Frustration and fear are not two words that you would normally associate with a footballer doing well, but there is a good case for saying that they have been heavily connected with the way that Francis Coquelin has gone from being another failed Arsenal youngster who did not make the grade and fulfil his early promise, to one of the most important players in a Gunners side putting together some of the best performances and run of results that us fans have seen for some considerable time.
Coquelin does not play with any fear or frustration and has not done so since Arsene Wenger recalled him from his latest loan spell with Charlton at the end of last year. He has admitted, however, that he was frustrated when he got that recall, because he was just starting to get a run of games and finding his form in the Championship, whereas he fully expected to be in his usual position of rarely used sub on the Arsenal bench.
But Coquelin has used that frustration to grab his chance and shake every last drop of positivity from it. And the fear driving him to do this was the very real fear that his time at Arsenal was coming to an end, with his contract due to run out this summer and no real sign of it being renewed. This sort of thing can often lead to a general downturn in a player´s career, but Coquelin has showed amazing strength of character and a fierce determination to go with his footballing ability.
And boy have the Gunners benefited from it all. Coquelin´s personal stats are pretty awesome on their own, showing that he is right up their with the very best in his position but when you look at the difference he has made to the team, improving our win percentage this season from 44 percent without him to 85 percent with him, it is simply astonishing.
When you consider that his Premier League debut was the 8-2 drubbing at Man United when he was subbed off after an hour, it is even more remarkable what Coquelin has done. But it seems to me that the young Frenchman makes adversity work for him and that grit is now showing itself on the pitch, where he just refuses to let the opposition get the better of him in the same way that he refused to let his many struggles stop him from making a go of his career.
Can you remember any Arsenal player making such a dramatic turnaround?
Not good enough…he may make a good backup a squad player but not a 1st choice…
lets sign Wanayama or Kondgabia..
we need a big strong and fast DM….
Keep calm and Thumb Rehman Down..
Hafiz… do you watch us play?? like.. ever??
Never seen a gooner with Negative thoughts like you Hafiz, can’t you be positive for a moment with a squad we have? Maybe you are a spuds fan! LOL
Hafiz is not an Arsenal Fan,,, I swear he is not….
I don’t hate him but he’s almost always out of tune r something….
HE IS A SPURS FAN…. and I hev proof……..
Un um
SCANDAL,what a f….k ,I just find out that Coq only be get 22.000 week????? In other hand Wiltshire is getting 130.000 week!!!!!! That is scandal,maybe le Coq should start to smoke and drink like Jack ,Bellerin is getting 12.000 week ,and people say that Arsenal don’t value mediocrity.
ur an idiot. big name doesn’t mean anyone’s better, he has the better numbers out of the people you just proposed. silly fan boy is what u are
I still remember the spurs game he drilled Modric with a few incredibly hard tackles about three seasons back. He was raw and gave away silly fouls but modric was genuinely shaken up by him
I still remember WHL this season when we were completely destroyed in midfield and Coquelin had no presence whatsoever because he’s not elite. Ahhh memories…
riiiight: kondogbia etc dont have any bad games. ever.
Monaco at home too….at least they weren’t big games. Fiercest rivals and CL last 16. Brill
You sure your an arsenal fan? But you honestly sound stupid there’s no other way to say it.
Ha! Brilliant, you’re not an arsenal fan if you have a balanced view of things. Just got to wax lyrical and make hyperbolic statements. Gotcha. You sweep the bad times under carpet mate if it makes you feel cheery
Hahah you call that a balanced view of things? Cause he didn’t completely destroy Tottenham single handily he’s not good? So you neglect the fact that he’s been f*cking brilliant for us at least 95% of the time and you wanna talk about balance? What are you on seriously. And he was the best player on the pitch against Monaco in the 1st leg
You have little understanding of football clearly. When spurs had 70% possession and were bossing us that’s when an elite DM like Matic gets his team a foothold, he breaks it up and transitions the play to allow a counter. Coquelin was making blocks but doesn’t have the ability on the ball to transition us, stats say as much.
Just brilliant you call our DM the best player on the pitch in a game we lost 3-1. Kondogbia scored 25yards out middle of the goal, coq was mia. He was also nowhere to be seen on the two countered goals…..remind me what a DM is supposed to do for a team?
I find it boring how fans like you never acknowledge the bad with the good. You talk about coquelin like he’s one of the best in Europe, it’s pathetic.
1) In Tottenham vs Arsenal, Coquelin had the second best pass completion percentage of our starters behind Mertesacker. The stats that are actually important to a DM were very high as well: interceptions, blocks, tackles. Are you really trying to put an awful performance down to one player you don’t like.
2)You clearly didn’t watch or pay attention in the Monaco match because Kongdogbia’s goal was on Cazorla’s side of the pitch. The second goal was completely caused by Mertesacker. The third goal Coquelin wasn’t even on the pitch.
3) He might not be one of the best yet, but considering the fact that we have won 13/15 matches with him and the two we lost he was one of our better players I’m not sure why you are adamant on making him out as not good enough.
So now I don’t like coquelin because I dare say he’s not elite? Funny bunch.
Vs spurs his defensive stats were high? There’s a shock seeing as we were defending he whole game. High pass completion behind Per….pretty much my point, seeing as we know the extent of Per’s passing. About 6 yards left or right.
Vs Monaco you’re dead right I forget he was that bad he actually was subbed before the last goal. Funny the spin that gets put on things when you’re bigging a player up, kondogbias goal was on cazorlas side? The middle of midfield is a side? You point your finger all over the pitch and I’ll just sit here wondering where the DM was all game.
I’ve said he’s made us more solid doing the dirty side of the game, but our run of form has had more to do with Giroud and Ozil sparking into life than Coquelin pulling up trees. Ultimately elite players come to the fore in the biggest games, coquelin has been mia in two of the biggest and he’s simply not as good as is being touted. He’s good at tackling, but on the ball he’s average at best and that’s why he’s no more than a good player. If you’re content with that have at it, but let’s see if he’s replaced in the summer.
Let me just restate it… Coquelin had a better pass completion percentage than Ozil, Cazorla, Ramsey, Giroud, Welbeck, Monreal, Koscielny, and Bellerin in a match where you are criticising his transitional work.
When we are 2 goals down and we sub a DM for a AMC it has nothing to do with how the DM played, it has to do with the fact that we need a goal.
Accuse me of spinning things when I am just stating facts and you are pushing opinion.
Don’t let him get to you Goonsqad the guy is a P;;;; he only crawls out of his woodwork the mere mention of Coquelin he should change his name to Domestos Charlie to clean out his dribble. CB
@ luko
I know I shouldn’t man but I can’t help it but im starting to think he’s a troll
Every time Coquelin makes a tackle the song everyone was kung fu fighting comes on in my head.
Coquelin is a fantastic DM, I mean the way he tortured both Manchester clubs was just amazing… In those acts, he wasn’t just trying to please Wenger, he was helping the team as well… He must have seen that, Arsenal doesn’t have a player like him since Arteta got injured…. And he gave his all.. He is also very intelligent…. Against Manutd, he saw how Fellaini was dominating our box, he went there and frustrated the Dude, that forced Gaal to change tactics, which gave us the win….
…He is a great guy with amazing confidence…
He has been excellent there is no denying it. And look how much more solid we look as a team he literally snuffs out everything and he plays with no fear. I see a bright future for Le coq he’s only 23 imagine after he has a preseason with the team and he’s gained more experience in the prem!
Wenger knows best!! Wenger should sign a DM just in case Coquelin is injured can play the same role, time to say goodbye to Flamini,