Let us rewind our clocks to 12th of December. Aaron Ramsey is injured and we are short of midfielders much like the numbers in defence. News emanates that Francis Coquelin has been called back from his loan spell at Charlton to make up for the numbers. The response? The fanbase lose control, throwing vile abuses at our manager and medical team, claiming our club has officially become a laughing stock etc etc. Before moving to Charlton on loan Coquelin was often named on our substitutes list in matches by the official twitter feed of the club. The response to that would always have atleast 2 people mocking his presence with remarks like sell him or useless and things like that. A clear feeling was there which spoke volumes about how the fanbase felt about the player in general. This was a player with whom the fans had lost patience, wanted him sold immediately. Fast forward to today just over a month + a week from 12th of December and suddenly he is the most trended topic on twitter, he is the first name that appears on Google when you type Franc. The change is so much it is hardly believable.
Imagine another scenario. It is the 1st of January and as fans we are waiting for a signing. Arsenal surprise us with the signing of a relatively young Frenchman with the name of Francis Coquelin. Fans are angry, but they know atleast he was signed to fill a position in pressing need. He puts in the sort of performances he is currently putting and now fans would be delighted calling his signing a masterstroke, calling him the best DM and what not? Yet it took him till the match against Man City to actually get the majority of the fans support. Why was this so? Is it because he is an internal solution? I mean everytime I watched him play he has impressed me, so much so that I had recommended him as the first internal solution in my post about solutions for our DM problems. I always felt he was underrated, but if my feelings were right why did he not play enough while on loan at Freiburg? Ultimately that loan spell seemed like a real doom for him. It put a wrong impression about him to all fans. It gave a wrong image and that was stuck in everyone's head. What most people do not know though is that Coquelin was never played at DM or CM at Freiburg. He was played as a winger there and not even as a RB or LB, a winger. He know doubt has some tricks up his sleeves but that is not his position. He struggled and was dropped out of the team. His loan spell was so bad there that he came up among the list of flops for the Bundesliga season 2013-14. He returned to Arsenal this summer and rumours were afloat that the club were actively trying to sell him and clubs like Q.P.R were interested. Finally either we demanded too much money or nobody wanted him I have no clue.
In the beginning of November after spending the beginning of the season either on the bench or with the U-21s Coquelin joint Charlton on loan. A club where former gunner Alex Song was on loan before entering the 1st team fray.
CHARLTON LOAN SPELL
Imagine another scenario. It is the 1st of January and as fans we are waiting for a signing. Arsenal surprise us with the signing of a relatively young Frenchman with the name of Francis Coquelin. Fans are angry, but they know atleast he was signed to fill a position in pressing need. He puts in the sort of performances he is currently putting and now fans would be delighted calling his signing a masterstroke, calling him the best DM and what not? Yet it took him till the match against Man City to actually get the majority of the fans support. Why was this so? Is it because he is an internal solution? I mean everytime I watched him play he has impressed me, so much so that I had recommended him as the first internal solution in my post about solutions for our DM problems. I always felt he was underrated, but if my feelings were right why did he not play enough while on loan at Freiburg? Ultimately that loan spell seemed like a real doom for him. It put a wrong impression about him to all fans. It gave a wrong image and that was stuck in everyone's head. What most people do not know though is that Coquelin was never played at DM or CM at Freiburg. He was played as a winger there and not even as a RB or LB, a winger. He know doubt has some tricks up his sleeves but that is not his position. He struggled and was dropped out of the team. His loan spell was so bad there that he came up among the list of flops for the Bundesliga season 2013-14. He returned to Arsenal this summer and rumours were afloat that the club were actively trying to sell him and clubs like Q.P.R were interested. Finally either we demanded too much money or nobody wanted him I have no clue.
In the beginning of November after spending the beginning of the season either on the bench or with the U-21s Coquelin joint Charlton on loan. A club where former gunner Alex Song was on loan before entering the 1st team fray.
CHARLTON LOAN SPELL
Arsene Wenger almost after every match emphasizes the importance of Coquelin's loan spell at Charlton. Was it really that important? Well above image compares Coquelin's time at Charlton and it Freiburg even though they were hardly for any time. Bar the aerial duels % which are almost equal every stat shows a massive improvement. This was a player wanting to prove a point. A player who many Premier League teams could have signed on the cheap yet he was willing to drop a division down to prove himself. The stats are not just about decent. They are excellent. In the 5 games he played at Charlton he played in his favoured position and that has no doubt helped him. He suddenly seems an all new player. His games in the Championship added maturity to his play. He seemed a much better player, atleast in the eyes of our manager who holds him in high regard. He has had to wait 7 years to make it into the team. This time the way he is playing is almost like a man possessed. He wants to make sure the place in DM is for him to keep.
RETURN TO ARSENAL
RETURN TO ARSENAL
Just looking at these stats and telling Coquelin is better than all those players will be outright stupidity. He has hardly played any games in comparison to those players. But when he has played he has been as good as the mentioned players. They say stats don't tell the whole story. It definitely does not. But stats are facts and not a load of bullshit. To have stats like the ones he has shown is remarkable. Like I said he is playing like a player possessed, wanting to prove a point. He is isn't he? It's been a long time since we had a player who would throw their body's for tackles, who would play with the sort of aggression the young man is playing with. We needed a man of brawn. Ideally people of the position Coquelin play are tall and muscular people who can take the ball away with ease. Coquelin is not that, but his energy makes up for it. He wins almost 1 tackle more per 90 minutes in comparison with the other players compared there. That itself is a great feat. The fact he kept a player of David Silva's capability in his pocket speaks volumes of his performance against City.
COMPARISON WITH ARTETA AND FLAMINI
COMPARISON WITH ARTETA AND FLAMINI
Barring the pass completion stat he outclasses Arteta and Flamini by a huge margin. With Arteta becoming more and more injury prone and Flamini, er being Flamini Coquelin may just be the DM we need, atleast until the summer. He suits the formation we have been trying since the start of the season sitting in the base of the midfield. He is a perfect example to teach a person how to make an interception. Since he has returned Cazorla has started to flourish more. Right now he is easily the best fit for the team in the position and hopefully he continues his form.
CONCLUSION
In my opinion Coquelin is the best short term fit. No doubt he was inconsistent before. But right now even though it's hardly a few games he has shown remarkable consistency. If he maintains the way he is playing it is hard to see him dropped. I will not say he is a permanent solution, he is the next Gilberto etc etc. But he is what we need right now. Fair to say most will agree. If he maintains his form through out the rest of the season a French national team call up beckons and it is safe to say he may just end up being the permanent solution.
CONCLUSION
In my opinion Coquelin is the best short term fit. No doubt he was inconsistent before. But right now even though it's hardly a few games he has shown remarkable consistency. If he maintains the way he is playing it is hard to see him dropped. I will not say he is a permanent solution, he is the next Gilberto etc etc. But he is what we need right now. Fair to say most will agree. If he maintains his form through out the rest of the season a French national team call up beckons and it is safe to say he may just end up being the permanent solution.