out completely, sack the board, get big reputation managers on rolling contracts, hand out the blank cheque book then go head to head on a level playing field with Chelsea, Man C and Man U. You need a lot of money to enter in to that arms race because unless you outspend them significantly you still only give yourself a 1 in 4 chance each year of winning the PL title.
And lastly you say: “Funny how either reason comes back to one person who manages to stave off genuine criticism (ie: Wenger)”. You have to be freakin’ kidding me. Wenger “staves off criticism”!!!! He has got to be the most critiqued and criticised manager of the last 10 years in the PL. No-one else comes close. And he certainly doesn’t avoid criticism on here – hell no.
Haven’t read a more reasonable post in God knows how long. You sir have hit the nail on its head.
Ramsey ought to stop doing the Wilshere act – trying to dribble through the wall of opponents infront of him. Messi can do that. Ronaldinho could do that. Zidane could do that. Wilshere/Ramsey cant.
Ramsey should be benched against leichester, rosicky ahead of him!!! I would love also to see gabriel, possibly ahead mert?
Ramsey has not been good enough this season, bench him then send him on loan in the summer, n all the smoking players loan them to the Syrian(i sympathise with the syrians) league where they can see smoke everywhere
Well at least Man United is losing against W Ham, 76 mins played.. Come on Hammers!
Like I said on a previous post as much as it’s a great thing to witness, we’ve become too dependent on others to drop points every season. Quite a negative mentality in my view to have being totally dependent…
To be honest, it’s been like that longer than I can remember.. So it’s nothing new.
We get new marquee signings but our position in the table remains the same: fighting for scraps and just hoping others to lose.
Come on – it has been like that for all fans since year dot. Unless you plan on winning every game in a league you are dependent on other results all the time.
Love Ramsey on form but now he should be the last person speaking, regain your form show it on the pitch or else as it stands the truth is you’re a 1 season wonder and I’m afraid Arsenal needs more than that…
Francis coquelin has been a revelation for the arsenal cause, he stepped up and has performed remarkable when we needed some stability in the DM area, where we had problems!
Went on a spurs site to troll, couldn’t even type a word, it hurts bro
The weekend continues for Arsenal and it’s affiliates as poor Jenkinson just set Man Utd up for a late equalizer…
I don’t think we will get Champions league this season. Even though there are only three points between us an 3rd place, we’ve just been too shit and whenever we’ve had the chance to move up the table, we f*ck it up. I think we’re a pretty b*llockless football team this season.
@matt
Dude, you are one positive Gooner…(sarcasm)
Okay well we never beat the big teams, ever. Okay a one off win at City is good but it’s paper over the cracks and we constantly have pathetic injuries because our players can’t last the course, the whole team is pitiful in many aspects.
Till now lady luck was not a bit$ch to us. Mayb again she will have mercy on us. Its not that we are bad, but the others have become stronger.
You know sh8t got real if you see Chelsea 16 points ahead and the Spurs beating the living sh$t out of you.
Ramsey can laud The Coq all he likes but as long as him and other midfielders don’t help him out he won’t be able to do it on his own..
At least with both man u and westham dropping points it makes the race for a top 4 place wide open! Game on! Coyg!
POSITIVES
3rd and 4th place are wide open now. Hell even Man City aren’t safe…
2. Man City 49
3. Southampton 45
4. Man Utd 44
5. Tottenham 43
6. Arsenal 42
7. Liverpool 39
We are fortunate Man utd are no longer the same beast they used to be. But freaking hell they still know how to make come backs.
Yesterday’s game just proved that yet again AW should have gone all out in January ad got arsenal a world class DM. Walcott should have started and we should have gone out on the attacking front not sit back and take it up the arse from the spuds
Ramsay should be an understudy to rosicky not starting in front of him. He’s slower, less vision and can’t score as well. Once OX/Sanchez are back, Ozil and walcott need to come off the bench, they’re just not at the level of the previous two.
Honestly, I would not play Ramsey against Leicester. Not just because he played poorly but to make him compete hard for his place and for him to improve. Rosicky may be answer for Leicester
Also, I would not start Welbeck on wing. Start Walcott and Sanchez (if healthy). I don’t mind starting Welbeck up front instead of Giroud if Wenger wants to rest Giroud
Also, don’t bench Ozil. Ozil has been on fire for 3 games in a row with goals and assists. Cazorla has been brilliant For longer, but perhaps because Cazorla had 1 bad game it may be worth benching him for 1 game to keep him on his toes. So that next game he can get back to his best.
Anyone who wants feel better, hear a song. “Arsenal Away Boyz Tottenham you are sh*t.”
Before anyone says anything. Yes i know I am a miserable git and am feeling like it for the whole day. I wish I didn’t watch the match.
My goodness! We would have been 4th after today’s proceedings. All Rhinosacker and Ramsey could do is to lament and shower praises on someone to distract attention away from their lackluster performance at the Lane yesterday. I think we had enough lamentable talks and praise worships from Rhino’ and co; to last us this season. Henceforth, let Rhino’ and company keep their lamentations and praise worships to themselves and give us constant good performances on the field.
Out of all players Ramsey has to say something. Lol. Well done sunshinebear.
And just something i noticed. Somehow Kos got beaten by Kane by the jump, but why is that i always see Merti charging upfront and Kos being the one who stays behind. This doesnt make any sense. It should be the other way around. At times you can see also Merti playing in the striker poz, that much up front he stays, and remember in the Everton game where he was beaten by Lukaku, same mistake, to far upfront. What are you thinking potatohead?
Ramsey & co should have grown a pair 2/3 yrs back and and told the the le boss that team needs a decent specialist DM to protect the defence…afterall thats what most of the fan, ex Arsenal players, pundits journalist & my neighbours blind dog etc etc, apart from AKB’s, have been saying FFS!
@NIKK
Ramsey and Co. should have grown a pair and started tracking back and defending, then they would have a need for a “specialist DM”
The problem is that too man of players are naturally attacking players so defence goes out of the window!
But ramsey said this before the match,(let me do a hafiz) we need quality article not deadwood articles, spend spend spend
We may get 5th this year with luck.
Suites will panic when their pockets take a hit because Of a Year out of UCL and be forced to take action = team rebuild, new coach and focus on winning the PL.