Francis Coquelin is probably the first real Defensive Midfielder that Arsenal have had since Gilberto Silva left the club in 2008. He was the “Invisible wall” alongside Patrick Vieira that helped the Gunners to become Invincibles, and can you believe he was still playing professional football up to 2013.
He now spends his time helping youngsters in football with Street Child United, and he works in fundraising and as an ambassador for the charity. Naturally as he is in London, he goes to visit Arsene Wenger at the training ground, and he has volunteered to come back to cover for Coquelin. “I told him I was ready,” Gilbert said in the Guardian. “Since I left if I am not wrong Arsenal didn’t have a player to fill that role until him,”
“They had some other players in that position like Mikel Arteta, Mathieu Flamini, and before that Cesc Fàbregas. But not this type of player, the guy who holds the piano to let the others play. I hope he recovers well and in time to help Arsenal this season. They will need him for sure.”
“It’s a very hard time for the club and for the manager to organise the team, facing lots of injuries. Arsène has so many problems and doesn’t have so many players. The players must respond to that.
“This is a crucial moment, where the season can basically be decided. If they keep to their strengths in this period to keep consistency they have a good chance. It’s come to a time for Arsenal to win the league again. It would be a good gift to Arsène for what he has done over nearly 20 years.”
Arsenal are having their usual glut of injuries, and they are going to be strugling to keep up with the League leaders until we get some of our squad back. Yes we can all pray that Wenger can find some players in the transfer window, but we still have six games to play until January comes along. So couldn’t we snap up Gilberto on a two monh contract?